For flying insects, behaviors such as load carriage, flight at altitude and rapid ascension require the production of aerodynamic forces beyond what is required for simple hovering. However, the mechanisms by which force production is augmented during such behaviors are poorly understood. In this study we measured the kinematics of hovering honey bees using three high-speed digital cameras filming at 6000 fps. Hovering flights in air (21% O₂, 79% N₂) were compared to flights in heliox (21% O₂, 79% He), a normoxic mixture with 1/3 the density of sea-level air. Compared to bees hovering in air, those in heliox had significantly greater wing stroke amplitude, with differences in both ventral and dorsal displacement. Wingbeat frequency did not vary with gas density, but the increase in stroke amplitude in heliox resulted in a large increase in wingtip velocity and rotational velocity. When measured on a dynamically-scaled robot, these kinematics produced prominent force peaks during the beginning, middle, and end of each stroke, consistent with forces due to wake capture, added mass, translation, and rotation. Translational force production became more pronounced under conditions of increased stroke amplitude and wingtip velocity, and this effect likely accounts for much of this species’ ability to lift heavy loads and fly in hypodense atmospheres.