Bad breath and bees

Jerrymac · December 18, 2006, 09:46:46 PM

I may have spelt it wrong. After thinking about it I think it is "Skeeters"

Trot · December 18, 2006, 10:00:22 PM

I too am into vitamins in a big way. Super B complex is not needed. It just makes for an expansive pee...
B complex 50 is plenty good and 75 and 100. Bees don't mind it at all. It does not keep our Northern Ontario bugs off me though?!
Don't eat banana, they say. It' a real magnet for skeeters, black fly, no-seeums, mozzies and such...

Regards,
Trot

Jerrymac · December 18, 2006, 10:04:26 PM

And bananas make the bees go into defensive mode

Cindi · December 18, 2006, 11:29:27 PM

Quote from: Jerrymac on December 18, 2006, 09:46:46 PM
I may have spelt it wrong. After thinking about it I think it is "Skeeters"

In our home we actually refer to them as "squitos", go figure that one!!! Great day. Cindi

Cindi · December 18, 2006, 11:32:44 PM

Quote from: Jerrymac on December 18, 2006, 10:04:26 PM
And bananas make the bees go into defensive mode

OK, this is interesting. Do you know WHY the bees go into defensive mode, or were you joking around. The venon of bees is reported to actually have the aroma of the banana. So, don't eat banana (particularly the peel) Ha, LOL, when you are around the bees surely.

I hear the banana is great for increasing the potassium that is lost when one consumes a little too much of the spirits the nations so willingly injest. Personally, I don't find that it makes one little hoot of a difference if I drink water or eat a banana. Great day. Cindi

newbee101 · December 18, 2006, 11:33:50 PM

Rusty, I do the same thing. It works great. I have not used my smoker all year.

newbee101 · December 18, 2006, 11:36:23 PM

Cindi, I can smell the bannana odor everytime I work the bees, since I have not been using smoke. I have a friend who cant smell it at all, even when I can, right next to him.

Cindi · December 18, 2006, 11:48:06 PM

Holy interesting stuff. I have not detected the scent of banana when working the hive. I will pay more attention to the aromas of the hive.

Now, I wonder, if I was stung, maybe I will do a test, and instead of blowing the smoke from the smoker on the place where I have removed the stinger, I am going to move away from the hive and actually take a whiff of the place where the stinger was plunged. It would be nice to actually see if when the bee is removed from the skin if there is an actual detection of the scent of venom. The bees certainly can smell it from a long way off and are indeed in the attack mode for surely. Great day. Cindi

Cindi · December 18, 2006, 11:49:54 PM

Newbie, one day it might be nice to not use smoke, but I do not have that courage. Sometimes, when I do things quickly in the hives I don't even bother with smoke, I find that they are usually too busy to bother with me, but when I am spending some time in there, I consider the smoker my best friend. Great day. Cindi

Jerrymac · December 18, 2006, 11:50:39 PM

Quote from: Cindi on December 18, 2006, 11:32:44 PM
OK, this is interesting. Do you know WHY the bees go into defensive mode, or were you joking around. The venon of bees is reported to actually have the aroma of the banana.

The banana smelling pheromon is the bees attack signal. Get some banana extract and see what happens :shock:

I have found with my bees it makes no difference in their disposition if I use smoke or not. If they are calm they stay calm with no smoke. But if they are in a bad mood, smoke is a waste of time.

newbee101 · December 18, 2006, 11:53:47 PM

I believe it is an alarm pheromone. I am not sure if it is in the stinger or venom sac. Could be somewhere else. I really got to get back to the books.
The odor is there only for a few moments. Once I start working them, I usually cant smell it anymore.

Cindi · December 18, 2006, 11:56:15 PM

Quote from: newbee101 on December 18, 2006, 11:53:47 PM
I believe it is an alarm pheromone. I am not sure if it is in the stinger or venom sac. Could be somewhere else. I really got to get back to the books.
The odor is there only for a few moments. Once I start working them, I usually cant smell it anymore.

Newbie, really good question. I have no where to find this information out that I know of. Maybe one of the members will read the posts and give a great answer. Great day. Cindi

Jerrymac · December 19, 2006, 12:03:19 AM

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/lsn46.html

"Finally, when a bee stings, it gives off an odor that smells like bananas called an alarm pheromone. It attracts other bees to come to the defense of the hive."

Cindi · December 19, 2006, 12:10:01 AM

Quote from: Jerrymac on December 19, 2006, 12:03:19 AM
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/lsn46.html

"Finally, when a bee stings, it gives off an odor that smells like bananas called an alarm pheromone. It attracts other bees to come to the defense of the hive."

Awesome, two different things, the venom and the alarm pheromone. What does the venon smell like, I guess I was wrong in that I thought it smelled like banana too. I realize pheromones are different. Great day. Cindi

brydie · December 19, 2006, 01:51:42 AM

Hi guys,

Just for interest sake potassium (high doses in bananas) is sometimes used by athletes (mainly bodybuilders etc), to aid in reducing fluid retention (they usually take it in a tablet/supplement form along with magnesium to help stop cramping).

So that's why bananas are noted to help those who've had a few to many drinks...assists in flushing the toxins out of your system quicker. So if you've had a big night, drink plenty of water and shove a few hands of bananas down...you'll be right as rain.....or you could just give up the alcohol!!! ;)

(Can't imagine the bees would appreciate the alcohol smell on a person the day after - anyone tried?)

Have a good one!

Kind Regards, Brydie :)

mick · December 19, 2006, 04:12:55 AM

Bananas are suposed to produce seratonin in the brain, the feel good hormone.

Im a huge flosser. If you think your teeth are clean, try flossing and have a whif of the floss! A lot of bad breath is from the decomposing muck between your teeth. That you cant get to with a brush.

But my teeth are very close together, those with a decent gap between each are probably safe.

Enjoy your dinner!

Geoff · December 19, 2006, 05:02:13 AM

I think that Jerrymac has been down the same path as myself.
On the right day I can go right into a hive without smoke and all is sweet, but on another and using smoke you are under attack most of the time. It may be just an odd bee or two or a few but nowadays I just go gently straight into a hive with the smoker on standby in case the ladies get a bit upset.
One can almost guarantee in one hive there will be one solitary bee who beleives it is going to drive you away or kill you.
For all those who I might not catch up with in the meantime have a great, safe Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

Michael Bush · December 19, 2006, 07:14:52 AM

>I have found with my bees it makes no difference in their disposition if I use smoke or not.

I've found a dramatic difference if they are in a bad mood. Now the REALLY hot ones just get mad when you smoke them, but typical bees stay much calmer with a couple of puffs (literally) of smoke. You aren't trying to smoke them out of the hive, of course.

Cindi · December 19, 2006, 10:13:27 AM

Just for my own ease, I think I will try to use less smoke next year and see what happens. Of course, smoker by side in case of emergency might be good. Have great days. Cindi