What did you know about bees? They have been thought of as lucky, wise, and wealthy since ancient times. In Greek and Egyptian mythology, bees were important as symbols of life and love. In fact, the name Melissa comes from the Greek and means “queen bee.” With that kind of background, you might be open to the idea of being stung by a bee.
Instead, many people today run for the hills when tailed by a buzzing bee. Sure, many people consider themselves to suffer from apiphobia, the fear of bees. And plenty of others who are allergic to bee stings. But for most people, the annoying buzzing and chance of pain make bees unwanted suitors.
So if bees aren’t trying to bring us money, they must be following us for some other reason. Have you ever thought about why some people are more attractive to bees than others? In this post, we’ll talk about some reasons why bees might be following you and how to avoid getting stung by one.
Have you ever noticed a bee that seems to be oddly attracted to you? It buzzes around you persistently almost like it’s glued to you. I’ve had this happen to me several times, and it can be unnerving. As a beekeeper I’ve learned why this bizarre bee behavior happens.
They Are Attracted To Your Scent
Bees have an incredible sense of smell. Their antennae are covered in sensory cells that can detect the faintest odors. This allows them to locate flowers by picking up their floral scents even from far away.
If you wear perfume, scented lotion, or scented deodorant, the fragrance chemicals can mimic floral scents to a bee. Your personal scent will be unfamiliar to the bee, intriguing them to investigate you more closely. The bee flies near you repeatedly, trying to determine if you are a flower.
You Have Sugary Residue On You
Bees love sweets. Their diet consists entirely of nectar and honey. If you’ve recently handled something sugary like a soft drink, candy, or pastry, you likely have some sticky residue on your hands or face.
The bee smells and tastes this sweetness on your skin. It is attracted to it like it would be to the nectar in a flower. The bee persistently flies around you, licking up every trace of sugar it can find.
Your Clothes Resemble Flowers
Bees have specialized eyes that see colors differently than humans. They are particularly drawn to purple, violet, and blue flower blossoms. If your clothing contains these hues, the bee mistakes your shirt, dress, or pants for actual petals and lands on you.
The bee crawls over the fabric, searching in vain for nectar. When it doesn’t find anything, it flies circles around you, attempting to inspect your “petals” from every angle to discover the hidden nectar. This makes the bee seem like it is following you.
You Are Too Close To The Hive
Honey bees are defensive of their hives. If you wander too close, the guard bees will fly out and hover near you. This is a warning to move away. If you ignore this warning, the bees become more aggressive, bumping into you repeatedly to try to drive you away.
To the bees, you are a threat. Their persistence at guarding the hive entrance makes it seem like they are following you around. In reality, they are simply attempting to protect their home.
You Accidentally Swat At The Bee
Bees are easily startled. If you wave your arms, swat near them, or make other sudden movements, they become aggravated and alarmed. The bee releases an attack pheromone that signals danger to the hive.
Other bees smell this alarm and come to the guard bee’s aid. Now you have multiple bees flying around you defensively. They likely try to sting if you made them angry enough. What seemed like one bee following you actually became many attacking bees.
Tips To Get A Bee To Leave You Alone
Having a bee trailing your every move can be annoying and distressing. Here are some tips to stop a bee from fixating on you:
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Walk calmly away to at least 15 feet distance from the bee. Bees have short attention spans. If you remove yourself from immediate smelling/seeing range, the bee often becomes distracted and leaves you alone.
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Go indoors. Bees won’t follow you into an enclosed building. Shut the bee outside and it will find something else to explore.
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Remove the perfume, scented product, or sugary food that is attracting the bee. Wash your hands and face. This takes away the fragrant temptation.
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Don’t flail or swat at the bee. Stay still and gently brush the bee off with a piece of paper or leaf if it lands on you. Then calmly walk away.
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Cover your mouth and nose so the bee can’t detect your breath’s carbon dioxide if it gets aggressive.
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Don’t kill the bee. This releases alarm pheromone and brings more attacking bees.
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Change your clothes if they resemble flowers. Opt for solid, neutral colors the bee won’t mistake for blossoms.
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Move at least 50 feet away from a beehive that is warning you away with guard bees. Give the bees a wide berth so you are no longer a “threat.”
When To Worry About A Bee Following You
A single bee curiously investigating you is usually harmless. But if you notice multiple bees trailing you persistently, that is more worrisome. Guard bees from a threatened hive are likely trying to drive you away.
