Many people hold the common belief that bees die after stinging, but this isn’t true for all stinging insects. The outcome for an insect after delivering a sting varies significantly depending on the species.
The Honey Bee’s Fatal Sting
It is primarily the worker honey bee that perishes after stinging a mammal, including humans. This outcome is a consequence of their specific anatomy and the nature of the target’s skin. Worker honey bees are integral to their colony’s survival, performing tasks like foraging and defense. Their individual sacrifice protects the entire hive, ensuring the queen and future generations can thrive.
Stinging is a defensive measure for honey bees, typically employed when their hive is threatened. When a honey bee stings, it releases alarm pheromones, alerting other bees to the danger and encouraging them to join the defense. This coordinated response helps deter predators from the colony.
The Mechanism Behind the Honey Bee’s Demise
A worker honey bee dies after stinging a thick-skinned target due to its stinger’s design. Unlike most other stinging insects, the honey bee’s stinger is barbed. When inserted into resilient skin, the barbs become firmly lodged, making it impossible for the bee to pull it back out.
As the honey bee attempts to dislodge itself, the stinger, along with the venom sac and other internal organs, are torn from its abdomen. This severe abdominal rupture is a fatal injury, leading to the bee’s demise within minutes. Even after detaching, the embedded stinger can continue to pump venom into the victim for a short period. This defensive mechanism is not shared by most other bee species or stinging insects.
Stinging Insects That Survive
Many other stinging insects, including bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and most solitary bees, do not die after stinging mammals. These insects possess smooth stingers, lacking the barbs found on a honey bee’s stinger. This design allows them to easily withdraw their stinger without causing fatal damage.
Their ability to retract their stinger means these insects can sting multiple times if threatened. Wasps, for example, are known for their capacity to sting repeatedly. Even queen honeybees, unlike their worker counterparts, have smoother stingers and can sting multiple times, primarily in conflicts with rival queens. This distinction in stinger anatomy highlights varied evolutionary adaptations among stinging insects for defense.