So how do people generally get past the 150 mark? I have yet to find enough small blues in and around the starter area. As you said, if I got to the hive I am beset on all sides by half visible aliens and then die pretty quickly if I don't run like mad.
I tried to save the small blue aliens in Ancient Ruins and Ship Graveyard for the evolution... but those are not enough. It has to be done in the Hive.
For fighting tips, do it like in FPS... back paddle and fire. As said before doing that in a swamp makes it easier, as both you and your enemies move slower.
There is a tiny base with a teleporter in Ship Graveyard, there will be some respawning marines guarding it. As far as I can tell they don't have the scary VC Taser/flamethrower as those in the Mining Area. Kill them for health packs. They will also kill some respawned aliens for you, giving you free food. If there's no marines, leave and come back later. Sometimes you get a turret guarding the teleporter too, which you can damage, repair and reuse.
Also in the Hive there're multiple camps of aliens... you may need to travel further to find the blue queen. I found the blue camp near the lava river, lots of small blue aliens there.
I'm now at the stage to hunt normal blue alien to evolve... I am still no match for the marines in the mining area though. Flamethrower and VC Taser are very, very scary. Even at full health, one hit from the VC Taser and I'm nearly dead.