I am always envious of macro photographers who can get the bees to stay still. I have tried to capture bees myself, but I always seem to encounter those with hyperactivity problem.<

well for me what works is i go out in the garden at 6 am in the morning when it's still cold from the night then they are not that active and you van get nice close ups..

and don't cast a shadow over them it will scare them off

and yes a good camera with a good lens and lights does help a lot but it takes also a lot of practice and failures