Why do bees sting even though they would die after?
In: Biology
Hey, finally something I can answer since I’m a beekeeper. The Western Honey Bee is what I keep, so my answer is specific to that species. Broadly speaking, the important units in bees are the hives or families, not individual workers, so the loss of some of them is not particularly impactful. To be specific, during the “season,” broadly April to mid-September in my climate, the average worker lives only two to four weeks. Thus, any losses, as long as the Queen and some number of attendants to actually care for the eggs remain, can be made good with human support. Since the Queen does not leave the hive except at the beginning of her life a couple of times, she does not use her stinger for defensive purposes. She only uses it as a weapon in dealing with other larvae that would develop into queens until only one remains.
Latest Answers