Today in Natick, MA the temps got up into the 50s.  Still about a foot of snow on the ground.

I noticed some bees flying from my hives (purging perhaps) and went outside to watch them fly.  I was standing about 10 feet away in a dark blue winter coat.  I approached the hives slowly and I was just standing there.

The bees took a sudden and rather aggressive interest in my presence.  I've been buzzed like that before, and knew enough to get back.

Does anyone know why they'd be so cranky at my mere presence, even 10 feet from them?  

I'm thinking that perhaps they are just overly defensive due to the state of the hive, or that perhaps I was a landmark that suddenly showed up dark against the snowy yard.

???

--glen

Lat:  42.278436, Long:  -71.354316

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