Bees are generally non-aggressive and will only sting if they are provoked or feel threatened. If (for example) you accidentally step on a bee, it may feel threatened and sting!
Don't panic if you encounter a stationary swarm of bees. The bees will sting only if threatened. But keep your distance. Moving swarms can pose a higher sting risk, and should be avoided.
If a bee lands on you, don't make any sudden movements
Although no matter how lightly you brush them off, there is always a risk of getting stung by aggravating them. So it's best if you remind yourself that they are not built to sting you and just let them move along on their own.
As long as you don't disturb them and give them some space, bees will pretty much leave you alone. They're even less interested in stinging you than you are in being stung, after all.
Bees do sting, occasionally. However, they usually only sting if they feel threatened.
Basically, bees cannot literally smell fear, but if you are fearful, your body will release certain pheromones, which bees can detect as a threat.
Run. If a colony of bees thinks you're a predator, it first sends out a few guard bees to warn you away by "head butting" you, according to a guide by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service's Saguaro National Park.
So, RUN! And when you run Keep Running ! Africanized honey bees have been known to follow people for more than a quarter mile. Any covering for your body, and especially for your head and face will help you escape.
Know what to do when a bee is near you: Don't swat at it or you could send it into defense mode. Rather, calmly move away in a straight line until you reach an enclosed shelter. Even then, some more aggressive bees may still sting you. Don't try to hide from bees by diving into water.
Bees follow you because Sweat is sweet to bees.
Some bees are attracted to human sweat. Sounds gross, but it's true. These bees are usually metallic in color and rather small and harder to notice than their yellow and black counterparts. These bees can sting but aren't known for being aggressive towards humans.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.
Wear clean clothing and bathe daily. (Sweat may anger bees.) Wear clothing to cover as much of the body as possible. Avoid flowering plants when possible.
Australia has over 1,700 species of native bees. Only 11 of these species are stingless! These are the native honey-producing bees (Tetragonula - previously called Trigona -- and Austroplebeia). All of the other species of native bees in Australia can sting.
Most of the time, bee sting symptoms are minor and include: Instant, sharp burning pain at the sting site. A red welt at the sting area. Slight swelling around the sting area.
“Honeybees are pretty good at warning people away,” he says. “Just as a rattlesnake will vibrate its tail as a warning, the first honeybees out of a hive will bump the person invading, saying 'Leave! '.”
Do not jump into a body of water. That not only increases the chances that you will get stung when coming up for air, but also your risk of drowning, experts say. Angry bees may wait for you to come out and can track you via bubbles of carbon dioxide you might release when underwater, Nieh said.
Yes, bees can and will sting you through your clothes. You will be stung more easily through tight-fitting clothes or clothing items with very thin material. Thick, baggy clothing is the best way to avoid getting stung by bees.
Bees feel safe and secure in their hives, and if anything disturbs that peace, it can make them feel threatened – and react aggressively. If your hives are being invaded by pests like possums or mice, bees may become agitated and start showing signs of aggression as they try to protect their honey supplies.
He found that bees “head butt” to stop the waggle dancers from trying to recruit others to forage at a dangerous location. (See Biologist Discovers 'Stop' Signal in Honey Bee Communication.)
Some people claim that these blood types will influence whether or not a person gets bed bugs. However, the insects do not show preference for certain types of blood groups.
Black, red or similar dark colors should be avoided around bee nests. Think of the Pillsbury Doughboy look, the white coveralls of beekeepers.
Unreasonable fear of bees in humans may also have a detrimental effect on ecology. Bees are important pollinators, and when, in their fear, people destroy wild colonies of bees, they contribute to environmental damage and may also be the cause of the disappearing bees.