When Honey Bees Sting: How to Stay Safe as a Beekeeper

Honey bees exhibit a defensive behavior when they perceive a threat to their hive. Beekeepers, despite their efforts to manage hives carefully, are not immune to bee stings. The bees’ instinct to protect their hive and queen can lead them to sting intruders, including beekeepers. However, experienced beekeepers often develop techniques to minimize agitation and use protective clothing to reduce the likelihood of stings. Despite these precautions, the possibility of stinging incidents remains a part of beekeeping.

In the below paragraphs, we will take a more detailed look at this topic.

For some unknown reason, it seems like human beings have a natural aversion to insects. How many individuals are afraid of bees for no other reason than a secondary fear of being stung? The fear is so prevalent that some cannot imagine taking up beekeeping. They find themselves wondering, do honey bees sting beekeepers?

In a word, yes. However, understand that being stung is not the norm for beekeepers. It is not like they get dozens of stings every time they open a hive. The most experienced beekeepers can go years without a single sting. Just because bees can sting their keepers does not mean they will.

Why Bees Might Sting

A bee’s stinger is a defense mechanism. Stingers are built into bees to give them a fighting chance against predators. In that sense, they are no different than any other creature with built-in defenses. Where bees have stingers, elk have antlers. It is really just a matter of survival.

With that in mind, ask yourself why bees might sting. The simplest way to explain it is that they feel threatened. If a colony of bees has any reason to believe that the hive could be in trouble, they prepare to defend it. Mounting a proper defense might mean stinging anyone or anything that comes too close.

Honey bees don’t actively look to sting experienced beekeepers who know what they are doing. An experienced beekeeper knows how to manipulate a hive without creating a threatening situation. If there is any reason to suspect that a colony will be unusually aggressive, a beekeeper might resort to smoking the hive.

Smoking tricks bees into thinking that a forest fire is approaching. The bees gorge themselves on honey, slowing them down and making it difficult to fly. They are less likely to sting under such circumstances.

Only Females Have Stingers

Honey bees are like most other bee species in the sense that only the females sting. And even at that, it’s just the workers. This does not mean that drones (males) are useless when it comes to defending the hive. Quite to the contrary. Drones are very good about buzzing about and warning targets to stay away.

Getting back to the females, their stingers are actually comprised of two barbed lancets. Once inserted into the flash of a target, the bee’s abdomen begins injecting venom. That venom is generally not deadly to human beings. It can cause pain lasting anywhere from a couple of hours to several days, but that’s about it. The exception are people allergic to bee stings. A single sting could cause such a person to suffer anaphylactic shock.

Honey Bees Are Reluctant to Sting

When it comes to honey bees stinging their beekeepers, the latter has an advantage: honey bees are reluctant to sting. They only do so when absolutely necessary. Why? Because a worker bee will die after stinging a target. Would you be reluctant to attack if you knew doing so would kill you?

Despite being able to sting, honey bees have a big problem in that the barbs in their lancets will not come out once embedded. So a bee stings and then tries to fly away. She ends up ripping her own body apart in the process. The abdominal rupture kills her. Meanwhile, she leaves behind the stinger, part of her abdomen, some muscles, and nerves.

The interesting thing is that the muscles left behind continue to stimulate the stinger for a few minutes. They can drive the stinger deeper into the flash and continue releasing venom at the same time. That’s why it’s important to remove the stinger as quickly as possible.

One Sting Can Lead to Another

Though bees are reluctant to sting, beekeepers have to be aware that one sting can lead to another. A single sting results in the release of pheromones from the bee’s sting chamber. Those pheromones tell other bees that there is a problem. Thus, a beekeeper who accidentally instigates a single sting could find them self up against a number of angry bees.

This explains why beekeepers wear protective clothing. While the likelihood of being stung is minimal, the chances of experiencing repeated stings after upsetting just one bee are pretty high. Things are a bit riskier in the spring when bees are busy working to re-establish their hives after a long winter.

Beekeepers familiar with all of this know that their bees can sting them. They also know that being stung is generally not a big deal. When honey bees do sting beekeepers, it is because they feel threatened. So the keeper’s number one priority is to learn how to handle their hives in a non-threatening manner. Doing so will keep stings to a minimum.

Beekeeping Disclaimer:

Beekeeping, like any agricultural activity, involves inherent risks. It is important to understand these risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate them.

Potential risks associated with beekeeping include:

1. Bee stings: Honey bees are generally not aggressive but can become defensive if they feel threatened or their hive is disturbed. Bee stings can cause allergic reactions or even anaphylaxis in some individuals, which can be life-threatening. It is important to wear protective clothing and follow best practices when handling bees to minimize the risk of stings.
2. Diseases and pests: Bees can be vulnerable to various diseases and pests, including mites, viruses, and bacterial infections. These can have significant impacts on bee colonies, leading to reduced honey production or even colony collapse. It is important to monitor hives regularly and take appropriate measures to prevent and treat diseases and pests.
3. Weather conditions: Extreme weather conditions, such as drought or cold temperatures, can affect the health and productivity of bee colonies. It is important to ensure that hives are appropriately sheltered and provided with adequate food and water.
4. Environmental hazards: Bees can be affected by environmental hazards such as pesticide exposure, pollution, and habitat loss. It is important to be aware of these hazards and take appropriate measures to protect bee colonies and promote healthy environments for bees.
5. Legal requirements: Beekeeping may be subject to local, state, or national regulations, such as registration or inspection requirements. It is important to be aware of these requirements and comply with them.

While beekeeping can be a rewarding and enjoyable activity, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate them. By following best practices and staying informed about the latest developments in beekeeping, beekeepers can help ensure the health and productivity of their hives and contribute to the well-being of bee populations worldwide.

Last update on 2024-04-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API