Bumblebees use sight and smell to identify potential new foraging locations. This means they will often hover just above the heads of flowers assessing the viability of each flower.
Bumblebee males are very protective of their territory and will often stay in one place until a female bee comes out so they can mate.
Carpenter bee males will also stay in one place for a long time to protect the outside of their nest while the females care for their young inside.
It can be puzzling, even alarming, when you notice a bee circling and hovering in the air around you Why does it seem so interested in you specifically? Are you under attack?
While an aggressive bee may indeed by sizing you up there are also several harmless reasons bees frequently investigate and hover near people. Learning to interpret subtle clues in their behavior helps gauge if bees are simply curious, want sweat or feel threatened by your presence.
It’s an Identifying Maneuver
One of the main reasons bees hover close by is simply to identify what kind of large moving creature you are.
Bees have remarkably sophisticated senses and cognitive skills. But to their small insect brains, humans and other large animals can still present a confusing, fast-moving blob of stimuli.
By zig-zagging within your personal space, a bee can gather more sensory information to pinpoint your identity. It uses sight, smell and other cues to conclude “ah yes, a human!” once it compiles enough data through hovering near your body.
This identifying behavior often occurs when you’re moving around near beehives or flowering plants. Staying still and allowing the bee to complete its inspection can help it satisfy its curiosity faster.
They’re Attracted to Your Scent
Another major reason bees linger near you is due to your distinct scent.
You may find a hovering bee curved into an S-shape dance in front of your face. Or one may land directly on your arm or leg for an extended time.
These bees are likely attracted to fragrant products you’ve applied like perfume, lotion, hair products, or scented sunscreens. Even fruity shampoos or sweet laundry detergent residue on clothes can pull them in.
But they also gather on bare skin. Bees visit humans to lap up the salt in sweat, tears, and other body secretions. This provides them needed electrolytes.
If bees become highly attracted to your personal scent, remaining calm and not swatting them away allows them to finish their tasting mission faster.
Defensive Maneuvers Signal Trouble
While the above hover-inspection behaviors are generally harmless, other circling patterns indicate a bee views you as a threat.
Watch for these more aggressive inspection maneuvers:
- Repeated rapid approaches toward your head and face.
- Attempts to land and sting exposed skin.
- Loud, exaggerated buzzing near your body.
- Ramming into you repeatedly.
One or two curious bees checking you out is normal. But multiple angry bees displaying these behaviors means a nearby colony feels threatened by your presence.
In this case, calmly leave the area immediately to avoid getting stung. Defensive hovering is the colony’s final warning before attacking.
Tips for Coexisting With Hovering Bees
Bee hovering happens so frequently that learning to coexist with them makes outdoor life easier. Some useful tips:
- Stay calm and move slowly when bees are nearby.
- Avoid swatting or trying to shoo them away.
- Cover sweet drinks and fragrant foods outdoors.
- Keep flowering plants pruned back.
- Install bee blocks or water sources away from high-traffic areas.
- If aggressive, leave the area promptly but smoothly.
With understanding of their typical hovering motivations, these common bee behaviors become much less concerning. Always remain alert to signs of defensiveness, but otherwise simply allow bees to satisfy their curiosity.
When to Take Action
Though generally harmless, take steps to deter curious hovering bees if:
- You have a severe bee venom allergy. Even one sting could be dangerous.
- Bees repeatedly swarm you when outdoors.
- They start entering your home or parked vehicle.
In these cases, contact a beekeeper to either relocate nearby hives or implement targeted deterrents to keep bees at bay.
But in most scenarios, letting them have their investigative hover encounters causes no real trouble. With awareness of the meaning behind this behavior, we can coexist peacefully with our bee neighbors.
Common Questions About Bees Hovering Near People
Are bees attracted to certain colors?
Bees have an excellent color sense and go for flowers in shades of purple, violet, yellow and blue. Wearing these colors or floral prints can make you more attractive to curious bees when outside.
Do bees sting when they hover around you?
Most bees that hover are just inspecting you and will not sting unless grabbed or swatted. But agitated guard bees defending a nearby nest will sting after a few warning passes.
Why do bees fly in front of your face?
Flying close to your face allows bees to use their antennae and eyes to closely investigate your facial features, scent and breath. They are just trying to determine what organism you are.
Can bees become attracted to humans?
Bees are sometimes attracted to the salt in human sweat, tears, and urine. They will land on skin to drink the droplets. Also, scented products or perfumes can contain chemicals that smell flower-like to bees.
Do bees hover at night?
Honey bees do not fly at night. Only nocturnal insects like moths hover around lights or food sources after dark. Any night-flying insect buzzing near you is not a bee.
So next time you notice a bee loitering in your aura, remember it is likely just satisfying its instinctive curiosity about you. A little hovering is a small price to pay for the pollination services bees provide.
Bumblebees hovering to mate
Bumblebee males will often be seen hovering over an area. Males of the species are very territorial and will wait in a designated spot, waiting for a mate.
Any bees that fly within his territory will be investigated immediately. Male bees will stay away from aggressive and dominant behavior, and they will try to mate with any females they find.
It’s interesting that some men have been known to threaten their reflection without meaning to. If your home has a mirror, window, or other reflective surface on the outside, watch out.
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Male carpenter bees are often mistaken for bumblebees due to their large size. These males of the species have two key tasks, mate and protect their partners and young.
When mating, male carpenter bees will hover in wait for a potential mate.
Even though they are much bigger, male carpenter bees will often hover just inches away from people as they enter their territory to check you out.
Good thing male carpenter bees don’t have stingers, because they are mostly just annoying.
Once they find a good mate, they will stand outside their nest for hours in a defensive position, hoping that any possible predators will scare them away.
When there are several nests of carpenter bees close to each other, the females will often work together to protect the nests and find food.
Hovering to inspect resource-rich flowers
Resource gathering is the most likely reason you will see a bee hovering for prolonged periods. This same behaviour can be observed amongst the Hummingbird population as they seek out suitable forage.
All bees including bumblebees have compound eyes, which means they can see things humans don’t.
Compound eyes are visible on either side of the bumblebee’s head. These eyes allow the bumblebee to identify things like sunlight, landmarks and even pheromones left by previous bees.
This clever natural evolution gives bees the ability to see ultraviolet.
A lot of plants have ultraviolet colors that humans can’t see but that bees can use as landing strips because they glow.
Check out Revive a Bee’s recommended wildflower mix to encourage more bumblebees and pollinators in your garden or wild area.