Can bees smell fear?

star_gazer

Therefore, if a person approaches a honeybee hive, his body odor (because it is foreign to the hive) may be sufficient to excite and attract the bees. If the person becomes afraid, and moves erratically, he is likely to be attacked by the bees. So, while smell does play a role in hive defense, the odor which the bees detect is not “the smell of fear,” but more likely is “the smell of something foreign.” And, ultimately, it is visual cues which drive the bees to attack the intruder. http://zebra.sc.edu/smell/ann/myth5.html Nov 17 09, 6:07 PM

unclerick

When a bee stings it releases alarm pheromones which cause other bees to act in a defensive manner. The smell of the pheromones mark the intruder giving the rest of the hive a target. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee_pheromones Nov 17 09, 7:35 PM