I had a bottle of lemongrass oil in a baggie in my toolbox.
The label on the bottle is saturated. The baggie and toolbox smelled like lemons. My fingers smelled like lemons.
I think the scent on me aroused the bees on the outside of the hive. I was followed all the way to the front yard before a bee stopped buzzing my head. The same thing happened last week when I dabbed some lemongrass oil on my finger and wiped it on a watering font to try to get the bees to use the font instead of my neighbor's pool cover. I got stung on the top of my head the first time. I put on a veil this time.
I have since put the lemongrass oil in my refrigerator and rinsed out the toolbox. The tools are spread out so the smell dissipates. I also removed a small kitchen strainer from the toolbox that must have been used for lemon juice, it reeks of lemon.
Is that a common reaction if there is lemon scent on me and the tools if I go near the hive, or was that a coincidence?
Yep, Yes Sir, honeybees are attracted to lemon grass oil. No doubt about it. The good is the smell is so pleasant to me too that I don?t mind a spill...... but stay away from the bees if you do spill.
Ouch, sorry about the sting on the head. I hope you did not swell as some do. Did you mean first sting on the head, or first sting anywhere this year?
Quote from: van from Arkansas on June 25, 2019, 07:00:31 PM
first sting anywhere this year?
Nope. Thumb, forearm, head, neck.
I did not wash my hair when I got stung on the top of the head. The next day they were still chasing me. Another lesson learned.
I scraped the one out of my neck so fast that I can confirm it was a sting by the lump that is there now. No pain when only a bit of venom is pumped in.
Lemongrass smell is used by bees to say this is where your home is or here is the entrance to a new hive location. They mark it and then tell the other scouts distance and direction, go find it. When you get it on yourself, you are confusing the younger bees.
Jim Altmiller
Incognito, Lol. When I put up a swarm box this spring, I forgot and left a paper towel with LGO on it in my tool bag. It bonded with the handle of my cordless drill, melting the orange plastic, and stunk up my tool bag. The bees were buzzing all around my shed's screen window till I moved the bag and drill inside for a couple of weeks.
I had some leak in my pocket. At the store the cashier said that I smell good. I had to laugh and explain.
When I first bought Beequick I left it in my truck because I really like the way my truck smelled. Jim Altmiller