The distinctive odor of a nest, by which its inhabitants can distinguish their own nest from those belonging to other colonies or at least from the surrounding environment.

Certain insects; for example, honey bees and some ants, can orient themselves toward their nests by means of the odor.

It is possible that the nest odor is the same as the "colony odor" in some cases. The nest odor of honey bees is often referred to as the "hive aura" or "hive odor".