Beekeeping has a few hard and fast rules, but it has even more guidelines. The fact that these little creatures can survive our bumbling and meddling is a true testament to how resilient they truly are.
So here is the voice of experience giving a prime example of a hard and fast rule:
Do not attempt to disturb your bee hives at dusk. Dusk can generally be defined as the last hour before it gets dark. The three times that I have been stung by my bees have all been in this time frame, including a shot I took to the top of my ear today. Keep in mind that I have worked my bees with no gloves, no smoke, and occasionally no suit, and have jokingly called them stingless bees.
But not at dusk.... Some idiots never learn.