Why Do Bees Keep Landing on You? 3 Common Reasons

by Derrick | Last Updated: October 29, 2021

Many people are afraid of bees and their sting, while others are allergic to them. You may find certain bees are more attracted to you than others, so it’s important to understand the reasons to help you devise proper strategies for keeping the bees away. 

If bees keep landing on you, they’re likely attracted to your smell. For example, they’ll want to land on your skin if you use fragrances and soaps that smell like pine or spruce. Additionally, they may land on you if you wear blue and yellow or spend more time outdoors in springtime.

This post will discuss the 3 most prevalent reasons why bees often settle on you. Additionally, I’ll provide you with tips on how to prevent these pests from landing on you. 

1. Bees Land on You Because You Smell Sweet

A bee’s preferred food source is nectar from flowers. Given that nectar smells pleasant to them, it’s natural that they’d be drawn to sugars and floral or sweet-smelling scents. 

Perfumes and colognes attract nectar-seeking bees, even those that are a far distance away. So they’ll look for and explore the source of the floral scent by landing on you or buzzing about your body. 

Soft drinks, sweets, alcoholic beverages, and other sugary meals will also attract bees. Therefore, if you’re eating or drinking anything sweet outdoors, do it fast to avoid attracting bees. 

If you’re the kind that takes lunch on the go, keep your food or drink in a sealable container. Most importantly, discard it immediately upon completion and wash your hands to remove any sweet residue. 

Apart from nectar, you may also be attracting bees by smelling like pollen. 

Numerous cosmetics are made using pollen, so it would be helpful to read the label of your preferred beauty care product to verify that it’s pollen-free. 

Another fragrance that may entice bees smells like pine or spruce.

Bees are attracted to pine and spruce trees because they generate sap that they find very useful for repairing their hives. As a result, you should avoid smelling like these trees to discourage bees from landing on you.

2. Bees Like Your Brightly Colored Clothes

Bees can see colors in the ultraviolet to the orange range and have been shown to favor blue and yellow. By wearing these colors, you become an excellent target for them since you’re more visible to them. 

Additionally, they’re attracted to symmetry. Therefore, there’s a possibility that your style may appeal to the bees. 

Bees perceive darker colors such as red as black. Since black is the nonexistence of color, bees aren’t naturally drawn to people wearing red hues. 

To stop attracting bees, restrict your outdoor attire to darker shades. 

3. The Bees Are Swarming

If you often have many bees on you, they may be swarming and have simply settled on you due to your handy location. 

Most swarming activity occurs between April and May. Therefore, if you’re outdoors during these times, you may encounter more bees than usual. 

And depending on where you live, the bees’ swarming season may be different. 

Honey bees swarm for one of two reasons

  • The hive has grown overcrowded.
  • The bees have left the colony.

Bees may flee their nests for numerous reasons, including a shortage of food and parasite infections.

With that stated, although bees are more likely to swarm in late spring, they may travel in groups at any time of year in your region. As a result, you should take measures to protect your exposed skin from these huge bee swarms. 

Something to keep in mind when confronted with a bee swarm is to have a relaxed demeanor. If you move irregularly, you risk startling these insects, causing them to descend on you and attack. 

Additionally, bees may see your motions as a danger to their colony, particularly if you’re close. Hence, if possible, I always suggest gradually removing yourself from their vicinity. 

How To Stop Bees From Landing on You

You can reduce the likelihood of bees landing on you by following the steps below. These suggestions will be especially helpful in the spring and will safeguard you against unwelcomed insect visits. 

Use Peppermint Fragrances and Other Oils

While scents are the most direct method of attracting bees, it’s also the best means of deterring them. Accordingly, it would be best to integrate fragrances attractive to humans but unpleasant to bees into your everyday routine. 

Peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, and thyme are just a few of these off-putting smells. Additionally, lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime are repulsive to bees. 

Also, it would be beneficial if you discovered a safe essential oil and combine it with water in a spray bottle for use as a daily mist. 

Avoid Wearing Loose-Fitting Clothes

Bees may find their way up into your trouser leg or your shirt while looking for food if you provide a convenient entry. Once inside, they get stuck against your skin and may become a source of irritation. 

For this reason, choose clothes with more defined cuffs and keep baggy shirts tucked. 

Don’t Walk Barefoot

Bees sometimes visit blooms and other flowers in your area in search of nectar. If you walk on or near a bee, it’ll attempt to defend itself by approaching you. 

However, if you’re wearing shoes, it’ll go the other way. Additionally, if it were attempting to sting you, it would injure itself, not you. 

Limit Your Time in the Flower Garden

If you’re really concerned about bees, avoid gardens with sunflowers and other yellow blossoms, which are among their preferred food sources. Because bees spend most of their time gathering nectar and pollen from flowers, avoid blocking their route. 

If you’re arranging flowers, keep an eye out for bees and wait until they’ve gone on to another bloom. 

What To Do if a Bee Sits on You

When a bee lands on you, proceed with caution. I advise against abrupt actions, such as slapping them away. 

When bees perceive danger, they sting. Therefore, when one approaches, move slowly to frighten it away. 

As an added measure for avoiding bees, maintain a safe distance from motionless swarms that may be in your neighborhood. 

Swarms often hang around for a few hours or days before relocating. If the bees are causing you significant inconvenience or irritation, contact a beekeeper to correctly remove them from your area. 

In addition to this, moving swarms pose a greater risk of harming you and should be avoided. If you come across one, retreat a safe distance away or, if feasible, head inside. 

If a bee’s visit results in any of the following, it’s advisable to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following:

  • You get stung many times. 
  • You’re having trouble breathing after getting stung. 
  • A bee stings you on the head, neck, or mouth. 
  • You suffer from an allergic reaction to bee stings
  • There’s significant swelling or discomfort on the stung area. 

Final Thoughts

While bees falling on you may be irritating, they can also be dangerous in certain circumstances. If you think you may be allergic to bees, you should get confirmation from a medical expert.

Even if you aren’t allergic, it helps to keep bees away from you to prevent being stung.

The methods in this article will significantly assist you in keeping bees away, and you can discover more valuable tips in Bright Side’s video: