Why a bee dies after a sting and what are its consequences for humans

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

In the world of insects, there are many painfully stinging representatives, the most common species with this feature are bees. You can often find wasps that are more dangerous, and outwardly they are very similar. Everyone knows that wasps live after being stung, but few know why a bee dies after being stung. Let's look into this issue. And are the poisonous substances of these insects deadly.

Why does a bee die after being stung

This type of insect is very useful for humanity. Bees bring wax, molasses, honey to people, and most importantly, they pollinate most plant species during their flowering period, which allows you to get a crop both in the garden and in the garden. But if you pose a danger to the bee, it may sting you, after which it will most likely die. But why is that?

Why does a bee die after being stung but a wasp does not? It's all about the special form of sting in these insects. Unlike wasps, which only let poison under human skin, the sting of a bee looks like a miniature saw under a microscope, which, after being inserted under the epithelium, gets stuck. After the insect stings its prey, it tries to fly away instantly ascan be further. And since the abdomen of the bee is very delicate, along with the sting, parts of the entrails that are important for the life of the bees often remain. Therefore, they die - after all, it is impossible for an insect to live without some organs. Thus, we figured out why a bee dies after a bite. Now let's look at what can happen if you get stung by this beneficial insect.

Consequences of a bee sting

Bee venom contains some toxins that are relatively dangerous to humans. All of them are shown in the table below.

Enzyme name	Active enzyme action
Mellittin	An enzyme that destroys red blood cells and causes inflammation
Phospholipase A2	Mellitin acceleration
Hyaluronidase	Helps spread of toxins in human blood
Alamin	Excites nerve cells
Histamine	Causes redness and swelling of the skin

Of course, all these toxic substances do not pose a great danger to humans, but people who are allergic to bee venom can die from several and in rare cases even from one bite of this insect. This disease is usually found in children and people prone to an allergic reaction. The main symptoms are:

• headache or dizziness;
• vomiting and nausea;
• convulsions;
• difficulties inbreath;
• appearance of a rash on the body, blue bite;
• loss of consciousness.

If you know why a bee dies after a sting, you should understand that the most important thing is to pull the sting out from under the skin of an allergic person in time. If a person becomes ill, you should call a doctor or get to the nearest medical facility on your own.

Benefits of bee venom

But bee toxins are not only dangerous, but also quite beneficial for people who are not allergic. For example, bee venom can improve metabolism, destroy harmful microorganisms, activate the nervous and hormonal systems, and lower blood pressure. The toxins of these insects perfectly improve blood microcirculation, promote the regeneration of the epithelium, and stimulate the human immune system. In this regard, bee venom is used in folk medicine, but quite rarely. Why? The bee dies when it stings, and these insects are considered quite expensive, it is better to use them for other purposes, such as honey extraction.

Treatment with bee venom

Apitherapy is a treatment with bee toxins. Today, a wide list of diseases that can be cured with bee venom is known:

• stuttering, neurosis and other disorders of the nervous system;
• thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, hypertension, arrhythmia;
• gastritis, gastric ulcer;
• asthma, bronchitis;
• prevention of diabetes and obesity.

Apitherapy is an amazing type of treatment for diseases. But this procedure should be carried out by a specialist in this field. Why? The bee dies when it stings, and if a professional helps with the treatment, then most insects, even leaving their sting in the body, can remain alive. This is due to the fact that experts in the field of apitherapy know how to handle bees carefully, and this, in turn, allows the insects to remain intact after a bite and not damage their insides.