I’ve been asking myself, what is this protective organ, after the use of which the bee dies? This question has been asked since the time of Darwin. His explanation was as follows: the development and improvement of the bee-bearing apparatus of bees were carried out within the general evolution of the honey bee, the social structure and behavior of which reached one of the highest stages of development. The death of individuals during the sting cannot have a negative impact on bee families as biological units, and the effect of the sting on the enemies of bees is extremely effective. This is an example of an appropriate adaptation of a relative nature, interpreted by Darwin in his theory of natural selection.
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Do bees die after stinging?
Although the most developed among insects, bees bear the marks of their early origin, when their enemies were insects due to the lack of living organisms with more complex development. Therefore, their weapon is designed as a spear, with which they pierce the chitinous shell of the enemies, then inject bee venom and easily pull out their sting. After the appearance of higher organisms with elastic skin, the sting is impossible to remove from the body of the stung organism, and despite the efforts of the bee, it is easier to tear off than to be pulled out and stored in the sting apparatus. The bee flies away, and the sting together with the last abdominal member with the venom glands and parts of the intestine remains absorbed into the skin.Yes, bees do die, because after the stinging a large wound opens at the end of the abdomen and the bee dies from a hemorrhage (more precisely from an outflow of hemolymph). It is important to say, that queen bees do not die after stinging.
Here is a close up look on what exactly happens when the bee stings you and why it dies:
Bees are not the only insects that sting. In most of their related stinging wasps, the sting has no spines, so they easily pull it from the skin of mammals. Hornets, for example, can sting several times in a row. Interactions between bees and mammals have suffered important consequences. On the one hand, bee venom has improved as a factor acting on the most important and vulnerable systems of the body – the nervous and circulatory systems, and on the other hand, mammals have adapted to overcome the toxic effect by mobilizing their defenses. Acquired the qualities of a specific stimulus, able to mobilize even in minimal doses the reorganization of its immune, nervous and hormonal manifestations to preserve its vital functions and regulatory mechanisms.
The protection of stings begins from the moment the poison is introduced. An aseptic inflammatory process occurs at the site of the sting, causing swelling, redness, and pain, and the formation of a protective shaft of cells that prevents the venom from penetrating. The hyaluronidase contained in the poison causes diffusion processes and facilitates deep penetration. Then the enzyme antiinvasin appears in the blood, preventing the spread of bee venom, which is an indication of the evolutionarily adaptive reactions between bees and mammals, which include a common non-specific protective reaction – stress.
The response of the mammalian body is effective against a number of disease symptoms. This fact has been known for a long time and its purified derivatives were used to eliminate the allergenic effect of bee venom. The use of direct stings proved to be much more effective and expanded the range of diseases treated with apitoxins. At the same time, we successfully apply direct sting schemes, which we borrow from folk medicine.
The Sting
The sting apparatus is inherent in worker bees and queens, while in drones it is absent. Its purpose in these two categories of bees is different. While worker bees are a protective device against the enemies of the bee family, the mother ones are an organ for destroying other queens before or after hatching. For thousands of years, honey bees have been the only producers of honey, sweet and desirable food for both insects and all other members of the fauna, including mankind, who did not have another sweet product until the advent of white crystal sugar in the late nineteenth century. To preserve it, a complex and uninterrupted defense mechanism was needed, which arose and improved on the floor of evolution.
Extracting bee venom
In 1960, the beekeeper-innovator Ilko Lazov constructed a device for obtaining bee venom by electric shock, which left the bees unharmed. The instrument is a rectangular Getinax frame on which are stretched like guitar strings wires connected through one with a rechargeable battery. Glass tiles are inserted under them. The appliance is placed in front of the reel in the warm hours of the day. The bees caught between two wires turn on the current circuit, receive an electric shock and react by releasing a small drop of venom on the glass plate. After 1-1.5 hours, the tiles are pulled out and dried, after which the dried poison is scraped with a razor blade. Electric shock does not have a negative effect on the vital functions and productivity of bees exposed to such exposure in 3-4 days. As early as 1963, large-scale production for scientific and pharmaceutical purposes was organized in Bulgaria, and our country became the only producer and exporter of bee venom in the world.
What to do if stung by a bee
People with hypersensitivity to bee venom develop various symptoms: from local itching and swelling to an asthma attack and even to anaphylactic shock. In case of the sting of poison-sensitive, the cord should be removed immediately, the limb should be bandaged over the site of the sting, the area should be covered with 0.1% adrenaline solution and antihistamines and corticosteroids and cardiac drugs should be administered in case of vascular collapse. The antihistamine drug diphenhydramine, which suppresses the allergic reaction and is an antagonist of bee venom, is recommended.
Afterword
Even though it may sound frightening, aggressive and violent, bees are peaceful and intelligent creatures, trying to protect what’s theirs. If you respect the bee, don’t violate its privacy and don’t harass it, it won’t even bother to waste its time with you. Respect all bees, they are non-replaceable creatures. Without the bees, more than 80% of the fauna won’t be able to bloom and reproduce itself and this will have fatal consequences for our world!
Respect the bee, keep the bee!