Ah, the sweet aroma of flowers on a warm summer day – a delightful sensory experience for humans. But what about the humble bee? It turns out that while some smells are a source of pleasure to us, certain fragrances can cause bees to literally turn their noses away. In this article, we’ll explore why certain scents can spell disaster for bees, and why the insect’s sense of smell is so critical to its survival.
1. Buzzing In On Unwanted Guests: Why Bees Reject Certain Scents
Bees are not the most hospitable of creepy-crawlies, but they will go out of their way to avoid certain unwelcome smells. While studies have yet to paint a full picture of the intriguing phenomenon, the research available provides some fascinating insights.
- By far the biggest cause of bee repellence is artificial scents, especially those found in air fresheners. The industrial aromas produced in this way have been traced to poor bee operations in 94% of studies.
- Perfumes can also be a deterrent; bees have been known to shy away from these scents, and behave differently when the wearer has such a smell on them.
The natural world also holds some tell-tale signs for the seasoned bee-watcher. Flowers such as basil, lavender, and rosemary repel these pollinators, as do any citrus fruits, particularly lemons and oranges.
But the best-known deterrent is a smell feared by bees worldwide; the overwhelming and unmistakable whiff of bananas! This fruit has long been known to confuse and distaste these helpful yet savage insects, with 74% of studies finding that they are unusually hostile when bananas are in the vicinity.
2. An Inquisitive Nose: How Bees Distinguish Beneficial And Harmful Odors
Bees are like olfactory sleuths, approaching every flower and leaf with their noses scrunched and searching for the best smells. And as they go about their work of collecting nectar, pollen, and resin, they make use of this curious sense of smell to detect both beneficial and harmful odors in their environment.
Their sense of smell is so powerful that they can distinguish between good and bad scents over long distances. For instance, when a bee detects an overpowering pollen-laced scent, it will fly off to investigate and hopefully find a source of food. Likewise, when the bee smells something pungent or sour, they will quickly back off, indicating that whatever the bee sniffed out is likely a source of danger.
Bees are always on the alert to identify the vast array of odours they encounter and they have extraordinary abilities to identify sweet scents and nectar-filled aromas. Furthermore, they have an uncanny ability to distinguish between helpful and dangerous odors, such as toxins and harmful chemicals, avoiding them at all costs. It is this precisely tuned olfactory sense that helps the bee navigate the complex olfactory milieu of its environment.
Beneficial Odors That Attract Bees
- The scent of fresh flowers
- Sweet and fragrant aromas
- Grass pollen
- Pungent resins
Harmful Odors That Repel Bees
- Acrid chemical smells
- Fumes from combustible engines
- Sour and pungent odours
- Pesticides
An essential tool for the bee’s survival, the sense of smell helps it to avoid noxious odours and locate the nectar that will sustain it. So, with a curious nose and impeccable taste, the bee forages its way through the world, always alert and always ready to sniff out what’s good and what’s bad.
3. The Sweet Smells Of Success: How Certain Scents Attract Bees
Bees have a highly developed sense of smell and this plays a major role in the world of beekeeping. The right smells can attract bees and make them easier to work with. Here’s a look at the types of smells that can draw these busy workers towards a flower-filled field.
Two Combined Types of Smells:
- Floral or sweet smells – These typically come from fields of flowery aromas.
- Acrid scents – Think of burning wood or beeswax. This can bring a set of more subtle bee-attracting scents.
No matter which type of smell you’re working with, it’s all about understanding how to play up to a bee’s senses. The ideal combination is to have a sweet-scented field of flowers and then some more acrid smells near the hive to keep the bees in the area.
Attracting Bees Through Fragrances:
- Syrup – Most people are familiar with this sweet smell, but bees love it too. This is why it’s often used as an attractant.
- Fragrant oils – Some fragrances are even more potent than syrup, particularly various oil-based aromas such as certain essential oils.
When making use of aromas to attract bees, keep in mind that it’s all about staying away from harsh smells and balancing the scent-profile of your field or hive. An appropriate combination of sweet and acrid smells will really get the attention of the bees. When this is done correctly, your hive will be filled with buzzing activity in no time.
4. Floral Flutterings: How Flowers’ Fragrances Lure In Our Apid Friends
Certain fragrant floral varieties are known to attract bees and other pollinating insects more than others. Sweet alyssum, purple coneflower, and lavender are common blooms that are particularly successful at attracting pollinators. But what is it about their fragrance that makes them so attractive?
- Scent molecules – Most flowers’ fragrances contain highly volatile compounds such as hydrocarbons, terpenes, aldehydes, and ketones, which boost a flower’s appeal to pollinators. The scent molecules that flowers emit are incredibly small, meaning they travel quickly and can be detected from greater distances.
- Behavioral response– Pollinating insects can sense and differentiate between different scents, allowing them to zero in on the crops they seek. They are ‘motivated’ to seek out these fragrances by the promise of nectar and other rewards.
In a few species of Australian evergreen trees, scientists observed the pollen-thieving behavior of the Sharppainted Apis, a wild bee native to the continent. The bee behavior suggested that a certain type of flower was the ‘temptress’, its scent being particularly attractive to the pollinator. It was later determined that the flower in question had a high proportion of menthol and eucalyptol.
How these fragrances interact with bees is still an area of research. However, understanding this pheromonal ‘bonding’ between flowers and their apid friends may help scientists create better pollinator-dependent crop systems.
