Hard worker, and gentle if you know the "how to".  I worked with them in Malawi Central Africa, I captured swarms and placed them in TBHs, I approached within inches and took pictures, I was even "attacked" by a hive that got disturbed, they came at me at full speed, bumbed me, I stopped counting bumbs after  40 or so, and not a single sting. All that without a suit, or any kind of protection.  See my website www.africanbees.net for details.