Bees are quite intelligent and can remember faces. When I was working in the bee yards I had a co worker who was always angry and aggressive with the hives, calling the bee's "B*tches" and sometimes the "C" word. I kid you not every Friday for about 3 weeks in a row the last bee field we'd visit he'd get stung near his eye as soon as he took off his veil. He'd spend the weekend with one eye shut. On the other end we had a student who I'd consider a "bee whisperer". He had such a calm demeanor he'd work the hives in a muscleshirt, shorts and flip flops and never get stung.