Guilfordbeekeepers.org

I've noticed my one remaining hive (the other got robbed out) is more aggressive this summer than before. This is the third year with this colony and it was much more gentle, docile, in 2021 and 2022. I used to go out this time of year and change feeding bottles with no protective gear, but not anymore. They will chase me all the way around the house. I didn't know if it was due to their first experience with robbers (they tried this hive, but were unsuccessful); or because of the heat.

Have any of ya'll noticed bees being more aggressive? What could cause the change?

My experience is there can always be multiple factors that cause this aggression (dearth, pests, disease pressure), but in most cases a simple re-queening is the solution. This has worked for me with several similar situations - you just have to be patient though as you wait for the new queen's offspring to populate the colony.

In the spring, I agree with Reedyfork. In a dearth, I have never seen a docile colony.