Alabama Beekeepers’ Secret to ‘Un-bee-lievable’ Movie Magic
How Alabama Beekeepers Taught Hollywood to Dance with a Million Bees (Without Getting Stung)
TL;DR: For the movie The Rivals of Amziah King, Matthew McConaughey and the crew worked with over a million live bees—wearing zero protective gear. Thanks to two weeks of "bee boot camp" from Alabama beekeepers, only five people got stung during the entire shoot.
The Buzz Behind the Movie
In the new film The Rivals of Amziah King, Matthew McConaughey plays a beekeeper fighting to save his honey business. But the real stars of the show? Over a million honeybees.
- Setting: The story takes place in Oklahoma, but filming happened in Alabama.
- Expert Help: The filmmakers hired Foxhound Bee Company (based in Irondale, AL) to wrangle the bees and train the cast.
- Big Rule: Director Andrew Patterson refused to let actors wear bee suits—no veils, gloves, jackets, or hats. Just regular clothes.
Important Callout:
Bees ≠ Wasps or Hornets. Honeybees die after they sting, so they really don’t want to sting you—unless they feel threatened.
Bee Boot Camp: Two Weeks of Training
Before cameras rolled, the cast and crew went through intensive bee training led by Adam Hickman (Foxhound’s founder) and his team.
What They Built
- A custom apiary (bee yard) with 34 colonies on the movie set.
What They Learned (Step-by-Step)
- Suit Up First – The crew wore full gear during training to get comfortable.
- Read the Room (Hive) – Bees stay calm if you move slowly and confidently. Panic = stings.
- Timing Matters – Stay in a hive too long, and bees get annoyed. The pros call this the "yin and yang" of beekeeping.
- Body Language – Calm movements, quiet voices, no swatting. Bees sense fear (or at least jerky motions).
- Practice, Practice, Practice – Two full weeks before filming started.
Result: By day one of shooting, the actors could stand inside a cloud of bees like it was no big deal.
The Secret Weapons: Nurse Bees, Smoke & Weather Watching
The beekeepers didn’t just bring any bees—they stacked the deck.
1. Nurse Bees Only
- Who they are: Baby bees (days old) whose only job is feeding larvae and the queen.
- Why they’re perfect: They rarely sting because they’ve never defended a hive.
- Breed: Italian honeybees—known as the golden retrievers of the bee world (super gentle).
2. The Smoker Trick
- Beekeepers puff smoke into the hive before opening it.
- What it does: Blocks the bees’ alarm pheromones (chemical "danger!" signals).
- Bee brain: "Smoke = fire = grab honey and get ready to flee." They’re too busy eating to sting.
- Actors even put smoke on their hands before scenes.
3. Weather = Mood Ring
- Bees get cranky when barometric pressure drops (storms coming).
- Rule on set: If storms were forecast, bee scenes got rescheduled. No exceptions.
The "Bee Beard" Finale: 10,000 Bees on One Actress
The climactic scene features actress Angelina LookingGlass covered head-to-toe in bees. Here’s how they did it:
- Queen in a Cage – A tiny plastic cage holding the queen bee was hidden on Angelina.
- Pheromone Perfume – She was sprayed with queen bee pheromones.
- Swarm Activated – The colony smelled their queen and swarmed to her—10,000 bees forming a living "beard."
- Zero Stings – Because the bees were focused on the queen, not defense.
Fun Fact: Adam Hickman (the lead beekeeper) was cast as McConaughey’s hand double—same rings, same shirt—just in case things went sideways. They didn’t.
The Only Close Call
During the last training session, after everyone took off their veils:
- One stubborn bee chased the group.
- It stung Matthew McConaughey on the hairline.
- His face swelled up half-way—one day before filming started.
Solution: Producers moved all heavy bee scenes to the end of the shoot to buy healing time. McConaughey powered through like a champ.
Final Scorecard
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Bees on set | 1,000,000+ |
| Colonies used | 34 |
| Training days | 14 |
| Total stings during production | 5 |
| Movie wrapped safely? | Yes |
Summary
Making The Rivals of Amziah King meant turning a movie set into a working apiary. With no protective gear for actors, the production leaned entirely on expert beekeepers, gentle nurse bees, smoke, weather smarts, and two weeks of hands-on training. The result? A stunning, sting-free (mostly) film where bees aren’t just props—they’re co-stars.
FAQ
Why didn’t the actors wear bee suits?
The director wanted authentic, up-close performances—no mesh veils or thick gloves blocking faces or hands. He wanted the audience to feel the bees.
Can you really promise bees won’t sting?
No. As Adam Hickman said: "I cannot promise you that they aren’t going to sting. If I were having a golden retriever on set, I’d probably have a different answer." Animals (and insects) have minds of their own.
What are nurse bees, and why use them?
Nurse bees are young bees that only care for babies and the queen. They’ve never guarded a hive, so they’re far less defensive than older forager bees.
How does smoke calm bees?
Smoke masks alarm pheromones—the chemical "HELP!" signals bees release. It also triggers a "fire drill" instinct: bees gorge on honey to prepare to flee, making them too full and distracted to sting.
What happens to the bees after filming?
The colonies were cared for by Foxhound Bee Company throughout and after production. No bees were harmed for the movie.
Want to learn more? Visit Foxhound Bee Company