Cnidophobia. When and why do bees sting? Why does a bee die after being stung? Removing a bee sting People often die from stings

16/07/2015

A strange story happened with a St. Petersburg plane at Vnukovo. A planned flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg was prevented from taking off on time by thousands of bees that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked the plane. The emergency happened on July 7. Since then, no one has been able to explain the inappropriate behavior of insects. City 812 found out what happened and why bees can be deadly during rainy weather.

H The incident with the St. Petersburg plane ended happily. To save the liner from the bees, fire engines were called in and washed away the insects with water cannons. Just in case, they also called ambulance- suddenly someone would get bitten. But it worked out. The flight was delayed by only 10 minutes.

There are many stories about inappropriate and aggressive behavior of bees on the Internet. Mostly messages come from the USA, Mexico, Brazil. At the end of June, the State Department published a report stating that bees and cows are dangerous to US citizens. Every year (according to data for 12 years), about 60 Americans die from flying insect bites and another 20 from attacks by horned artiodactyls.

In some states of Brazil, rescuers receive up to a hundred calls a day related to bee attacks on people. Every year, 150 people die from their bites there.

For some reason, such statistics are not kept in Russia. Nevertheless, last year alone, at least eight Russians died from bee stings - in the Moscow region, Orenburg, Ufa, Kursk, and Chuvashia. These cases appeared in the media, but in reality the picture is probably even worse.

Why do bees attack people and planes? - “City 812” asked the director of the Academy of Beekeeping, candidate of agricultural sciences Lidia Redkova.

- Why did the bees attack the plane?

Most likely, it was a swarm - that is, bees in the process of swarming. When they swarm they create new family. The queen flies out of the hive, and with her several thousand bees and several hundred drones. Where the queen lands, the rest of the insects land there. She attracts them with her smell. In a new place they create a new family.

- Strange place to start a family - an airplane.

The uterus can land anywhere, and she may have landed on the plane accidentally. A swarm can take root anywhere: on wires, roofs of houses, cars, and even on people. Sometimes beekeepers specially hold the queen in their hands when a swarm is flying out, and then the swarm sticks around them. When bees swarm, they don't sting on purpose. Only if you squeeze some kind of bee. And if one stings, then the whole family becomes aggressive. The bees smell the poison and become excited.

- What to do if a swarm lands on a person?

Well, for those who don’t know, this is, of course, a disaster. But the beekeeper, I think, can cope: usually the bees are collected in a swarm. You can call the rescue service. General rule- do not wave your arms so that the bees do not get excited.

- Do people often die from bites?

Happens. If a person is susceptible to allergies, then one sting can cause death.

- Are the stories about African killer bees true?

Yes. This is the result of incorrect selection. There’s even a movie called “Killer Bees.” It describes how it all came about. These bees purposefully attack people and other bees and take root in their hives.

- Why are they attacking?

They seem to be defending their territory. For example, guard bees always sit near the hive. If someone passes nearby - a person or an animal - the guards attack. They sting, the smell of poison spreads, and then the rest of the bees also fly out of the hive and sting. African bees can attack people not only near their hives. For them, it’s like fighting against bears who robbed the hives. But I have not heard of African bees being found in Russia.

- Do bees have different personalities? Are there more angry ones or calmer ones?

It depends on the breed. The most evil ones are Central Russians. Less angry are Caucasian women. Carpathians are considered to be medium-sized.

- What kind of people live in the North-West?

In our zone, Central Russians predominate. The most evil ones.

Is it possible to predict in advance when bees will start swarming? Do they have a period of increased biting, like ticks, for example?

Bees usually start swarming when it rains. Because they are not busy with work, they start swarming. The swarm does not immediately fly out of the hive - the bees first prepare themselves, and beekeepers can notice this. If a rapid honey flow begins after the rains, then the bees come out of swarming.

- Is it true that bees are dying out as a species?

Is it true. This happens all over the planet. Abroad, for example, huge subsidies are allocated for such research, but the reason cannot yet be established. There are many versions. Bad ecology. Electromagnetic radiation from towers mobile communications. Bee diseases. I stick to three versions. The first is related to pesticides. My friends have apiaries where all the bees died. Rapeseed grows near the apiaries - a very good honey plant, which farmers treat with very toxic pesticides. Bees are poisoned by such rapeseed. The second version is related to GMO plants. Rumor has it that they also lead to the death of bees. But no one will tell the truth. Well, the third reason is the disease varroatosis, which is caused by the varroa mite. Where it came from is unknown, but until the 1960s such a disease did not exist.

- Can all the bees on the planet die?

I think we won't allow it. They die, but beekeepers breed them again. 80% of plants are pollinated by bees. Without bees there will be trouble.

- Who is more aggressive - wasps, bees, hornets?

I think if the wasps are left alone, they are not aggressive either. Hornets are scary. They are very angry and have a bigger sting. If they are bitten and there is no medicine at hand, you can drink a glass of alcohol or vodka,” said beekeeper Lidiya Redkova.

St. Petersburg doctors categorically disagree with the beekeeper’s advice.

Under no circumstances should you drink alcohol! Vodka can cause a sharp fall blood pressure due to vasodilation. In case of anaphylactic shock, which can happen from a bite, the pressure already drops, they told City 812 at the Allergomed specialized clinic.

