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Comment by PlunderBunny

9 days ago

Edit: I’m wrong - ignore this please.

Bumblebees don’t sting, but they can bite, as I discovered after many years of picking them up when I saw them on the ground in a vulnerable spot.

7 comments

PlunderBunny

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gnabgib  9 days ago

They certainly do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_sting

> A bee sting is the wound and pain caused by the stinger of a female bee puncturing skin. Bee stings differ from insect bites, with the venom of stinging insects having considerable chemical variation. (..) Bumblebee venom appears to be chemically and antigenically related to honeybee venom.

Wasps both sting and bite (welt size is a good indicator)

  • taneq  9 days ago

    Huh. I also have grown up thinking bumblebees don’t sting, but:

    > Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee

    So they can sting, they just don’t want to. Further proof, if any were needed, that bumblebees are Best Bees. :)

    • ahartmetz  5 days ago

      IME, the nonviolence of their behavior matches their cute looks. They do not sting if you don't go out of your way to mess with them.

    • RhysU  8 days ago

      As a child, I caught a bumblebee in my hand because I didn't think it could sting. Those stings hurt.

lll-o-lll  9 days ago

TIL that bumblebees actually can sting. Not only can they sting, they can sting repeatedly (unlike the honey bee). They just choose not to.

Genteel bees.

layla5alive  9 days ago

They are pretty docile so won't be as aggressive towards stinging, but certainly can sting. You might be thinking of honey bees - which also can and do sting, but which die if they sting, so they're heavily disincentivized to sting.