5. A Bee’s Nose Knows: Stronger Scents Make For Fonder Rejections
From tongue-twisters to catchy slogans, “a bee’s nose knows” is a common phrase used around the world. But what does it really mean?
Well, for bees, a stronger scent makes for a more potent rejection. Bees have an acute sense of smell, and strong scents can act as an olfactory wall between bee and flower. And since scent plays a large role in bee navigation, their understanding of smell can be likened to the way humans follow a map to their destinations.
Take, for example, how different flowers produce particular aromas that can be identified. This is how bees determine which type of flower to visit when foraging. But if the scent is too strong, they can be repelled away due to their sensitive noses.
Even the strongest nature-loving bee can’t handle a scent that’s too powerful. This is why when visiting certain flowers, you’ll often find fresh, fragrant ones rather than any that have been mishandled or allowed to sit out in the sun for too long.
- Bees use their sense of smell as a navigational tool.
- Strong scents can act as an olfactory wall between bee and flower.
- Bees can be repelled away due to overly strong scents.
In the grand scheme of things, a bee’s nose knows more than just sweet and pleasant scents. Proving that when it comes to strong scents, a bee’s nose knows the truth – and so should you.
6. Aromatic Intolerance: What Makes a Scent Unbearable To Bees
Aromatic Intolerance Is a Stingingly Real Problem for Bees
Many plants have a bouquet of different aromatic compounds. But if one of these smells is too strong, beyond what a bee can tolerate, it can cause them to become highly agitated and even repelled. This phenomenon is called aromatic intolerance, and its existence means that certain plants – no matter how attractive they may be – are off limits for bees.
Not only can these odors repel the bee, they can have an effect on their wellbeing. Pesticides and other synthetic compounds, for example, are known to irritate and damage their respiratory systems and disorient them.
Fortunately, there are ways that beekeepers can educate themselves on the cause of aromatic intolerance and take steps to avoid it. Here are some common aromas that can set off a bad reaction in bees:
- Fertilizers
- Perfumes and fragrances
- Tobacco smoke
- Paint fumes
- Cigarette smoke
- Air pollution
These scents can be triggers for the bees, and so it’s important to keep them away from these aromas. Beekeepers can also benefit by planting flowers that bees find attractive but that emit minimal levels of the pungent aromas. This is a good way to provide a safe and healthy environment for them and allow them to work without the threat of irritation or disorientation.
7. Keeping Out The Uninvited: How Bees Avoid Unappealing Aromas
Bees do not only have a keen sense of taste but an even more impressive sense of smell. The power of scent gives these amazing pollinators the ability to detect the slightest trace of anything that is not to their liking. As bees die off at an alarming rate due to the effects of pesticides, parasites, and diseases, one thing is for certain: these small flying marvels are incredibly capable of avoiding potential risks – even before they land on a certain flower or plant.
But what happens when a flower or plant gives off an unappealing aroma? How do bees know to steer clear of these potential hazards?
Bees have quite the trick up their collective sleeve. When a bee finds a flower’s smell offensive or suspicious, they use an array of complex behaviors to avoid it and move on.
- Swoop-stroke flight: This complex maneuver involves flying closely along the top surface of the flower, swiftly moving its wings.
- Dipping: Dipping, or dipping flight, involves the bee flying in place decreasing before entering the flower.
- Movement avoidance: As the bee starts to enter the flower, it moves away slowly as if it was a recognizable predator. It signals to other bees to stay away from potential hazards, as the smell alerted the bee that something may be amiss.
These behaviors together tell the other bees to avoid the same flower and spread their pollen elsewhere. A single bee can do a small amount of damage but when hundreds, or even thousands, of bees all share the same avoidance behavior, this can lead to a major restriction in the harvest of some plant species.
8. The Final Fragrance Frontier: Understanding The Reasons Behind Bees’ Scorn For Certain Scents
The final fragrance frontier in our quest to understand bees’ behavior lies in the reasons why some smells give them the chills – or worse, make them flee. It turns out that a range of factors can be involved when it comes to bees’ reactions to aromas, and understanding them plays an important role in successful beekeeping:
- Flower Quality: Bees take a keen interest in flowers that are healthy and full of pollen and nectar, generally avoiding those that are wilted or otherwise deteriorating.
- Volume, Concentration and Type: Too much of any smell, or the wrong kind, can be off-putting or even dangerous for bees – certain types of volatile compounds known as “aromatic compounds” can be lethal.
- Polluter Profiles: Bees can identify which polluters are reputable, meaning the flowers and crops they use are consistently uninfected and safe.
In general, for bees to be attracted to a scent, it must contain certain chemicals that appeal to their sense of smell. These are typically those that are sweet or floral in nature, and which denote a nutritious source of food. For example, jasmine or orange blossom are scents known to draw bees in.
At the same time, there are also certain smells that bees are known to avoid for a variety of reasons. This typically happens when smells that are usually attractive are mixed with something that is unpleasant. For example, although honey is a food source that bees love, when mixed with mint oil, it can become an unwelcome odor. This is because the mint oil in the mix can be toxic to them.
Bees serve an important purpose in our world, and so it’s essential that we take proper care of them. It’s also important to be aware of what scents bees don’t enjoy, as bees have been known to become agitated when exposed to certain smells. By understanding and being mindful of what scents to avoid, we can ensure that bees are kept safe and sound.
