- NEW!
by notmrjohn on May 13th, 2005
Honey bees die after stinging.
The "stinger" is an undeveloped sex organ. Worker bees are undeveloped females, who will develop no further. In the fully developed female or queen bee the stinger is the ovipositor (egg depositing tube) connected to her ovaries, it's just a smooth sharp tube. In the fully developed male, or drone, it's the equivalent of a penis, but it's not smooth it has barbs on it and after he mates the barbs hang up in the queen and it gets ripped out of his body, family jewels and all. He dies from the injury, the queen absorbs his "testicles" and they become part of her body, she never has to mate again. In the workers the tube is also barbed, it's connected to poison glands that would be ovaries if she was sexually matured. When she stings the barbs cause the stinger, glands and all, to be ripped from her body, she dies from the injury. That's why you never use tweezers to remove a bee stinger, that will squeeze the attached poison glands and inject more poison,. Try to "flick" it out with a finger nail or even a credit card. ( Then use the card to buy anti-histamines.) Some other bees also die after stinging. Wasps do not, and I can tell you from experience that bumble bees do not. I was laying shingles and angered a hive of bumble bees in my roof, my roof? I can link you to a bunch of sites that say bumble bees nest at or under ground level. I did not attempt to debate the apparent discrepancy , I slid down that ladder like butter on a hot skillet. In one direction was the front yard and the door into the house, in the other direction a dead end corner. Them bumbles done me up right good before I got out of that corner, they grabbed a holt of my socks and just crawled in circles around my ankles. Stinging and stinginging and stinginginging and not one expiring. You think your granny has swollen ankles? I had to get out my bell bottom Levis to get past my ankles, but I never did get them past my waist, they musta shrunk over the years since the age of Aquarius. For sure them bees never heard of the era of peace, love, and happiness. Bummer.
How deep is a honey comb cell?
by Answerbag Staff on January 7th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
What is beeswax used for?
by Answerbag Staff on June 1st, 2010
| 1 person likes this
If a guy you didn't like was hiding from a swarm of bees, would you point to his hiding place hoping the bees would find him?
by Kenz the Frenz on January 13th, 2012
| 3 people like this
Do carpenter bees breathe?
by Answerbag Staff on May 29th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
What do you like about bumblebees?
by AnonymousGirl on October 17th, 2011
| 5 people like this
You're reading Do some bees really die after they sting or is this a myth?
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
hahahahaha!!....I mean...I'm very sorry to hear of your unfortunate accident, nasty little bees! Great answer, thanks! :-)
by Daydreamer on May 13th, 2005
tres cool
by go_to_hellas on May 13th, 2005
Bell bottoms or the bee sting, which is worse? Ha ha ha ha Good answer
by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on May 14th, 2005
Quality informative answer and a funny but painful annecdote - excellent
by cambsman on May 16th, 2005
LMAO! Sorry about misfortune, but was very informative!
by dupasue on May 19th, 2005
lots of info. thanks :)
by RedSAK on June 21st, 2005
LOL -On the news I saw a woman in her car and whole car covered by bees. OMG I think I'd panic.
by Alatea on February 9th, 2006
OHHH so thats why my wife called her ex her little stupid honeybee
by RJTRIES on March 8th, 2006
Excellent and accurate answer. Great that you put in some humor too! (It WAS humor about those bellbottoms...right?)
by ptrask on September 5th, 2006