Do bees sting other bees? The answer reveals intricate social structures within and among bee colonies, offering a deeper appreciation for their complex lives.
The Purpose of a Bee Sting
A bee’s sting serves as a primary defense mechanism. For worker honey bees, the stinger is barbed, a design that causes it to become lodged in the elastic skin of mammals, including humans. When this occurs, the bee cannot retract its stinger, and the act of stinging leads to a fatal injury as parts of its abdomen, including the venom sac, are torn away. This self-sacrificial act ensures that a potent dose of venom is delivered, deterring larger predators and protecting the hive.
When Bees Sting Other Bees
Bees can and do sting other bees, as well as other insects, in various scenarios crucial for colony survival. Unlike stinging mammals, a bee’s stinger typically does not get lodged in the exoskeleton of another insect, allowing the stinging bee to survive the encounter. This difference in outcome is due to the less elastic nature of an insect’s outer shell compared to mammalian skin.
One common reason for inter-bee stinging is colony defense against intruders. Guard bees stationed at the hive entrance meticulously check incoming bees, often identifying them by their unique scent profiles. If a bee from another hive, or a different species like a wasp or hornet, attempts to enter, guard bees will sting the intruder to protect their resources and home. These defensive actions are a direct response to perceived threats against the colony’s integrity.
Queen bees also engage in stinging, particularly during periods of rivalry. When new virgin queens emerge, they often challenge other potential queens in the hive, with the ultimate goal of establishing dominance. This can lead to duels where queens sting each other to death, ensuring only one reigning queen for the colony. In some cases, worker bees may also sting an old, failing, or unwanted queen as a form of internal colony management.
Beyond defending against external threats and queen conflicts, bees may sting within their own colony for other reasons. Workers might sting sick or diseased bees to remove them from the hive, preventing the spread of illness and maintaining colony health. Additionally, towards the end of the season, male drones, whose primary role is to mate with the queen, are often expelled from the hive and may be stung by worker bees. This action conserves resources for the female worker bees and the queen during colder months when food is scarcer.
The Aftermath of an Inter-Bee Sting
The consequences of a bee stinging another bee are typically severe for the recipient, but not fatal for the bee delivering the sting. This allows the bee to continue its role within the colony after the aggressive encounter. The individual that is stung, however, usually succumbs to the venom.
The venom delivered during an inter-bee sting is potent enough to cause paralysis or death in the stung bee. This effectively neutralizes the threat posed by an intruder or removes an undesirable individual from the colony. While the death of individual bees may seem harsh, these actions are integral to the overall survival and health of the bee colony. Such behaviors ensure that valuable resources are protected, genetic integrity is maintained, and the collective well-being of the hive takes precedence over individual lives.