The Nasonov (alternatively, Nasanov) pheromone is released by worker bees to orient returning forager bees back to the colony. To broadcast this scent, bees raise their abdomens, which contain the Nasonov glands, and fan their wings vigorously.

Nasonov includes a number of different terpenoids including geraniol, nerolic acid, citral and geranic acid. Bees use these to find the entrance to their colony or hive, and they release them on flowers so other bees know which flowers have nectar.

A synthetically produced Nasonov pheromone can be used to attract a honey bee swarm to an unoccupied hive or a swarm-catching box.  Synthetically produced Nasonov consists of citral and geraniol in a 2:1 ratio.

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Lemongrass oil-consists of Citral terpenes, citral is available as a high purity Aroma compound.  Used alone, it is a feeding stimulant.  Mixed with Geranoil high purity aroma compound, it is use as a synthetic Nasonov and is used to mark entrances to beehives, especially when they are moved or changed and it can also be used at entrances to swarm lures.

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Linalool is an aroma compound that smells like many common flowers, it's abundant in lavender for instance.  Linalool has a calming effect on bees reducing their tenancy to sting.  Palmarose essential oil or Phenethyl Alcohol as a high purity compound smells like roses and has a similar effect as Linalool.  Other scents have not been scientifically proven to reduce sting tendencies.  

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Spearment oil is used as a feeding stimulant and is a general purpose scent mask (reducing bees responses to other scents)

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Smoke has been used by beekeepers for thousands of years as a general scent mask and to trigger a response to eat honey stores to prepare for possible fire induced swarming.  Smoke can also mask the Alarm Phermone (mainly isopentyl acetate (IPA) which is the smell of bananas) to help beekeepers avoid repeated stings.  Because it's possible for smoke to impart subtle flavors into nector before it is capped by the bees after it has ripened into honey, it's important to understand the flavor profile of smoke used.  We use fresh ginger leaves for smoker fuel which have The essential oils of mainly mono- and sesqui-terpenoids of which geranial, neral, 1,8-cineole, zingiberene, β-bisabolene and β-sesquiphellandrene were the major components.  Not only does our beekeeping gear smell great, the bees are easier to work with ginger smoke.  We think it gives our honey a remarkable flavor note too although it's subtle and rare enough that most can't detect it.

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Thymol or Thyme Essential Oil has antifungal, antibacteral properties and has a higher toxin effect on mites over bees.  It can be used to help preserve artificial liquid feeds during a dearth when nectar is not available and honey is not being harvested from hives.

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Reservatrol is found in the skin of red grapes and is a well documented life extension compound in humans and it's activity is preserved in honey bees. Adding this to the diet of honeybees actually extends a honeybee's livespan by 33-38%!  Older bees are foragers that gather nectar and pollen and other resources for the hive colony to make honey. 

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Bee Nutrition.  Usually, bees get everything they need from flowers (nectar and pollen), trees (propolis), and the environment (water/salt).  And bees are never given nutritional support during the times when honey is being harvested (we call these times honey "flows").  Occasionally, bees require nutritional support such as when the beekeeper creates artificial swarms to split hives into two or more hives or when weather conditions create an especially difficult time for bees (we call these "derths").  Like feeding any livestock, things can go wrong with poor nutrition and, in bees, poor choices in nutrition almost always leads to bees that die young, are more vulnerable to disease and can attract pests such as hive beetles and even rats.  When we provide nutritional support to our bees it's never inside their hives or even near there hives.  (Unless bees are clustered in cold winter and are starving when they cannot forage).  Bees forage best 60 yards or further from their hives because the bee dance to show hivemates where food is does not work very well for food close to the hive.  We use the best available science to select nutritional support.  We are big fans of bee research and also follow Randy Oliver's scientific beekeeping website.

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