Science Photo of the Day
Submitted by rkrampf on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 00:18
What is the difference between being stung by a wasp and being stung by a honeybee?
Marvelous, as usual. When a honeybee stings a human, its barbed stinger gets stuck in our tough hide. That rips the stinger out of the bee, killing it. The stinger also continues to pump toxins, even after it has ripped loose from the bee.
On the other hand, wasps have much smaller barbs on their stingers, letting them sting, sting again, and fly away to sting another day. That is a good thing (for the wasps), because they usually live in much smaller colonies. A large hive of bees can afford to lose a few dozen workers, but that could wipe out a small nest of wasps.
Both wasp and honeybee venoms contain the same basic chemicals, but in different proportions.
bees vs. wasps
Abbie says that bee stingers are jagged so that they get "stuck" and when the bee tries to pull out the stinger it causes the BEE to lose body organs and it dies. The wasp's stinger is smooth and can be removed easily. All that to say, the bee can only sting you once; a wasp can sting you repeatedly. Grandpa W has often told the the story of how wasps sting just like a sewing machine--stinging several times down a line! (He has hit some buried wasps nests with his bulldozer. Yikes!)
The Andrews Family
honey bees get stuck
Honey bee's have tiny barbs on their stingers that can stick in your skin like a fish hook,
even though it kills the bee, the stinger and a part of the bee's abdomen rips out of the little bugger and leaves a little part of its self in you which can inject more venom causing more stinging.
Farr-kid Seth
STUNG!!!!!
I think being stung by a wasp is different than being stung by a honeybee because wasps can sting you and keep stinging, but honeybees sting you and little barbs on their stingers get stuck in your skin and when the bee tries to get away the stinger pulls out of it and is left in your skin. Soon after the bee stings you it dies.
Rachel age 10
Wow!
Honey bees lose their stingers and die when they sting you but maybe wasps don't? Do you take the photos yourself Mr. Krampf? L. Albers
RE: Wow!
Yes, I take all of the photos myself. I got into photography about 5 years ago, and found a way to incorporate the hobby into my work. Photography helps me slow down and really look at the things around me.
Oooooh
Do wasps have more venom? Tsia
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