Glossary
The defensive action of a honey bee worker inserting her barbed stinger into a perceived threat, injecting a mixture of proteins (apitoxin) that causes pain, redness, and swelling. The barbed stinger tears from the bee's body after stinging, killing her.
Bee stings are purely defensive. A forager bee visiting flowers has no interest in stinging anyone; doing so kills her. Stings occur when bees perceive a direct threat to the colony: a beekeeper manipulating frames, a person swatting at bees near the hive entrance, an animal stepping on a forager in the grass, or rapid movement and dark colors near the hive (which bees may associate with bears, their natural predators).
When a worker bee stings a mammal, her barbed stinger lodges in the thick skin and cannot be withdrawn. As she pulls away, the stinger, venom sac, and associated muscles tear from her abdomen. She dies within minutes. The venom sac continues to pump venom into the wound after separation, which is why removing the stinger quickly is important. This kamikaze defense mechanism means every sting is a one-time sacrifice for the colony's protection.
Bee venom is a complex mixture of proteins and peptides. The primary pain-causing component is melittin, which makes up about 50% of the venom by dry weight. Phospholipase A2 triggers an inflammatory response. Histamine contributes to swelling and itching. In total, bee venom contains at least 18 active compounds that produce the familiar sting reaction: immediate sharp pain, followed by redness, swelling, and itching that can last 1 to 3 days.
For a normal sting reaction, remove the stinger as quickly as possible (scrape it with a fingernail or credit card rather than pinching it, which can squeeze more venom in). Apply ice to reduce swelling, and take an antihistamine if itching is severe. The discomfort typically subsides within a few hours, though localized swelling can persist for a couple of days.
Seek emergency medical help if you experience symptoms of anaphylaxis: difficulty breathing, throat swelling, dizziness, rapid pulse, or a rash spreading beyond the sting site. Anaphylaxis is rare (affecting roughly 1-2% of the population) but life-threatening. People with known severe bee allergies should carry an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) at all times.
Scrape the stinger sideways with a fingernail, credit card, or flat edge. Do not pinch or squeeze it with tweezers, as this can inject more venom from the attached venom sac. Speed matters more than technique: remove it as fast as possible to minimize the venom dose.
Only female worker bees sting, and only in defense. Drones (male bees) have no stinger. The queen has a stinger but uses it almost exclusively against rival queens. Foraging bees away from the hive are extremely unlikely to sting unless stepped on or swatted.
Regular exposure to bee stings can reduce the severity of local reactions over time, a phenomenon beekeepers experience firsthand. However, for a small percentage of people, repeated stings can actually increase the risk of developing a systemic allergic reaction. Venom immunotherapy (allergy shots) is available for those with confirmed severe bee sting allergies.
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