The sting of bees and that of the queen bee: differences

The sting of bees is a structure typical of female individuals.

It is used by these animals as a defense weapon for the protection of the colony . The drones, or males of the hive, do not possess this organ and are therefore unable to defend themselves. As for the queen, on the other hand, in her case, the sting is used for very different purposes. Let's analyze the topic in detail.

Why a bee stings

Bees are meticulous and hardworking insects. The element that most distinguishes them is that their strength is constituted by the group as a whole. They live in very numerous swarms . The larger the family, the stronger the hive. For this reason, bees are very keen on the protection of the colony and above all on the survival and protection of their queen bee that lives inside the hive. Their union and collaboration gives life to one of the most surprising mechanisms in the entire animal kingdom.

If you are wondering why bees sting, the main reason is always related to defense or to protect themselves or the hive. But is the sting also a tool of attack as well as defense? In the case of queen bees, yes, as they use it to attack rivals and gain the role of sovereign. As for worker bees, on the other hand, it is rare that one of them can sting except for defense reasons.

Protection of the hive

A bee stings for several reasons, the first is certainly when she feels endangered or threatened. As for the protection of the hive , there are bees that only perform this task and are referred to as guardian bees . They are positioned at the entrance to the hive and have the task of guarding the hive. There are many cases in which bees are attacked by predators, external aggressors interested in their honey or in some cases even by bees from other hives.

Does the bee die after using the stinger?

The sting is associated with a complex chemical laboratory, i.e. glands that produce a poisonous substance to inject to the victim. The sting of bees is not always visible, but is everted only in case of danger and when the bee is about to use it. Normally it is found in the so-called sting chamber, a sort of pocket located in the abdomen. Going deeper into its particular structure, we can easily notice three distinct parts: a stylet and two hands.

But do bees die after using the stinger? The answer is that this is not always the case, but this happens when the bee has to do with man. In fact, bees die when they pierce human skin with their sting. This happens because unlike other species to which bees are accustomed, we have an elastic epidermis that does not allow the bees to retract the stinger once inserted into the skin. For this reason, the sting remains attached to us and detaches itself from the bee's body causing it to die as a result.

This does not happen for example when a bee stings another insect. In this case the sting can be extracted from the victim without problems and does not get stuck, the bee in this way injects the venom stinging but continues to survive.

Queen bee and worker bees: the sting is very different

The queen bees and the worker bees have a completely different sting which is also used for different functions. In the case of worker bees, it is serrated and slightly curved in such a way as to deeply injure the victim in which it will be stabbed. Its use is limited solely as a defense weapon .

In the case of queen bees, however, the sting is straight and smooth. The queen uses this tool for spawning . Unlike all the bees in the hive, the queen is the only one able to reproduce. Her sting is used to introduce the eggs into the cells the hive. In addition to this, however, the queen also uses it to fight with her rival for the duel that will determine the role of queen. Bees usually breed more than one queen and by the time the larvae arrive at the adult state, only one remains which will be decreed thanks to the death fight based on the strongest.

Queen bee and reproduction

As already mentioned, the queen bee is the only bee in the swarm that can be fertile and can produce eggs. The entire functioning of the hive depends on the queen. It is no coincidence that all the other bees do their utmost to guarantee the sovereign always optimal health and proper nourishment so that she can reproduce as efficiently as possible. A swarm without a queen would have a very short duration as without the production of new individuals, the family would not survive for long.

Buy bees online

Are you a beekeeper? Do you need bees queens , cores , bee packs or swarms ? Buy directly online! Apicoltura Laterza sends its bees through professional and fast methods throughout Italy but also throughout Europe! Buy now! You can check the availability of api in real time by clicking here .