Are Honeybees Aggressive?

For the most part, honeybees are not aggressive, however there are certain factors that make them a little more cranky than usual that can lead to them being more aggressive and agitated. These conditions are more prevalent in the late summer and early fall.

Here are a few things that can cause your honey bees to become aggressive:

1. Queenlessness is a common cause of sassy bees. Many of the other bees in the hive try to imitate the queen’s attitude and disposition. The hive should be gentle if the queen is good. If she is nastier than the hive, the hive will become nastier as well. When the colony or the beekeeper replaces the queen, the bad behavior normally ceases.

2. A nectar dearth is a lack of nectar-producing flowers. Since the bees are unable to locate nectar, they sometimes attempt to steal it from other hives. This is the start of stealing, an offensive act. Honey bee robbers are vicious, and the bees who are robbed become aggressive defenders of their shops. Particularly in the fall, this can result in a cloud of bees surrounding a hive. If robbery is taking place, you’ll notice bees battling at the hive entrance. There could be dead honey bees on the ground in front of the hive. The combat bees emit a warning pheromone, which alerts other bees to the threat. Other honey bees become aggressive as a result of the warning pheromone, and more fighting means more pheromone is released, which means more bees enter the fray. The condition has the potential to rapidly deteriorate.

3. Rainy weather irritates bees, particularly when combined with heat and high humidity. No amount of fanning will help evaporate the nectar or cool the hive on the hottest days. Cloudy, windy, or snowy weather do not appeal to them.