How a bee stinger works

How a bee stinger works

A bee sting is the wound and pain caused by the stinger of a female bee puncturing skin. Bee stings differ from insect bites, with the venom of stinging insects having considerable chemical variation. The reaction of a person to a bee sting may vary according to the bee species. While bee stinger venom is slightly acidic and causes only mild pain in most people, allergic reactions may occur in people with allergies to venom components.

Stinging insects use stingers for two main purposes: defense and predation. Honey bees and bumble bees use their stingers strictly for defense. Bees that are away from the hive foraging will rarely sting unless they are stepped on or unnecessarily aggravated. They are usually too busy searching for pollen and nectar to be bothered by a curious observer or passerby

https://beespotter.org/topics/stings/