The survival of a bee after stinging depends on its species and what it stings. While many associate bee stings with immediate death, this belief primarily applies to one well-known species. This article explores the unique mechanisms behind bee stinging, clarifying why some bees perish and others continue to live after using their defensive apparatus.
The Honey Bee’s Fatal Sting
The common honey bee (Apis mellifera) is most often associated with a fatal sting. When a worker honey bee stings a mammal or other creature with thick, elastic skin, its barbed stinger becomes firmly embedded in the tissue. The stinger itself is a complex structure, featuring two rows of saw-toothed blades, known as lancets, which are barbed and face outwards like a harpoon. These barbs act like screw anchors, making it nearly impossible for the bee to retract its stinger once it has punctured skin.
As the honey bee attempts to pull away, the embedded stinger, along with the venom sac, associated muscles, and a portion of its digestive tract, are torn from its abdomen. This process, known as abdominal evisceration, results in a gaping wound at the end of the bee’s body. This severe injury inevitably leads to its death. The detached stinger, powered by nerve cells, continues to pump venom into the victim, which is why immediate removal is recommended.
Bees That Survive Stinging
In contrast to the honey bee, many other bee species possess a different stinger anatomy that allows them to survive stinging. Bumblebees, for instance, have smooth, unbarbed stingers. This design enables them to easily retract their stinger after an encounter, meaning they can sting multiple times without sustaining fatal injury.
Solitary bees, a vast and diverse group that does not live in colonies, also have smooth stingers. This allows them to sting repeatedly if provoked. These bees are less aggressive than honey bees, as they do not have a large hive or collective food stores to defend. Many solitary bee species rarely sting at all, preferring to avoid confrontation.
Why Bees Sting
Bees primarily sting as a defensive mechanism to protect themselves, their colony, or their food stores. Stinging is a last resort, employed when a bee perceives a direct threat. This defensive action ensures the survival of the hive, overriding the individual bee’s survival in social species like honey bees.
The context of the threat influences a bee’s response. When a honey bee stings a large mammal, the fatal outcome for the bee is a consequence of its barbed stinger interacting with elastic skin. However, if a honey bee stings another insect with a hard exoskeleton, it can often retract its stinger and survive. When a bee stings, it also releases alarm pheromones, chemical signals that alert other bees to the perceived danger and can prompt them to join in the defense.