When a bee stings, a common question arises about the insect’s fate. Many believe that all bees die after stinging, but this is not entirely accurate. The outcome depends on its species and the structure of its stinging apparatus, revealing why some insects survive while others do not.
The Honey Bee’s Fatal Sting
Worker honey bees possess a unique stinger with prominent barbs, resembling a hypodermic needle. This specialized structure allows the stinger to penetrate deep into a target. When a honey bee stings a mammal or other creature with elastic skin, these barbs become firmly lodged.
The honey bee cannot retract its stinger once embedded in such skin. As the bee attempts to pull away, the barbed stinger, along with its venom sac, parts of its digestive tract, muscles, and nerves, are ripped from its abdomen. This severe internal rupture, known as evisceration, is fatal, leading to the honey bee’s death. Even after detaching from the bee, the embedded stinger continues to pump venom into the victim for a short period.
Queen honey bees have smoother stingers and can sting multiple times. Worker honey bees can also sting other insects without dying, as insect exoskeletons are not elastic enough to trap the barbs.
How Other Insects Sting Without Dying
Not all stinging insects share the honey bee’s single-sting mortality. Many other species, including bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, have stingers that are different in design. Their stingers are generally smooth and lack the barbs found on a honey bee’s stinger.
This smooth anatomy allows these insects to easily retract their stinger from a victim’s skin. They can sting multiple times without fatal injuries. Bumblebees, despite being true bees, possess this smooth stinger, distinguishing them from honey bee relatives. Wasps and hornets also utilize their smooth stingers not only for defense but sometimes to paralyze prey, demonstrating their stinger’s versatility.
Why Bees Sting in the First Place
Bees and other social stinging insects sting primarily for defense. Stinging serves as a last resort to protect themselves, their colony, or their nest from threats. Individual bees typically sting only when provoked or when their home is disturbed.
When a bee stings, it often releases alarm pheromones, chemical signals that alert other bees to the threat and draw more individuals to join the defense. The venom acts as a deterrent, inflicting pain on the aggressor.