Why does bees die when they sting

Not all species of bees can actually sting you. First off, male bees in any species cannot sting as only females have the bodily anatomy to do so.

A honey bees stinger is made up of two barbed lancets, meaning when they sting, the stinger cannot be pulled out again. The stinger is attached to the bees digestive tract, so subsequently the entire digestive system, muscles, and nerves are pulled out, which is what causes the death of the bee. Although this seems a pointless evolutionary feature, by leaving the nerves behind, they continue to coordinate muscle contractions, to ensure the stinger goes deeper into the surface and venom continues to be pumped into the skin.

After you remove the stinger with the edge of a fingernail, there will be a few home remedies for a bee sting to choose from, including:. Honey — rub a little bit of honey onto the affected area and cover with a loose bandage.

The redness and swelling will subside after an hour. Toothpaste — this remedy is readily available in all homes so is a popular way of dealing with a bee sting. In addition, I hear of many well intentioned efforts to 'rescue' bumble bees after finding them actually resulting in a stinging incident because of well-intentioned mis-handling.

There are times when your intervention can help a bumble bee in difficulty, and there are times when it is best to leave them alone. See my page about rescuing bees trapped in spider webs. In bumble bees, the stinger is smooth. This means that if you are stung by a bumble bee, the stinger will not become stuck in your skin, and so the bee will not die. However, whichever the species, stings can be more dangerous if they occur around the throat, eyes, nasal passages or inside the ear - especially in children.

Some people have very severe and rarely, very serious allergies to bee stings and wasp stings. Where there is a risk of very serious reaction such as anaphylactic shock , an Epi-pen should be carried. For further information, see my page ' Do Bumble Bees Bite '. Some bee species are known to use their mandibles in a biting action, for example, whilst they are constructing their nests widening nest entrances, biting materials. However, bees do not bite humans.

There are several varieties of bees you may notice near your home, including honey bees , bumble bees and carpenter bees. All of these bees do sting, although typically only if they feel threatened.

All stinging bees are females because the stinger is actually a modified ovipositor. Bumble bees and carpenter bees have smooth stingers and are capable of stinging multiple times without dying.

Fortunately, they are both relatively docile species. For honey bees, on the other hand, stinging is typically fatal. This is because, unlike other species, honey bees have barbed stingers. These can get stuck in the skin of animals, including humans. When the bee flies away, the stinger is left behind, effectively disemboweling the insect and causing it to die. Honey bee stingers will continue to pump venom into their victim after the bee is gone. For most people, stings are painful and irritating, but they are not generally dangerous.

According to the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy , the average person who is not allergic can tolerate 10 stings for every pound of body weight, and most people can tolerate up to 1, stings. Pain from some bee stings is caused by an acidic compound in their venom called melittin. This activates pain receptors. Most people who are stung will also experience some degree of swelling caused by histamines.

For people with allergies, though, bee stings can prove dangerous, or even fatal though rare.