Whether it be solitary bees or honey bees, there are hardly any doubts that these little insects can cause a world of pain!However, there is hardly any merit to the perception that all bees sting or that all bee stings are equally painful.Humans often have the misconception that all bees live in large hives and sting whenever they have a human or animal in sight. The truth, however, is that bees only sting when they feel threatened. Additionally, species like the solitary bee never live in colonies. Read on for more facts!If you enjoy reading this article, why not also check out bumblebee vs honeybee and bee life cycle here at Kidadl!What kinds of bees do not sting?Bee species, such as honey bees and bumblebees, are only fun to watch from a safe distance since these insects tend to pose a threat of stinging or biting. If you have been a victim of a rather painful bee sting and would like to defend yourself against any typically dangerous bee species from hereon, you will be glad to know that there are only a few bees that will sting you. In fact, it is rather interesting to note that only sterile female bees sting. This is because a bee’s stinger is actually an ovipositor. An ovipositor is a body organ through which female bees lay eggs. Male bees and wasps, on the other hand, do not have stingers as an evolutionary rule. Hence, there is no chance that a male wasp or bee will ever sting you!There are also some species of bees and wasps that do not sting. On the other hand, they compensate for their lack of a stinger with a swelling-and-blister-causing bite! Both males and females of such species are able to bite a person or animal.Do all bumblebee species sting?Not all bumblebees that live in nests around your house can be classified as ones that sting. The males of the nests spend most of their days foraging through meadows in search of nectar and pollen. It is, in fact, only females that have stingers and would attack in an attempt to protect their nests.If the question, however, is whether or not all the females of each bumble bee species are likely to sting, the answer is yes. It is, in fact, the job of a worker female bumblebee to protect her egg-laying queen and the rest of the colony whenever her house is threatened by humans or other animals.Do all bees die after stinging?There is a common misconception that all bees and wasps die after they have stung an animal. However, the reality is very different. Some bee species have barbed stingers that get ripped off when the insect stings an animal that has thick skin. Since the stingers in all female workers and the queen bee are attached internally to the digestive tract, a portion of their organs get ripped off and remain in the animal’s skin and flesh after the attack has been finished. Hence, bee stings are fatal for these insects. For example, honeybees, particularly the workers of the nest, are likely to die a short while after they have launched an attack on any hard-skinned animal.On the other hand, there are some species of bees, such as bumblebees and carpenter bees, that have smooth stingers. Hence, you may be stung by these species of bees more than just once. A smooth stinger ensures that the attacking worker bee is able to survive throughout many strikes.Are all bee stings dangerous?If you are anywhere too close to bee nests and if any of the worker bees think of you as a threat, there is a chance that workers may call for help and launch a full-blown attack on you. While your first reaction may be pain from the attack, there is hardly any merit to that assumption. Species such as stingless bees cannot even sting in the first place. It’s not just the male stingless bees that do not have a stinger, and hence, you may be able to get away with just a small painful bite.Some bee stings release a venom that is unlikely to show any major symptoms other than pain. Only about 3% of adult humans tend to show fatal allergic reactions towards bee stings. If you are unaware of any such allergic tendencies, there is a chance that you will be able to walk away from the nest mostly unharmed.How can you avoid bee stings?Bees and wasps only attack when they feel like their nest is being threatened by an external source. Honeybees and other such colony-making male bees often lack the stingers that everyone is scared of. Hence, the best idea is to stay away from female honey bees and their nests at all times. In case you are wondering, a female honey bee can easily be recognized through its pollen sack at the back of its legs and its sharp stinger.In fact, even pet owners collect honey by calming the entire hive of bees with smoke. This allows them to extract as much honey as required while the honeybees are unsuspecting.There are also a number of repellants that will let you avoid honey bees, bumblebees, and even solitary bees. If these repellants aren’t anywhere to be found, the best thing to do is to not smell like nectar. A bee or wasp is likely to get attracted towards you if you smell like honey or flower nectar!Tips for Bee RemovalIf there is a hive that has recently come to your attention, make sure to call pest control.It is best to protect the queens and workers of the hive whilst also making sure that you are not stung in the process. Additionally, never forget that these insects give us the honey that we love so much!Helping BeesSterile females and males of the nests are helping bees or worker bees.The responsibility of these bees is to make sure that queens are taken care of. They also help in the collection of nectar and scattering of pollen in nature!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Do all bees sting?’ then why not take a look at ‘Bees nest’, or ‘Bee facts’.
Whether it be solitary bees or honey bees, there are hardly any doubts that these little insects can cause a world of pain!
