Question: Do all bees sting?
Answered by Jess Mullins
Melittologist Jess Mullins is a PhD student at the University of California San Diego
Why do bees sting?
- Bees sting when they feel threatened or when their nest is threatened.
- Only female bees can sting you because the stinger is also the body part that lays eggs, something only female bees can do.
Do all species of bees sting?
The females of most species of bees can sting you, but only if you bother them! There are some species of bees called “stingless bees” that live in the tropics of Central and South America – instead of stinging, they bite!
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Bee resources
Virtual bee exhibit from Museum of the Earth: Bees: diversity, evolution, conservation
Excellent resource on bee biology from Museum of the Earth : Bee-Ology
Macro photographs from the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab:
Comprehensive resource on honey bees from ASU Ask a Biologist: Bee Bonanza
Bee activity book about bees of Oregon and how they help make food, from foodhero.org, OSU, and other partners
Graphics: designed by Megan Strauss via Canva.com
Editors: Megan Strauss, David Brown for Mongabay Kids
*Mongabay Kids is not responsible for content published on external sites.
