Here is a video of a bee stinging someone's arm. Mechanism into the wound that does not permit multiple stings Video of a Bee Sting The honey bee stinger has jagged edges that allow for an anchoring The bumble bee stinger is smooth and allows for multiple stings. A honey bee stingerĬontinually releases venom after it is initially injected and after the stinger is detached, which is why immediate removal is recommended. Glands (the venom gland and the dufour's gland) that produce the mixed contents of the injected venom. Stinger is barbed while the bumble bee stinger is smooth and allows for repeated stings. Honey bees, unlike bumble bees, can sting only one time because their stinger becomes detached after insertion.

Males therefore do not have stingers and pose no threat. The bee stinger is a modified ovipositor, although in other insects (and in queen bees) comparable structures are used for layingĮggs, in worker bees the stinger is used just for defense. This illustrates the non-aggressive behavior both groups display while foraging

They are usually too busy searching for pollenĪnd nectar to be bothered by a curious observer or passerby.īoth bees are drinking nectar and neither are bothered or concerned by the Unless they are stepped on or unnecessarily aggravated. Bees that are away from the hive foraging will rarely sting Stinging insects use stingers for two main purposes: defense and predation. Of the most important steps to overcoming that fear is a better understanding of these insects. Of bees in many terrestrial ecosystems, many people have a fear of all things that sting.

References and Further Reading Why and How do Bees Sting?īees are crucially important for the pollination of flowering plants including many of theįruits and vegetables we eat as well the flowers we grow in our gardens.

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