Michael, hmmm......now you have a very, very good point. Point taken, listening and learning. It honestly would be a pointless and silly endeavour to actually do something to attract bees to one's body, now wouldn't it? Maybe I'll just forget the lemonbalm scented hands and stick with baby powder. They are not attracted to the baby powder, they just don't mind it, and it makes my hands so they are not sweaty.
I can tell you first hand, the bees don't like a stinky, sweaty body. If this can be avoided, trust me, avoid it (especially all you stinky men!!!).
This is the story. I may have already told it, but I will tell it again.
I have a bee pal, he is sick and cannot help me with his colonies so far this year (his colonies (2) died over the fall, but I keep 2 of mine that I have put aside as "his"). I do not know if he will be able to come over and help at all this year. He may now be knockin' on death's door, but that is all OK. He has had a great life and is a good man.
Last summer, my old bee pal was working hard with his son all day, building a house. I told him that in a book I read it had said that bees don't like the smell of stinky sweat. (Probably reminds them of a stinky old bear). That day he had come over and he really smelled badly of stinky old sweat. I told him that he smelled and that the bees might not like it. Well, this was kind of funny, in retrospect. We were standing about 30 feet from the apiary and lo and behold, sure enough!!!! A couple of bees came around him, annoyed. I don't think they liked him one little bit (honestly, he was very sweaty and smelly). He got freaked out a little bit and started walking away, they followed closely, on his trail, he started walkiing faster, they were still following closely on his trail, he started a very fast pace, they were still on his trail (they didn't bother me, I was such a sweet smelling lady (LOL, :roll:). Anyways, off into his van he got as fast as he could.
I just laughed. I told him he was too sweaty and stinky for the bees. I was not insulting him whatsoever, and he knew that, I was just telling the truth. Now this is the funny part. Anytime that he came over to look at the bees, or do anything, I could always tell by the way his hair looked (this is a 74 old Italian guy, with hair as black as he was when he was 20 years old I am sure), that he had a shower. He probably always went home after working and had a great shower and never was stinky, stanky again. He learned a lesson that day, and was lucky that the bees didn't give him a good sting (laughing out loud, lots and lots).
My dear old friend. He loves our bees and had so much fun hanging out and watching them with me on those hot dog days of summer. He may still be back, yet!!! Have a wonderful day, best of this life, live it and love it, like there was no tomorrow. Cindi