# Bee behaviour question - bumping



## shaneTX (Jun 7, 2016)

Im familiar with my bees bumping me to tell me Im too close. My question is, if I hold my ground, will she sting me if I don't swat at her?

I have an outdoor observation hive that only has about 1 frame of bees and I was doing some raking around the entrance and a single bee apparently didn't like it and started bumping me. She pushed me back about 25yds and then started bumping my face and hair. when she got in my hair and I panicked a bit and swatted her away where she proceeded to sting my shoulder and then continued to bump me until I squashed her. 

Question -- If I didn't panic and swat her away, would she have just crawled in my hair and left or is bumping behavior really just a pre-sting or a missed sting?


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## herbhome (Oct 18, 2015)

Mine head bump me also. I take it as a warning. The "caught in the hair" thing is different. That usually leads to a sting cause she's hung up and freaking out.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

don't you wear a veil? The bees get stuck in my long hair all the time, so I always wear one. (hate those head stings) But even when I am working a hive, I will have at least one guard bee that is like Velcro on my veil. Since she's putting off alarm pheromone like crazy, I will usually walk away from the hive and pinch her. Every hive seems to have a few of the super hyper ones. I like to shorten their life span rather than deal with them for 5 weeks.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Bumping means they're serious. They are not just giving you fair warning, they are also (it is said) marking you with alarm pheromone to let the rest of the hive know that you're not welcome.


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## shaneTX (Jun 7, 2016)

Hops Brewster said:


> Bumping means they're serious. They are not just giving you fair warning, they are also (it is said) marking you with alarm pheromone to let the rest of the hive know that you're not welcome.


Ok. this is what I wanted to know. "Bumping means they are serious". What I take from that is if I hold my ground, Im going to get stung if I dont back off. 

When i work the hive, I always wear a veil and I get bumped but they seem to don't sting so I wasn't sure if they were serious or if they realize they cant get through the veil so they don't sting. 

FYI -- I wasn't wearing a veil because I was doing some yard work and was 2-3 ft away from the hive and must got the attention of that one bee having a bad day.


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## shaneTX (Jun 7, 2016)

No veil since I was doing yard work.. must have found that one hyper one. I seem to have the same.. always 1-2 that follow me back to the house when I do work the hive. 

So if they are bumping, they are letting off alarm pheromone. Im going to start pinching those as well. thanks for the advice.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I take bumping or pinging as "friendly advice" Unless I really need to do something, I do it another day. Just walk away quickly and do not swat at them. Pinching them will do no good and more harm. J


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Many of you are from much more cranky bee country than I am. I have had an occasional hive with one or two head butters and followers. Slapping the few of them down sometimes puts and end to it. I have since read somewhere that this behavior can go along with some virus disease. Dunno. 

I did deliberately requeen one hive that seemed to put out those few cranky bees and it seemed to work. Very small case study though.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Yep heat butting means I turn around and retreat. I don't mind those, it's the ones that give you no warning shot first that I don't like. Suicide stingers....


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## Tom1617 (Oct 17, 2016)

Dam... I was taking down my deck last weekend and I had problems from head bumpers. They kept coming for me but left my kids alone. They ment business and I got one to the back of the head... hope the meanies are dead now...


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## SouthTexasJohn (Mar 16, 2015)

Down here bump=sting in 5 seconds. Buzzing with no bump means sting in 10 seconds. I have never been stung while working bees but stung twice while ginning around about 150 yards from hives. There is always that one bee. So buss/bump means leave area quickly or put up your dukes.


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