# Bees flying around face in yard



## $Simpleman76 (Apr 1, 2011)

I was about 75 to 80 yards away from my two hives throwing the baseball with my son, and we had one bee that seemed to be really checking us out he was flying all around our face and on two occasions it would fly between me and him as we threw the ball back and forth. My son is 7 and was nervous but was able to stay calm but it was kind of odd with it swarming around our faces at such a distance from the hives. Just wondering if this is normal at such a distance? Was the bee just checking us out or was it trying to get us to leave?


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

Can the bees see you directly from you hives to where you play ball. If yes, build a visual wall so something so they do not see you directly.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Bees do that to harass you to get away. You may have the start of a hot hive with that much distance and you're still getting harassed. I just re-queened a hive that started out that way and got progressively worse to where you couldn't even walk in the yard without getting stung.


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## robherc (Mar 17, 2012)

Hmmm...I don't see them buzzing around in the air as too harassing...mine generally will give me a couple warning headbutts if they want to me move on...that's when I start thinking about putting up a privacy fence near their hive (or requeening)...or at least putting on my bee veil if I'm gonna be getting much closer.

I have had a few solitary bees "buzz around" me from several hundred feet away from a hive...they'll often land on your arm/face/neck/back and lick up some sweat if you stand still enough (guess they were feeling a bit sodium deficient). This behavior is actually how "sweat bees" got their name ... honeybees do it too, just not as often.


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## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

I have had them buzz around me any time any place ,, they just check me out ,, they will buzz around me and seldom any one else ,, as I all ways go set by the hives ,, I can get out of the car walk 20 feet and have one or two around me .. most of the summer when I'm in the in the yard they are around me .. do not know why ,, last year I had 6 hives ,, never wear suit , in fact take off my shirt when I work the hives ( they get up under the shirt, get smashed and sting ) and got 4 stings last year , but then thats the way I do it .. when the wife hangs out clothes ,, the girls are always there to say HI ... I all so have 8 grand kids here ,, and they love the hives ,, the 8 only got 6 stings all together last year.... the younyer ones cry when they get stung ,, not so much that it hurts but because they killed a bee


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

robherc said:


> Hmmm...I don't see them buzzing around in the air as too harassing...mine generally will give me a couple warning headbutts if they want to me move on...


Then I have some hives I would like to introduce you to.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Depends on the behavior. If the bee is zig-zagging in front of you, likely she wants some sweat. I get that a lot. When I'm in the garden, they will simply not leave me alone some days until I let a couple fill up. Be careful not to squeeze them, obviously.

I've had a couple fly up and land on me on cool days, once right on the end of my nose. Once she got warmed up she flew off, but it must have looked quite odd to have a bee sitting on my nose. I just let her do her thing.

That said, if they are flying into your face or otherwise banging right into you that far from the hive, they are being defensive and after a couple head-butts they will land and sting, preferring to do so in your ears or near your eyes. This is not fun.

One bee I'd not worry too much about, you get an occasional kamikazee that's intent on killing herself and it's just that one bee. More than one or two, time to do something to prevent stings -- put up a barrier, re-queen if they get worse, move the hive, etc.

Peter


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Bee in their way, Bee stung It's not what you think, it is what they think. (not really think, don't want get into that Flight patterns change as flow source changes. Play ball in one place today,,ok,,, next day could be different. If you are in their way,,it happens. The swelling in my ear has finally gone down. I thought I was far enough and at the right angle to observe the hives. ouch


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## KenS (Feb 14, 2012)

It'll be interesting to see where things go for me. I placed the hives (two Carolinians) where I could see them from the house, and they'd be easy to work. If it turns into a problem for people walking across the yard, or carriers such as UPS or the propane guy parking twenty or so feet away from them, they're going out in one of the fields. I just want to be sure I take care of them, instead of forgetting about them.

Ken


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

Lots of factors. I have a walk path that runs infront of my hive stands and is only about 10 feet away from the front of the hives. Most days (90%) I can walk along or even stand and the bees ignore me on most days. Five percent of the other days I may get some head butts and on the other 5% days they will actualy sting. Weather, other hives in swarm mode, robbing all play a factor. And then you add in someone getting hot.


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

Was in the garden and had a bee harass me for a bit so I left then came back 10 min. later still really buzzing around wanting me to leave which I did. Came back later but this time kept working the garden. It finely stung me on the back and that was the end of it. Just that one bee. Go figure.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

It only takes one,,,,,,,,,,,,,hurts the same


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

2 hurts twice as much


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

What you want to listen for is their buzz, this will tell you their intention, If it is a normal quite buzz all is cool , but if it is a loud buzz and she is flying very close to your face she wants you to leave.


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## mrobinson (Jan 20, 2012)

You gotta try to stay out of the "flight paths" as best you can, but even so you might duck 'n dodge on occasion. On a warm, sunny day with lots of flowers they'll be pretty much _everywhere._ Go about your business and let them go about theirs. If they seem to be telling you to "buzz off"  ... take the hint.


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## suburbanrancher (Aug 5, 2011)

This happened to me last weekend and as NasalSponge suggests, you can tell by the buzzing. She was LOUD, angry and absolutely going for our faces. I used my son's butterfly net to catch her and dispose of her.


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## $Simpleman76 (Apr 1, 2011)

I think I found out today why they were cranky. My old hive is queenless. I ordered me a queen from Gardner's and should be delivered tomorrow. I am glad I found that out when I did or it could have turned out bad.


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

psfred said:


> Depends on the behavior. If the bee is zig-zagging in front of you, likely she wants some sweat. I get that a lot.


My uncle's bees would do the same to him. In the summer, if he was working near the hive, they would come land on him.

Shane


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Rick 1456 said:


> Bee in their way, Bee stung It's not what you think,


If you have gentle bees you can stand right in front of the hive and they will fly around you. If you are hot and sweaty that may be an attraction but if they sting you at 80 yards it is time for action.


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## beeherder (Aug 7, 2011)

I have long hair and a beard and the move-in bees were bombing me while I was trying to soap and water a colony that moved into my house eave and were harrassing me and my neighbors. They'd slam into my beard, I wasn't wearing a beee suit, and into my hair. One even burrowed up into my beard and stung me under my jaw, but it wasn't much of a problem today.
I have 5 hives of VSH bees that I don't want the neighbors to think bad of, and these strays are making the neighbor behind me think my bees are the culprits, and 'unmanagable'.


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