Are bees aware about the consequences of using their stinger on a large target? Consequently, are they aware that stinging smaller animals won’t cause them to die?

Question

Do they instinctively “know” they will die by stinging a human?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Actually this doesn’t happen [with all animals](https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2017/09/04/bee-careful/). Our and some other animals skin happens to be just about right for the barb to get stuck. I’ve also read that bees can remove themselves without perishing if given enough time (they spin and slowly get the barbs out) but our usual response is to brush them away so they don’t get the chance to do this.

Given it doesn’t happen with all animals, bees probably don’t expect it. But they probably encounter animals where their stinger won’t get stuck more often than they encounter humans and other animals where it does get stuck. They probably have to defend from other animals more often than humans.