Do bees die when they sting you?

Honey bees do, indeed, die after they sting you, but bumble bees and other bees, hornets, and wasps can sting you and live to sting another day. The Purpose of Bee Venom The original purpose of the bee's stinger element (called an ovipositor) in parasitical bees is to lay eggs in largely unwilling invertebrate hosts, and venom secretions are intended to temporarily or permanently paralyze the host. read more

By EarthSky in Earth | June 23, 2011 When a honeybee stings, it can’t pull out the barbed stinger – so leaves it behind, along with part of its digestive tract, muscles and nerves. read more

It leaves behind not only the stinger, but also part of its abdomen and digestive tract, plus muscles and nerves. This massive abdominal rupture kills the honey bee. Honey bees are the only bees to die after stinging. Treatment. The first step in treatment following a bee sting is removal of the stinger itself. read more

Solitary bees, bumblebees, and wasps do not die when they sting you. Why Honey Bees Die When They Sting In honey bee workers, the stinger has fairly large, backward-facing barbs on the lancets. read more