In my experience 9/10 times that the bees present themselves as "mean" or "aggressive" its a symptom of some underlying issue... nocturnal predation.. (skunks will eat your bees under cover of darkness) yes it is a thing... vandalism.. (kids with to much time on their hands.. throwing rocks at the honeybees hive(s)body) yup that's a thing too.. yet far more frequently we must look to ourselves as the culprits.. rushing through the inspections.. rolling bees wafting distressed bee pheromones.. clanking frames.. crackling propolis.. what does the rushed inspection look like to the colony.. a hungry bear perhaps? next time consider approaching the colony like a surgeon.. take time.. be respectful.. take an extra 2-3 seconds to loosen the inner cover or free the frames from the grip of propolis.. mindfully lift the frames taking care not to zero them out against the hive body.. pretend youre a bear with no fur or claws.. working without a suit of armor.. no protective gear.. bee the gentle beekeeper & your honeybees will return the favor.
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