The common perception that a bee will die after delivering a single sting is not true for all species. This belief stems from the highly social nature of one specific type of bee and a unique anatomical feature. The difference lies in a subtle variation in the design of the bee’s stinger, an organ that evolved from the egg-laying structure, the ovipositor, found in female insects. This variation explains why some bees sacrifice themselves in a single defensive act, while others can sting multiple times without injury.
The Honey Bee’s Unique Stinging Behavior
The only common bee species that consistently leaves its stinger embedded in a victim’s skin, leading to its death, is the female worker honey bee (Apis mellifera). This self-sacrificing act is a function of its colony-based existence, where the survival of the hive is paramount. A worker bee will rarely sting when foraging alone, but it will aggressively defend the massive population of its home.
When a threat, particularly a large mammal like a human, approaches the hive, the bee’s defense mechanism is triggered. The act of stinging releases alarm pheromones that signal other nearby worker bees to join the attack. This collective defense ensures the survival of the colony, even at the cost of the individual worker bee’s life.
The Barbed Stinger and Self-Sacrifice
The worker honey bee’s stinger is a specialized structure designed for defense against thick-skinned intruders. The stinger is composed of a stylet and two barbed lancets, which feature microscopic hooks along their length. These barbs anchor the stinger firmly in the elastic skin of mammals, making it impossible for the bee to pull it back out.
When the bee attempts to fly away, the entire stinging apparatus—including the venom sac, associated muscles, and nerves—is torn from the abdomen. This traumatic abdominal rupture, or evisceration, results in the bee’s death shortly after the sting. Even after detachment, the remaining stinger and venom sac continue to pump venom into the wound for up to a minute, maximizing the defensive effect.
Bees That Can Sting Repeatedly
Many other bee species, including bumblebees and solitary bees, do not possess the same strongly barbed stinger as the worker honey bee. Bumblebees, which are also social but have much smaller colonies, are equipped with a smoother stinger. This design allows them to easily withdraw the stinger after use and sting repeatedly.
The ability to sting multiple times is common among species with less defensive pressure, such as solitary bees like the leafcutter or mason bee. These solitary bees live alone and do not have a large hive full of resources to defend, so they are generally less aggressive toward humans. They reserve their stinger for paralyzing prey or defense against severe threats. The queen honey bee is also an exception; her stinger is smoother than the worker’s, and she can sting repeatedly, though she typically only uses it to eliminate rival queens.