Nasonov Gland
Lexikon
The Nasonov gland, also called the scenting gland or scent gland, lies at the rear edge of a worker bee's abdomen, more precisely on the front part of the seventh tergite.
The Nasonov gland, also called the scenting gland or scent gland, lies at the rear edge of a worker bee's abdomen, more precisely on the front part of the seventh tergite. It consists of around 500 individual gland cells and produces a scent blend whose most important component is the terpene geraniol, supplemented by other related substances. Many people describe the smell as floral or reminiscent of lemon balm.
Its openings normally lie hidden beneath the last tergites and are only exposed during the characteristic scenting behavior, when the bee raises its abdomen and pulls the tergites back. The scent is then actively spread into the air by fanning the wings and mixes with the specific scent of the colony in question.
For beekeeping practice it is important not to confuse the Nasonov gland with other scent organs of the bee, such as the venom gland at the sting or the mandibular glands in the head, each of which sends out quite different signals. Anyone who understands that the pleasant, floral scent at the hive entrance comes from this gland and serves the colony's orientation can better interpret bee behavior when hiving a swarm or after a change of location.