Bumblebees are one of the most common bees found across North America and Europe. With their large fuzzy bodies bumblebees may appear intimidating. So an obvious question arises – can a bumble bee actually sting you?
The short answer is yes, bumblebees can and will sting if provoked. However, bumblebees are not aggressive insects. They will generally ignore humans and only sting as a last means of defense.
How a Bumble Bee Sting Works
Only female bumblebees have stingers. The stinger is a modified egg-laying device. When a female bumblebee stings she injects venom through her stinger into the victim.
Bumblebee stingers do not have barbs like honeybees. This means that when a bumblebee stings, its stinger remains intact. The bee can then pull out the stinger and safely fly away.
This is different from honeybees, whose barbed stingers get stuck in the victim’s skin when they try to fly away. This rips out part of the honeybee’s abdomen, leading to its death
Signs of a Bumble Bee Sting
If a bumblebee stings you, you will experience immediate pain and swelling at the sting site. Some other symptoms include:
- Redness
- Itching
- Mild burning sensation
In most cases, a bumblebee sting induces a minor localized reaction. The swelling and pain typically go away within a few hours.
Preventing Bumble Bee Stings
Bumblebees rarely sting without provocation. You can prevent getting stung by:
- Not swatting at bumblebees if they fly near you
- Not disturbing or going near bumblebee nests or hives
- Remaining calm and still if a bumblebee lands on you
- Wearing light-colored clothing outdoors
- Avoiding heavily perfumed products like perfumes, soaps, etc.
Treating a Bumble Bee Sting
In most cases, a bumblebee sting can be treated at home:
- Wash the sting area with soap and water to remove venom.
- Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling.
- Take an oral antihistamine containing diphenhydramine to relieve itching.
- Apply hydrocortisone cream to soothe skin irritation.
- Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to alleviate pain.
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience signs of anaphylaxis like breathing difficulties, chest tightness, wheezing, etc. You should also call a doctor if the sting site shows signs of infection.
While bumblebee stings can be painful, they are rarely dangerous for healthy adults. Give bumblebees their space and admire them from afar and you can happily coexist with these essential pollinators.
Bumble Bees – The Fuzziest of Them All
Bumblebees are another kind of social bee that live together in nests. They are hairy and black, with yellow bands that go around them. Their bodies are ¾ inch longer and rounder than honeybees’.
Do bumblebees sting you?
Their female workers and queens do have stingers, but unlike honeybees, if they sting, they wont die. Becoming a bumblebee is easy because their stingers don’t have any barbs that can get stuck in the skin.
Yet, bumblebees rarely sting as they are not aggressive. Unless you are threatening or swatting one near you, you are unlikely to get stung as the RSPB instructs us.
The Humble Honeybee
Honeybees are known as social insects as they live in hives with other bees. Their abdomens are larger than their heads and are either black or brown with bits of yellow.
Do honeybees sting?
Yes, female honeybees do have stingers and they are the only bees that die straight after stinging. This is because they have barbed stingers that hook into the skin, which takes the bees digestive tract, nerves and muscles with it when it pulls away.
But honeybees (or any bees) do not want to sting you.
So why do bees sting?
Bees sting if you appear as a threat and their only option is to sacrifice themselves to protect the colony. As the entomologist, Emily Sadler states, bees who are seeking pollen and nectar are unlikely to sting because fleeing is easier. Fighting a possible threat takes time and energy she could be putting into foraging, and, for honeybees, death is a sure fact after stinging.
What Does a Bumble Bee Sting Look Like
FAQ
What happens if a bumblebee stings you?
Is a bumblebee sting worse than a honey bee?
What kind of bee does not sting?
Do large bumble bees sting?
Are bumble bee stings dangerous?
Bumble bee stings are rarely deadly, though they can cause potentially lethal anaphylactic reactions in people who are highly allergic to their venom. Even if you aren’t allergic, you’ll likely experience minor, localized symptoms if you are stung by a bumble bee. Such stings tend to cause the following symptoms:
Will the burning stop after a bee sting?
Yes, most definitely, the burning sensation after a bee sting will decrease and go away completely in a few hours. The redness may last for a few days, and the swelling around the sting area may also take a few days to completely resolve. But the burning sensation should resolve soon.
Can a bumblebee sting a honeybee?
Bumblebee skin is not as elastic as the honeybee’s, so the stinger may simply break off without pulling half of the bee with it. It doesn’t regrow, though, and the bee will never sting again. Fortunately, that’s not a big issue for the bumblebee, as she rarely uses it anyway. Do Bumblebee Stings Hurt?
Do bumble bees have stingers?
While both bumble bees and honey bees have stingers, there are some notable differences between their stings. Bumble bees can sting multiple times without losing their stinger, whereas honey bees have barbed stingers that get lodged in the skin upon stinging, causing the bee to die.
Can a bumble bee sting cause suffocation?
For most people, reactions to a bumble bee sting on the hand or body disappear quickly. However, no matter which type of bee delivered the sting, a sting in the mouth or throat can be highly dangerous. As mentioned above, bee stings can cause allergic reactions and swelling. The allergic reaction and swelling can cause suffocation.
Can bumble bees sting multiple times without losing their stinger?
Bumble bees can sting multiple times without losing their stinger, whereas honey bees have barbed stingers that get lodged in the skin upon stinging, causing the bee to die. Additionally, honey bee stings are known to be more painful compared to bumble bee stings.