The Scents that Attract (or Repel) Bees

Working in a garden or out on a hike? Here’s the food to bring — or avoid

You may not see this bee’s nose, but he smells you. And oh boy, you stink! When did you last take a shower? What are you, a stink bug? (That’s some bee humor, right there.) Photo by leandro fregoni on Unsplash

For many people, the beauty and peace of a garden can be instantly spoiled by the buzzing, swooping presence of a bee.

Yes, we all know that bees are vital for the environment, pollinating many vital plants, including crops like almonds, blueberries, and cherries. Yes, we should encourage them to thrive (although too much attention goes to invasive honeybees and not enough attention goes to smaller, solitary local bees).

But in the moment when a buzzing, yellow-striped insect swoops at us, all those thoughts go out the window. All we want to do is avoid bringing on the ire of the bee — and getting stung.

Despite their large, compound eyes, bees have other senses, including a powerful sense of smell. They need this sense of smell to detect the pheromones that they use to pass signals to other members of the hive.

A couple of those pheromones bear a strong resemblance to other scents that we encounter more often — and these smells, unintentionally, can trigger a reaction in bees.

What smell will discourage bees from hanging around you?

What smell will make them angry?