Why Didn't the Bees Sting?

by Sotsy
(Tennessee)

Hi,

During Thanksgiving week when I had hundreds of little winged visitors and put honey out for them, they never became angry or aggressive.

When I realized some were staying late and dying as the temperature dropped I would bang the plastic plate on the table edge to make them leave. They would fly upward, some getting in my hair, but never once stung.

Were they lethargic due to the cold or what?

Hi Sotsy

It may be that they were too cold to sting you, although I think it's more likely that they're just gentle bees. The temperament of a colony of bees varies a great deal. Some hives are just more inclined to sting than others.

The other possibility is that these bees were not in their hive, so their defensive response is much less. If you found their hive and did something which seemed to threaten them I think you would be much more likely to get stung.

Thank you for being a friend to honeybees.

The Bee Guy