The question of whether bees are attracted to cannabis smoke combines the fields of entomology, beekeeping practice, and the complex chemistry of the cannabis plant. Bees are guided by scent, and understanding this potential interaction requires examining the chemical makeup of cannabis smoke and the sensory biology of the honeybee. The answer lies in the conflict between the bee’s natural foraging instincts and the repellent nature of harsh combustion byproducts.
How Bees React to Standard Smoke
Beekeepers have used smoke for centuries to calm and manage honeybee colonies during hive inspections. Smoke triggers a deeply ingrained survival response, as bees interpret it as a sign of a potential forest fire threatening their nest. The smoke does not actually “put the bees to sleep” but rather triggers this survival mechanism.
In response, the bees engorge themselves on stored honey, preparing to abandon the hive. This instinctive gorging response distends their abdomens, making it physically difficult for them to flex and sting. Furthermore, the smoke interferes with the bee’s primary communication method: smell. Smoke masks alarm pheromones released by guard bees, preventing a coordinated defensive attack by the colony.
The Unique Chemical Signatures of Cannabis
The smoke produced from burning cannabis contains a more complex chemical profile than the wood used in a standard beekeeper’s smoker. Cannabis plants contain hundreds of different chemical compounds, including cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and aromatic compounds called terpenes. Terpenes are volatile organic molecules that give the plant its distinctive scent and flavor. When the plant material is heated, these terpenes are released into the smoke, including common varieties like myrcene, pinene, and limonene, which are also found in many flowering plants. Cannabinoids, such as THC, are unlikely to affect bees because insects lack the necessary neuroreceptors to process them.
How Bees Detect Complex Odors
Honeybees possess an extraordinary sense of smell crucial for their survival. Their main sensory organs for smell are the antennae, which are covered in thousands of chemoreceptors designed to detect a wide array of volatile chemicals. Worker bees have a large number of odorant receptors, allowing them to discriminate between minute differences in floral scents.
This sophisticated olfactory system is hardwired to recognize specific floral volatiles, which signal the presence of nectar and pollen. Because terpenes are common components of flower fragrances, the bee’s sensory system is naturally equipped to detect the terpenes released in cannabis smoke.
The Science of Attraction or Repulsion
The question of attraction or repulsion becomes a chemical competition between appealing terpenes and the repellent nature of combustion byproducts. On one hand, the smoke contains high concentrations of floral-like terpenes, which are the same compounds that bees associate with a rewarding food source. This chemical signal might initially cause a bee to investigate the source out of foraging curiosity.
However, the act of burning plant material releases a host of non-floral, acrid compounds and particulates that are strongly aversive to insects. The overall chemical signature of smoke is a general repellent, overriding any single attractive scent note. While the smoke would likely disrupt the bees’ alarm pheromones just like a beekeeper’s smoker, the harshness of the smoke is unlikely to encourage loitering. Therefore, while specific individual terpenes in the smoke might register as a potential food source, the complete profile of weed smoke is overwhelmingly a signal of danger and harshness, making it highly improbable that bees would be consistently attracted to it.