Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [23]
I needed a moment to compose myself, so I stepped away from the hive and shook out my veil one more time. When I was ready, I put my veil back on and carefully closed up the beehive. I put the feeder box on top of the hive and filled it with sugar water. At Mr. B’s suggestion, we left the partly empty package of bees in front of the hive entrance, so the last few stubborn creatures would follow their queen’s pheromones and thus find their way into the hive before dark. Last of all, I placed the entrance reducer on the bottom board of the hive with the smallest opening. I gave a sigh of relief and decided that I was finished with my beekeeping for the day.
At last, I found the courage to look over at Mr. B.
“What happened?” I asked.
Mr. B. asked me if I was wearing any perfumes, if I used a particularly fragrant shampoo that morning, and what I ate for breakfast. I responded in defense that I did clean up that morning, but was careful not to use anything fragrant. Breakfast was the usual cup of espresso with Mr. B’s own honey, and cereal with bananas and honey on top.
“Oh, no. Not bananas,” Mr. B groaned.
I blushed like a child being scolded.
Studies have shown, Mr. B explained, that a bee’s alarm pheromones smell similar to bananas. It’s possible that my bees smelled the banana I’d eaten earlier—perhaps there’d been some residue on my hands or clothes—and interpreted it as alarm pheromones. Who could blame them for electing to defend themselves?
Stinging Behavior
Honeybees simply do not fly about looking for someone to sting. They are too busy collectiing pollen and guzzling nectar. Stinging is an act of defense. Beekeepers know this and acknowledge stings as a part of keeping bees. In time, most beekeepers become indifferent and immune to stinging.
Stings by wasp or yellow jackets are more common than honeybee stings. Honeybees will sting only if they feel their hive is under attack. The guard bees are the first to take notice of an intruder at the hive. Their duty is to protect the hive from danger and to alert the other bees. The moment a honeybee stings, it is the end of her short life. Although wasps and other bees can sting more than once and survive, when the honeybees stings, her barbed stinger, along with other vital body parts, is ripped out of her abdomen, and she dies. The longer the stinger remains in your skin, the more venom is pumped from it. Quick removal cuts down on the amount of venom you receive, which, in turn, decreases the pain or swelling.
Due to the alarm pheromones that are released after the sting, it’s likely that other bees will come after you. It’s important to stay as calm as possible and to not swat at the bees. Honeybees do not detect slow-moving objects, so standing still or slowing stepping away from the hive is the best way to avoid further stings. And you can always use your smoker to apply smoke to the sting, thus masking the alarm pheromone and confusing the bees.
Very few people are highly allergic to bee stings and show severe signs of anaphylactic shock when stung. Symptoms include shortness of breath, abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea. If you do get stung and are allergic, scrape the stinger out of your skin as quickly as possible, using your finger or a credit card, and seek medical assistance. Beekeepers are wise to have an EpiPen or an injection of epinephrine handy for any emergencies and for anyone showing these symptoms after a bee sting of any type. Apiary visitors who are allergic to bee stings should simply keep their distance from the bees and keep their sting kit, including any prescriptions from their doctor, with them. Being allergic to bee stings does not necessarily mean that you cannot or should not keep bees. I have met beekeepers who are highly allergic to bee stings; they completely protect their