A common belief is that all bees perish after a single sting. However, this perception doesn’t capture the diverse stinging behaviors across bee species. The reality is more nuanced, as different bee types have distinct stinger anatomies dictating single or multiple stings. Understanding these differences provides insight into the complex defense mechanisms these insects have evolved.
The Honey Bee: A Single Sting
The worker honey bee (primarily Apis mellifera) is commonly associated with a single, fatal sting. Its stinger possesses backward-pointing barbs, similar in design to a harpoon. When stinging elastic skin, these barbs firmly anchor the stinger within the tissue.
As the bee attempts to pull away, the barbed stinger remains embedded, tearing from its abdomen. This detachment results in a massive abdominal rupture, leading to the bee’s death shortly after stinging. The venom sac and associated muscles often remain attached to the detached stinger, continuing to pump venom into the wound for several minutes. This self-sacrificing act serves as a defense for the entire honey bee colony, signaling danger and deterring larger threats, even at the cost of an individual worker bee’s life.
Other Bees: Multiple Stings
In contrast to worker honey bees, many other bee species possess stingers that allow them to sting repeatedly without suffering fatal injury. Bumblebees, for instance, have smooth stingers that lack significant barbs, enabling them to withdraw their stinger easily after use. This design means they can deliver multiple stings if provoked or if their nest is disturbed.
Carpenter bees also fall into this category, with females capable of stinging multiple times because their stingers are not barbed in a way that causes them to get stuck. Similarly, many solitary bees, such as mason bees and leafcutter bees, also have smooth stingers, allowing for repeated use. These bees are generally less aggressive than honey bees defending a communal hive, typically only stinging when directly handled or their immediate space is threatened. Even queen honey bees, while possessing a barbed stinger like workers, have smaller, smoother barbs that allow them to retract their stinger and sting multiple times, primarily against rival queens.
The Stinger: Barbs and Design
The fundamental difference in stinging behavior among bee species lies in the microscopic structure of their stingers. A bee’s stinger is comprised of a central stylus and two barbed lancets. In worker honey bees, the prominent, backward-facing barbs on these lancets create a one-way traction system. Once inserted into elastic skin, these barbs dig in, making it exceedingly difficult for the bee to pull the stinger back out. The force required to retract a barbed stinger from fibrous tissue is significantly higher than the force needed for insertion, leading to the stinger’s detachment and the bee’s evisceration.
Conversely, bees that can sting multiple times, such as bumblebees and carpenter bees, have stingers with either very small, insignificant barbs or entirely smooth lancets. This smooth design allows for easy penetration and effortless retraction from the victim’s skin. The ability to retract the stinger means the bee’s internal organs remain intact, enabling it to survive the encounter and sting again if necessary. This anatomical distinction reflects different evolutionary pressures, where the honey bee’s barbed stinger maximizes colony defense, while a smooth stinger prioritizes individual survival.