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Harris County Beekeepers Association |
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Yes, but a honey bee will usually only sting for one of two reasons; the first is in defense of her home – the bee hive – containing unborn young and food stores. The continuation of her species is dependent on her ability to thwart the wanton destruction of her home by humans and animals so, do not be surprised when she vigorously defends it. The second reason a honey bee may sting is if she is injured or frightened. Lastly, a honey bee will sting only as a last resort to defend her home or herself, because unlike other stinging insects, i.e., yellow jackets, wasps, and hornets, stinging leads to a painful death for the honey bee. The honey bee’s stinger contains microscopic barbs; once the stinger is inserted into flesh of her attacker, the honey bee cannot withdraw the stinger without severing part of her intestines and dying shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, honey bees are often falsely accused of stinging humans, when the true perpetrator was a “yellow jacket”. |
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Do honey bees sting? |
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The article “What is in a bee sting” explains the dynamics of a bee sting. |
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Have you ever wondered why a bee sting hurts? |
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The “City of Bees” explains the inhabitants of the hive as well as it functions on a daily basis. Click the arrow on the video below to view a close-up inside a hive. |
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What’s it like inside a bee hive? |
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The only way to positively differentiate an Africanized honey bee (AB) from any other honey bee is with microscopic examination by a professional entomologist. |
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Beekeeping FAQ |
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“Swarming” is a natural occurrence among honey bees. To be more specific, a honey bee colony has split itself in half and one half has left the hive to begin a new colony in a different location. There are many reasons for swarming – the hive has become overpopulated and congested; the colony has become diseased or is starving, or in some instances natural causes such as a forest fire may prompt the entire colony to swarm. The purpose of the act of swarming, no matter what the cause, is to perpetuate species. |
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Why do bees swarm? |
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How do you differentiate Africanized honey bees from other honey bees? |