I’ve been bee whispering all over the world, and I have observed their behavior in the wild and in captivity.  What I observed is that “free bees” (those less stressed by external factors), produce the most flavorful and abundant honey.  So in interacting with them as though they were a nation of people, being diplomatic and cautious and not eluding to feeling threatened is the best method.  

A human will eventually bond with hives, and they will behave in a symbiotic manner with their local humans that support them.  They smell fear, they can see it on your breath.  Bees associate fear with threat response.  I have observed that bees are able to sense a pulse and heartbeat on a human.  Be calm and the Bee will calm.