{"id":68,"date":"2022-11-22T17:40:53","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T22:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=68"},"modified":"2022-11-22T17:40:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T22:40:56","slug":"do-honey-bees-sting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/do-honey-bees-sting\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Honey Bees Sting?
Yes, They Do
(What You Should Know)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not all bees sting. Some bees can sting but seldom do (such as bumblebees and carpenter bees). As a beekeeper, it’s the honey bees you need to pay attention to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of honey bees (the females which comprise worker bees and queens) can sting. Male honey bees (drones) do not sting. Since drones only make up about 10-15% of a colony, honey bees are considered a stinging bee.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accept the fact that you will get stung no matter how careful you are. You’ll get comfortable and visit the hives without protective gear; you won’t notice a bee that slipped up your pant leg; you’ll place your bare hand in the wrong spot. Or maybe a random bee will zing you somewhere away from the hives for no apparent reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since you will be stung (we’ve had the experience to prove it), let’s talk about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, a disclaimer. We are not doctors or medical professionals<\/strong> nor do we pretend to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you begin beekeeping we suggest you seek professional medical advice<\/strong> to determine if you are allergic to bee venom (apitoxin). A severe allergic reaction to bee stings, known as anaphylaxis, can be life threatening.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the time to understand what your bee sting risks are and how to mitigate them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do Honey Bees Sting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Self Defense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some stinging insects, like yellow jackets and hornets, may exhibit predatory behavior and can be aggressive. However, honey bees are not considered predatory<\/strong>. Honey bees sting to defend themselves and their hives if they feel threatened. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each honey bee colony has guard bees watching over the hive entrance. Their job is to repel intruders: yellow jackets, bees from other colonies…maybe even you. The danger doesn’t have to be real, only perceived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your colony works hard to gather resources and build up food stores. Any intrusion can be a threat to their survival (you were planning to take some their honey, weren’t you?) and generate a defensive response.
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Bee stinging is a defensive behavior. However, I think our perception of defensive versus aggressive behavior is related to the magnitude and duration of the bees’ response.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inadvertently putting my hand over a bee and getting stung seems pretty defensive. Having dozens of bees banging on my hood and following me long after I leave the beeyard feels more like aggression…a disproportionate response to my presence and whatever I’ve done.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Alarm Pheromones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once a threat is perceived, bees emit alarm pheromones, chemical substances that alert other bees to the threat.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If a honey bee stings, a pheromone not only signals the other bees to be on alert but attracts them to the location of the sting. One sting can to turn into many in short order as the colony rallies to the defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lone sting can be painful; a lot of stings can become a real problem even if you do not have a serious allergy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alarm pheromones are only one type of substance used by bees to communicate. Queen bees have particular queen pheromones (or queen substance) to fulfill their particular role in the hives. See our Beginners Guide To Queen Bees<\/strong><\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Stress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just like you and me, honey bees may not respond well to stress. A colony can be stressed by a variety of factors:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n