Leave the area and seek shelter indoors immediately. If the bees continue to harass you, they need to be removed by a professional beekeeper. Never attempt removal yourself, as agitating the bees further risks getting attacked and severely stung.
Enjoy the outdoors safely by being aware of your surroundings. Give bee hives plenty of space. And try not to panic if a random bee seems oddly attracted to you. Chances are it is just intrigued by a pleasant fragrance you are wearing and will soon buzz off to find a real flower!
5 Tips for Avoiding a Bee Sting
Let’s talk about how to avoid getting stung now that we know why bees follow us. We can’t control bees, but we can take certain measures to help prevent an unwanted encounter. Want to steer clear of bee stings? Follow these tried and true tips!.
- Avoid wearing floral and sweet perfumes when outdoors.
- Do not attempt to remove a nest on your own. If you find a hive or swarm of bees on your property, you should call a professional bee removal company.
- When a bee is following you, don’t swat it. You should wait for the bee to move on while you stay still.
- When eating outdoors, cover your food and any sweet beverages. Bees can get into soda cans and stung you in the mouth.
- Do not walk barefoot in the grass. Many bee species build their nests underground.
Why Are Bees Attracted to You?
We’re sorry to say that it’s not because of how rugged you look. Bees are drawn to people for a number of reasons, most of which have to do with smell and color. Let’s explore why bees follow us around!.
You smell sweet.
An important job of a honey bee is to gather sweet nectar from flowers so that the colony can eat. Naturally, when they smell something sugary, they want to check it out. Honey bees are attracted to sweet, sugary smells like those that come from soft drinks and fruits. They also like the sweet smells of some hair products, lotions, and perfumes, especially ones that smell like flowers.
You smell like sweat.
Humans don’t love the smell of sweat. That’s why the deodorant and antiperspirant industry is so big! But do you know who does? If you guessed bees, you are correct. Bees known as halictids, or sweat bees, are attracted to the scent of perspiration. They are usually darker in color, with a metallic appearance and hints of green or red.
You look like a flower.
You may have heard people say that fashion is pain. Although we disagree with this sentiment, when it comes to bees, it could be true. Bees are especially attracted to patterns and colors that resemble those of a flower. Most of the time, bees will leave you alone once they figure out that your Hawaiian shirt is not a real source of nectar. However, bright and floral patterns will make you a high-priority destination for honey bees.
You made the bee mad.
Of course, if you’ve bothered a bee, there’s a good chance that they will let you know it. Bees want to protect their hive, queen and honey supplies. When threatened, bees will defend themselves. Some types of bees have been known to chase people more than a quarter of a mile!
Why Do Bees Follow People? | Busy Beekeeping
FAQ
Why does a bee follow me?
What does it mean when a bee follows you?
What to do if a bee is following you?
Why do bees follow me?
Don’t worry, it’s most likely nothing to worry about! If a single bee is following you, it’s probably because they’re attracted to your clothes, scent or something sugary you are eating. They will eventually leave you alone if you don’t try to hurt them.
Do bees follow you?
If a bee is following you and you have a soft drink, chocolate bar or piece of fruit, there’s a chance the bee is following that sweet scent. Unless you cover or get rid of the sugary substance, they’ll continue to follow you. Bees are typically friendly creatures. However, if they view you as a threat to their hive, they may attack you.
Why are bees attracted to humans?
Bees are attracted to humans primarily due to our scent and color. You smell sweet to bees because they collect sweet nectar from flowers for their food. When they detect a sweet scent, they are naturally drawn to investigate.
Why does a solitary bee Follow You?
If a bee senses something interesting or unfamiliar, it may follow you out of curiosity or for further investigation. This behavior is more common in solitary bees, as they do not have a hive to protect. So, if you find a solitary bee following you, it is likely just exploring the world around it and trying to gather information.
What if a bee is following you?
When you find yourself in a situation where a bee is following you, it’s important to remain calm and avoid any sudden movements. Bees are generally not aggressive and will only sting if they feel threatened. By staying calm, you can reduce the chances of provoking the bee and avoid any unnecessary confrontations.
How do you keep a bee from following you?
To minimize the chances of a bee following you, opt for neutral or earth-toned clothing. This will help you blend into the surroundings and reduce the likelihood of catching a bee’s attention. Bees are highly sensitive to scents and are attracted to strong fragrances.