BBKA Forum

When a honey bee turns 21 days old, she leaves the nest to look for pollen and nectar. For her, this is a moment of great risk, and great reward. It's also the moment at which she becomes recognizable to other bees.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190226112248.htm

A bees glands change as they get older - for example the mandibular gland produces (white) brood food initially but this changes to alarm pheromone by the time the bee is old enough for guard duty. I suspect that as the bee matures and after guarding duties and bees go on orientation flights before becoming a forager, her pheromone mix changes quite markedly.
Drones seem to always be able to get into any hive for 'refuelling stops' during the mating season and then get chucked out in late summer so do they have a particular pheromone? AND if that could be bottled, could it be used to cover yourself before dealing with a nasty colony so the bees think "It's OK girls, just another drone coming in!"

AdamD wrote: ↑

19 Mar 2019, 20:27

if that could be bottled, could it be used to cover yourself before dealing with a nasty colony so the bees think "It's OK girls, just another drone coming in!"

That would be a great product to buy! although I already feel like a drone anyway.

AdamD wrote: ↑

19 Mar 2019, 20:27

"It's OK girls, just another drone coming in!"

Careful, you will have the Gender Police after you. What if you declare yourself a gender neutral bee, surely that would be OK these days

Cheers, Mick.