In his Takimag column, the inquisitive doctor has a visit from the local beeman after discovering an impressive nest attached to his French country house.
Most years we have to call the local beeman, who comes with an artificial hive to recover the swarm. To our surprise, he wears no protection; he says that he is used to stings, and in any case if you make no sudden movements, bees do not often sting. Not having previously known much about bees, or having had any experience of them, I was surprised to discover that he was right: Watching him closely in his work, and in the midst of clouds of bees, I was not stung even once.
Hello, because it was a swarm, the bees were confused, they did not know what to defend. They would not be as placid if a keeper opened an established hive without any protection. They are fascinating to observe. They drag any intruder like a wasp or a bumble bee out of hive instantly or kill it. They may dethrone a failing queen and replace her with a hive-grown leader. They do not sting the keepers whom they accustomed to see every day but when kept in out apiaries can be quite defensive. Regards, I. Hunter.