Greg Roody asked:

> Do bees get to know their keepers?

It would be unlikely, if not impossible, because:

a)  Every day, 1000 - 2000 new bees hatch out.
     It would be hard to "meet" that many beings
     of any sort.  Of 60,000 bees in a hive, how
     many can ever "get to know you", even assuming
     that bees are better at recalling names and faces
     than Dale Carnegie was?

b)  Even if you "inspected" a hive every day,
     you will not be able to make every bee aware
     of your "visit".  There will always be a significant
     number of bees who are completely unaware that
     you have opened the hive, removed the super that
     they are in, etc.  Many bees are foraging, and have
     no way to "meet" you.

c)  Bees simply do not seem to "remember" tactical
     information, so despite my predictable approach,
     entrances are still guarded, but no guards ever
     await me on the inner cover or topmost super.
     (Note that I have yet to stick a finger in an entrance!)

d)  Despite their navigational skills, bees have very
     tiny brains.  They can learn "new things", like
     how to navigate a maze, but they do not appear
     to be able to learn "new skills", such as operating
     a microswitch to receive a few drops of nectar.

e)  Anecdotal reports of specific individuals who cannot even
     stand in an apiary without being stung should be analyzed
     from the standpoint of odor, clothing color, and so on.
     There has to be a "trigger", since there is simply no other
     way for the bees to reach a consensus that this person is
     a threat to any hive, and get defensive.

> Has anyone observed a colony react differently to an
> inspector or knowledgeable visitor (someone who knows
> their way around)?

Of course - but not because the bees "know" the person opening
their hive.  The bees are not disturbed (as much) by someone who
manipulates a colony with style and panache.  Since the more
experienced beekeeper crushes no bees, does not thump about,
and moves frames smoothly, no alarm is raised (or the alarm is
less pronounced).

I have post-mortemed too many bees under a low-power
microscope to agree with Alan's statement that
"bees are individuals".  Yes, there is some "individuality",
but many more are apparently identical, even at higher
magnification.  (A stereo microscope is a big help here,
since one can set it up as a comparator, and prepare a
"slide" with two bees in identical positions for A/B comparisons.

There is a cheap and easy way to at least see the physiological
differences between bees without killing them.  Buy a headband
magnifier like one of the ones one the 2nd row of this web page:

http://www.ppcitools.com/mags/bino.htm

With one, you can keep your face about a handbreadth away from
the top bars of a super, and take a good close look at the bees.

Be careful to not breathe on the bees too much, because carbon
dioxide from your breath is one of the triggers that make bees think
that a mammal is "raiding" their hive. Moreso with AHB.

With a cheap pair of binoculars and a steady hand, you could
get the same view from a few steps away.  10 x 50 nautical
binoculars would be too powerful, use a low-power el-cheapo
pair.

        jim