General, however, swarms are en route to a new suitable home and are very Many people view such a cluster as dangerous. It is common to see a swarm of bees hanging in a tree. Wear light-colored clothing think of the appearance of a bee's natural enemy, the bear.Bees are aggravated by rapidly moving objects and are more likely to sting. If a bee is near you don’t swat at it.Bees are attracted to these scents and more likely to be attracted to you. Don’t use flowery perfumes, soaps, or lotions.Loud vibrations and noises can irritate a colony and can cause an attack. Be observant when using any loud equipment near a hive, especially a lawnmower.If you crush a bee it releases an alarm pheromone that signals other bees, which will respond by stinging, thereby leading to a greater and more persistent attack. Don’t swat at the bees this is an excellent way not only to aggravate the bees more but also to potentially crush them.Your clothes off this will just increase the skin area exposed for more stings. Don’t hide underwater they will just be waiting for you when you come up for air.Don’t run toward more people that is a sure-fire way to escalate the situation.Try to get into a sealed environment where they can’t gain entrance.Run steadily to safety in a straight line don’t zig-zag.Cover and protect your head use your shirt or a towel.Honey bees at nest entrance Although attacks are rare, certain precautions should be taken around a bee hive: Pheromones to relay information about the environment, including intruders. They have an excellent communication system that uses Honey bees live in large colonies with many thousands of workers. A foraging bee will not likely be the cause of a sting unless it is stepped on or mishandled.Ī more likely cause of a multiple sting attack would be the disturbance of the hive. Venom are the same and cause similar reactions.Īs mentioned, bees are unlikely to sting unless there is a good reason. This is the potential cause of the actual pain experienced after a stingĪlthough honey bee and bumble bee venoms are not identical, many of the allergens of the Phospholipase-A: this enzyme causes the breakdown of cells and disrutps many important biochemical reactions.A-Hyaluronidase: this enzyme breaks down cell components and allows toxin from the venom to spread.It binds to red blood cells and causes the release of hemoglobin into the blood plasma. Melittin: this peptide is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.The main components of bee venom that lead to pain are: Hemolytic: destruction of red blood cells.Hemorrhagic: increased permeability of the blood capillaries.Neurotoxic: paralysis of the local nervous system.One of the characteristic properties of defensive venom is its pain-producing properties Īnybody that has been stung by a bee knows this feeling well. (There is no audio, so don't worry that your speakers are turned off) Here is a video of a bee stinging someone's arm. Mechanism into the wound that does not permit multiple stings Video of a Bee Sting The honey bee stinger has jagged edges that allow for an anchoring The bumble bee stinger is smooth and allows for multiple stings. A honey bee stingerĬontinually releases venom after it is initially injected and after the stinger is detached, which is why immediate removal is recommended. Glands (the venom gland and the dufour's gland) that produce the mixed contents of the injected venom. Stinger is barbed while the bumble bee stinger is smooth and allows for repeated stings. Honey bees, unlike bumble bees, can sting only one time because their stinger becomes detached after insertion. Males therefore do not have stingers and pose no threat. The bee stinger is a modified ovipositor, although in other insects (and in queen bees) comparable structures are used for layingĮggs, in worker bees the stinger is used just for defense. This illustrates the non-aggressive behavior both groups display while foraging They are usually too busy searching for pollenĪnd nectar to be bothered by a curious observer or passerby.īoth bees are drinking nectar and neither are bothered or concerned by the Unless they are stepped on or unnecessarily aggravated. Bees that are away from the hive foraging will rarely sting Stinging insects use stingers for two main purposes: defense and predation. Of the most important steps to overcoming that fear is a better understanding of these insects. Of bees in many terrestrial ecosystems, many people have a fear of all things that sting. References and Further Reading Why and How do Bees Sting?īees are crucially important for the pollination of flowering plants including many of theįruits and vegetables we eat as well the flowers we grow in our gardens.
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