Do the bees recognize the beekeeper?

Well, I'd like to think I'm developing a relationship with my bees. I go out and stand or sit between the hives and watch them come and go. But I never approach the hives from the front so that I don't interrupt their flight paths. So far since I installed the hives on April 16, I haven't been stung.

There's a thread going on the beemaster.com forum about this topic, and I was disappointed to read that it's highly likely that the only reason the bees aren't bothering me is that I am not bothering them - not that they are recognizing me. Here's the thread
if you'd like to read it:


Since bees turn over about every 40 days in the hive, the queen is the only bee in the hive who lives sometimes 3 or 4 years. Gives new meaning to the phrase: "Long live the queen!"