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Do bees die when they sting?

The short answer

Honeybees usually do. A worker honeybee has tiny barbs on its stinger, so in skin like ours it gets stuck and tears away when the bee flies off.

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When a honeybee stings you, it usually dies. The problem is the shape of its stinger.

Why does the stinger get stuck?

A worker honeybee has tiny barbs on its stinger, like a harpoon. In skin like ours, the barbs hook in and the stinger gets stuck.

Illustration from the video: A worker honeybee has tiny barbs on its stinger, like a harpoon.

Illustration from the video: In skin like ours, the barbs hook in and the stinger gets stuck.

Why does the bee die?

When the bee flies away, the stinger stays behind. Part of its body tears off with the stinger, and the bee dies. Wasps and bumblebees can usually sting again and again.

Illustration from the video: Part of its body tears off with the stinger, and the bee dies.

Illustration from the video: Wasps and bumblebees can usually sting again and again.

What should you do?

A honeybee stinger can keep pumping venom after the bee is gone. So scrape it out sideways right away, with a fingernail or a card. If someone struggles to breathe after a sting, call for emergency help.

Illustration from the video: So scrape it out sideways right away, with a fingernail or a card.

Illustration from the video: If someone struggles to breathe after a sting, call for emergency help.

Illustration from the video: Strangely, it smells a bit like bananas.

One more thing

A honeybee sting also releases a smell that tells other bees there is danger. Strangely, it smells a bit like bananas.

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