Bees are not always the most welcome visitors. They like to hang out where you don’t want them, and they can be pretty scary if you’re allergic to their stings.
The good news is that bees usually won’t chase after people unless they’ve been provoked or feel threatened in some way. If they do, they can go upwards of 15 miles per hour, which is reasonably fast!
Still, it helps if you know how far they’ll go if they do decide to pursue you! Let’s explore this phenomenon below.
The traveling speed of bees
You may wonder how fast bees can fly. In reality, there’s no one answer to this question.
The speed at which a bee flies depends on its body size, the temperature and humidity of the air, and many other factors. But in general, bees can fly at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour).
If you’re running faster than that and don’t want to be chased by bees, it’s probably best not to hang out around flowers where they live!
When do bees chase humans?
If a bee is in your yard and you’re not wearing any bright colors, they won’t be too bothered by your presence. If they see you in black clothing, however, it’s best to stay away. Bees can also sense the vibration of your footsteps through the ground and will fly after you if they don’t feel like their hive is safe.
If you do disturb an established hive (or if one lands on top of yours), bees may chase after you as well. This can happen anywhere from 100 feet away from the hive to up close on its doorstep! However, this is important—if there are no flowers around for them to feed on or water for them to drink, bees won’t bother chasing humans at all; instead, they’ll just go back home (which makes sense).
The chasing distance of bees
You’re out for a jog in the park when you accidentally headbutt a bee. The bee is stinging mad, so it follows you as far as 100 feet. (That’s just under 39 meters.) If you keep running at that rate, the bees will chase you for another quarter mile—about 150 feet (46 meters) away from where they first started following you.
And they’ll still be coming after another half mile—about 300 feet (92 meters). After 1 mile—or 1.6 kilometers—they’ll be out of breath and not quite so eager to get revenge on their attacker anymore. They may even fly back to their hive if there’s no pollen to harvest nearby or any other sources of food for them there!
Things you should do during a bee attack
If a bee attack happens to you, here’s what you can do:
Run as far as you can
If you’re lucky enough to have a safe place to run, then do it! The bees will keep chasing you until they lose sight of you.
Never run in a straight line. If they see that you’re running away, they’ll figure out where you are before long and come back for more.
Don’t run in circles either—it’s like running away from them forever without moving an inch! They may not realize what’s going on at first, but as soon as they do, everyone will be on your tail again.
And don’t think about running back towards them either! Even if there are no other bees around right now (which is unlikely), there might be later once word gets around that someone just made a break for freedom into open space with nothing but grass underneath their feet and sky above their heads…so please avoid this route at all costs!
Hold your breath if the attack doesn’t occur yet
If you’re being chased by bees and don’t want to get stung, hold your breath for about 30 seconds.
If you’re not breathing, the bees will assume you are dead and leave you alone.
The only problem here is that if the attack doesn’t occur yet, this can cause some serious problems in the long term due to a lack of oxygen.
Do not swat and panic
If you find yourself face-to-face with a swarm of bees, do not panic. Do not swat at them or run in a straight line away from them. Try to avoid running in the same direction as they’re going—you don’t want to give them any extra reason to chase after you.
If you can, take cover under something that will protect your body and keep the bees off of it until they fly away on their own (assuming there are no other people around).
For those times when taking cover isn’t an option, here’s what NOT TO DO:
- Don’t panic and run through the swarm if possible
- Don’t run backwards if possible
- Don’t make any unnecessary movement that may provoke the swarm
Keep a local exterminator on speed dial
If you are looking for a local beekeeper, there are plenty of ways to find one. Start by contacting your local exterminator and ask them who they recommend. If they don’t know anyone, call the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. They may be able to help point you in the right direction.
You can also try calling a local beekeeping association and asking them if they know anyone in your area who might want to take on another hobbyist as a student or apprentice. The same goes for contacting a local beekeeping club or expert yourself: Call around until you find someone who is willing to help out someone new!
Conclusion
While bees can chase you for 12 to 15 miles when provoked, the most important thing to remember is that bees are not aggressive or dangerous. They can be a nuisance, but they also play a vital role in our ecosystem.
If you’re ever threatened by a swarm of bees, just follow these tips and try to stay calm! The best way to avoid getting stung is by keeping your distance from them, so run as fast as possible without running into something else like a tree or another person who’s being chased by bees too.
