An odd thing happened a couple years ago concerning a single hive, a horse and a fly repellent and I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?
 
Situation:  Wife has a horse which she ties ~ 30 yards from a hive.
In the summer, we are plagued by skeeters, biting snipe flies, horse/elk/deer flies, humpbacked flies, etc.
Wife had a citronella-based repellent she applied to horse.
Shortly afterwards, a "rogue bee" begins to harass the horse so, thinking this is just an isolated "hot-head", I kill it.
Soon SEVERAL workers begin actively attacking the horse, causing him to break his halter and "head for the hills".
Further testing (using a t-shirt I spray with the repellent) indicates that the product really "pisses off" the hive.
 
Is this an isolated incidence with this particular colony or is citronella a "hot button" as far as honey bees are concerned?
 
cheers,
dave....
 
=======================================
Dave Pehling
Interim Webmaster:  WSU Gardening in Western Washington
WSU Extension Snohomish County
600 128th ST SE
Everett, WA.  98208
[log in to unmask]
425-338-2400
http://snohomish.wsu.edu <http://snohomish.wsu.edu/> 
http://gardening.wsu.edu <http://gardening.wsu.edu/> 
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