When humans or other animals are scared, we release the fear pheromone. Consequently, bees can smell these chemicals our bodies release. Individual bees that detect the fear pheromone communicate quickly to nearby bees about the threat. Bees defend their hive to protect their space.
If humans can indeed smell fear they wouldn't be unusual in the animal kingdom. Sea anemones, earthworms, minnows, fruit flies, rats, mice, and deer, among others, have all been shown to signal unease through odor. Some responses are even more overt.
So while bees cannot necessarily “smell” fear, they do have a way of detecting it and communicating that fear with the hive! One way bees do this is by emitting a specific pheromone to the rest of the hive, which is a chemical that alerts the rest of the colony that there is a threat.
Although typically docile honey bees are not prone to sting and are not interested in human food, like any animal (including us humans!), they can become defensive when they feel threatened.
We swat bees to avoid painful stings, but do they feel the pain we inflict? A new study suggests they do, a possible clue that they and other insects have sentience—the ability to be aware of their feelings.
The bees don't really interpret that fear as anything more than a threat and so, they react accordingly, letting every other bee know that "something is up." Basically, bees cannot literally smell fear, but if you are fearful, your body will release certain pheromones, which bees can detect as a threat.
Scientists are still trying to determine if bugs sense fear, pain, and other emotions. For most bugs, threats from overhead predators signal a negative response to hide or flee to another location.
Cranky bees are not enjoyable to keep. They have aggressive tendencies and are overprotective of the hive. Often when you have cranky bees, you will be unable to get near the hive or you will get stung. Sometimes these bees chase you for just being within eyesight of the hive.
Honeybees will likely even give you a warning before stinging you, so make sure you watch for these warning signs. One of the warning signs we call “bee bumping,” which is exactly what it sounds like: the honeybee will bump into you to show that it is getting agitated.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.
Unreasonable fear of bees in humans may also have a detrimental effect on ecology. Bees are important pollinators, and when, in their fear, people destroy wild colonies of bees, they contribute to environmental damage and may also be the cause of the disappearing bees.
Honey bees can be trained to detect certain illnesses in humans, and in some cases, can even detect illness in advance of the tests that are currently used. They do this by smelling the illness on the breath.
It is not for nothing that the honey badger has earned the reputation of being the most fearless animal in the world. Despite its small size, this carnivore is known for its ferocious defensive abilities and aggressive nature.
The results show that the most feared animals are mostly large vertebrates, such as carnivorans (bear, lion, tiger, etc.), ungulates (rhinoceros, hippopotamus, etc.), sharks, and crocodiles. Smaller fear-evoking vertebrates are represented by snakes, and invertebrates are represented by spiders and scorpions.
Know what to do when a bee is near you: Don't swat at it or you could send it into defense mode. Rather, calmly move away in a straight line until you reach an enclosed shelter. Even then, some more aggressive bees may still sting you. Don't try to hide from bees by diving into water.
So, RUN! And when you run Keep Running ! Africanized honey bees have been known to follow people for more than a quarter mile. Any covering for your body, and especially for your head and face will help you escape.
Bees follow you because Sweat is sweet to bees.
Some bees are attracted to human sweat. Sounds gross, but it's true. These bees are usually metallic in color and rather small and harder to notice than their yellow and black counterparts. These bees can sting but aren't known for being aggressive towards humans.
He found that bees “head butt” to stop the waggle dancers from trying to recruit others to forage at a dangerous location. (See Biologist Discovers 'Stop' Signal in Honey Bee Communication.)
If you look or smell like a flower, you are more likely to attract the attention of a bee. They love the smell of some sunscreens, shampoos, perfumes and aftershaves. They also love flowery prints and shiny jewelry and buckles.
Murder is frowned upon around the world, but the same feeling of wrongdoing applies to insects, small rodents, and sometimes inanimate objects. This phenomenon can be largely attributed to a part of the brain discovered in the early 1990s known as Mirror Neurons.
Scientists have known insects experience something like pain, but new research provides compelling evidence suggesting that insects also experience chronic pain that lasts long after an initial injury has healed.