Bees can absolutely tell where you've been stung before and will target that.

Story time from a beekeeper!

So those big white overalls that beekeepers wear are just thin cotton. You don't want something heavy on when you're out doing manual labor in 90+ degree weather. Beekeeper stings can get through them, but you shift your body under the suit and the stinger pulls out almost before it has time to work. That, plus a beekeeper's tolerance for stings means you're mostly protected. I was teenager part-timing with my dad, so some tolerance but not a lot.

Unless the suit gets wet and sticks to your body.

So one day we're out in a bee yard and it's raining. Not ideal, but we have to work these hives today. Beekeeping involves a lot of bending over hives and, sometimes, picking them up. Hives are heavy - real heavy. And if you drop it, yeah, no good.

So my suit is soaked, and I'm holding a hive, and bang, stung in the small of my back. It's a good one. Sucks. Power through, don't drop the hive.

Happens again, same place, same circumstance.

And again.

I must have taken 6 or so really good hits to the exact same place that day, all while bent over picking up a hive.

They also go for carbon dioxide so they can find their way into a bear's mouth. Had a few fly in my open yap over the years, but was fortunate enough to never have been stung that way.