ANSWERS: 6
  • Yes and no - bumble bees aren't very aggressive, but if you agitate them enough they will in fact sting you.
  • I heard a rumor that they are biters, not stingers. DISCLAIMER: The relyability of my sources is questionable. a BUMBLEBEE is not a bee. I am a beekeeper. I have been stung. A lot.
  • No, it's not true. Not quite. Most bumblebees will sting if they believe themselves to be threatened. Bumblebee drones, however, have no stinger and cannot sting you. Drones are not born until mid-summer, so any bumblebee you see earlier in the season can sting. From mid-summer on, you are safe from the drones. That said, I'm not about to inspect every bumblebee that bumbles my way, so treating them all with a bit of respect is a good idea. Their sting is just as painful as a honeybee's - that one that flew under my shirt and was unhappy about being there certainly smarted. They are a very beneficial little creature to have around your garden and their presence should never be discouraged.
  • No. Bumblebees, queens and workers can sting and they can sting more than once. Their sting is not barbed like that of the honeybee that can sting only once. Male bumblebees cannot sting. Bumblebees usually only sting when their nest is threatened. Bzzzzzzzz. Edit - Bumble bees do not loose their sting and die if they use it, as a honeybee will. “It is well-known that honey bees have barbed stingers, and that they are only able to sting once: when the sting goes into skin, the barb holds it inside, and when the bee pulls away, the stinger is torn from its body. This is “only true” for worker honey bees: queen bees do not have barbed stingers, and neither do bumble bees or solitary bees”. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/wasps/bees/bees.htm
  • No bumblebees do sting if you manage to irratate them enough. They normally wouldn't harm you for no reason though unless you provoke them.
  • Try sitting on one. Trust me, you will find out that that statement is as true as this flower getting up and watching Barney. Kay?

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