Apiary Etiquette - Rule 6
Dress properly for the job
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Bee Suit

Make a conscious decision to usually not wear gloves when you are working the hives; this allows you to hold everything better, and you can feel bees with your bare fingers that you might otherwise crush if wearing gloves.  Crushing bees emits a strong alarm scent, and puts the rest of the colony on alert that something is killing bees.  So, don't crush bees if you can at all avoid it; not wearing gloves greatly helps.  However, if you are working with an irritable strain that is prone to sting, such as Buckfast, you may be forced to wear gloves regardless (unless of course you don't mind stings).  Instead of wearing gloves all the time, requeen your hive with a gentler strain, such as Italian, Russian or All American.

If the bees act especially aggressive when you are not opening the hive, you may have a serious problem; you should consider either coming back another day, or take the step of requeening the hive.  If their aggressive behavior is extreme, such as large number of bees attacking you, call your state apiary inspector to determine whether the bees have become Africanized, and therefore should be destroyed.  The possibility of Africanization is most possible in the southwestern US, from Texas to California, and from Central through South America.  However, practicing effective swarm control virtually eliminates the possibility that your hive could become Africanized.

Apiary Etiquette
Basic Beekeeping Equipment
Frame of Brood and Honey
Inspecting the Frames
Opening and Inspecting the Hive
Periodic Apiary Inspections

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