According to doctors, an allergic person can die from just one sting. Anaphylactic shock (which is the cause of death) sometimes develops at lightning speed - within a few minutes. Allergy sufferers know this and, in order not to die, carry with them the imported drug (automatic syringe) EpiPen. For other people, one or two bites are not dangerous, only a massive sting is dangerous. In this case, death may occur not from an allergic reaction, but from bee venom poisoning.

Numbers

In Russia, over the past 20 years, the number of bee colonies has decreased from 10 to 3 million.

In the United States, 90% of wild bees have died over the past 10 years.

Adviсe

The Ministry of Health has issued a reminder for those who have been bitten

Due to the increase in the number of victims of insect and snake bites, on July 8, the Ministry of Health published first aid instructions. "City 812" publishes a shortened version about bees. The website rosminzdrav.ru also has reminders about spider, tick and snake bites.

Stinging insects include bees, wasps, hornets, bumblebees, and gadflies. In severe allergies, a single sting from a stinging insect within minutes can cause death. Most people who develop these reactions have never had anything like this before. There is evidence that a person in some cases can survive after 2000 stings, usually about 500 stings are enough to cause death in a non-allergic person.

The less time passes from the moment of the bite to the development of symptoms, the less favorable the prognosis. The reaction usually occurs within a few minutes to one hour.

Common reactions: short-term pain, redness around the bite site, itching, increased local temperature.

Alarming symptoms: redness of the skin, urticaria, limited swelling of the lips, tongue, sore throat, shortness of breath, abdominal cramps, diarrhea.

Dangerous signs: grayish-bluish skin color, convulsions, loss of consciousness, inability to breathe due to swelling respiratory tract.

Between 40 and 60% of deaths from anaphylactic reactions occur because the patient is unable to breathe due to swelling.

Bites to the mouth or eye are much more dangerous than bites to other parts of the body.

The most dangerous for a person who does not suffer from allergies are bites to the throat after he has swallowed an insect that has gotten into food or drink or has inhaled an insect that has flown to open mouth. Swelling of the airways, even in the absence of an allergic reaction, can lead to breathing problems.

WHAT TO DO

1. Inspect the bite site and make sure there is no sting left in the skin. The sting can only remain after a bee sting. If necessary, remove the sting, because poison continues to be released from it for 2-3 minutes after the bite. Pry up the sting with a fingernail or the blade of a knife or scissors; Do not squeeze the end of the sting protruding above the skin with your fingers.

2. Wash the bite with soap and water.

3. Apply an ice pack for 15-20 minutes to slow down the absorption of the poison and reduce pain.

4. To reduce pain and itching, take analgesics (paracetamol); The bite site can be lubricated with an ointment or cream containing corticosteroid hormones (hydrocortisone) to relieve itching and swelling. With early use, antihistamines (diphenhydramine, suprastin, claritin, etc.) can eliminate local symptoms.

Observe the victim's condition for at least 30 minutes, paying attention to the development of signs of an allergic reaction. For victims prone to allergies, prednisolone or other antihistamines can be given s.

24.12.2016 2

Being outside the city in the summer, we anxiously watch the buzzing striped insects, annoyingly besieging sweet dishes on our table. How is a bee different from a wasp, bumblebee and hornet? After all, they all sting not only painfully, but in some cases, dangerously.

However, it is known that honey producers do not attack first, and representatives of the wasp family are aggressive by nature, so you need to know how to distinguish one from the other and not neglect caution.

Beware: poisonous sting!

If bees flock to a sugar bowl or a saucer of jam, you should behave calmly, but be careful not to catch an insect with the spoon: a bite on the tongue or lip can cause swelling and even anaphylactic shock.
You need to be doubly careful with a wasp - you cannot irritate it, wave your arms, or make sudden movements. In addition, aggression can be caused by the smell of perfume or too much bright color clothes. The appearance of this insect in country house may mean that there is somewhere nearby vespiary, and this is already extremely dangerous: the bite of one individual will cause sharp pain and swelling of the skin, the bite of many can lead to the most severe consequences. Moreover, it is noted that they somehow sense people who are allergic to their poison and attack them.

Why do outwardly similar striped ground beetles have such differences in habits? Bees and wasps are two completely different families of the same suborder of stalked bellies, that is, having a thin membrane (“waist”) at the junction of the thorax and abdomen. The suborder is part of the order of stinging Hymenoptera.

Vegetarians and carnivores

The honey bee (Ápis melliféra) is a social insect that lives in families in which the responsibilities of all members are strictly regulated.

The head of the family is the female - the queen bee. The insect's body consists of 3 sections - head, chest and abdomen, and is covered with the finest chitinous hairs.
The bee is an absolute vegetarian and feeds on nectar, pollen and honey, which is fermented nectar. To collect and carry nectar, she has a proboscis and a special goiter. Pollen collection occurs due to hairs on the body and brushes or combs on the legs.
In the back of the abdomen there are 2 poisonous glands and a sting with serrations and a reservoir for accumulating poison. The stinging apparatus is designed primarily to penetrate the chitinous cover of insect competitors, and gets stuck in the skin of a mammal, including humans. In this case, the honey producer cannot pull out the sting, leaves it in the skin of her victim along with part of the intestines, and dies. 100-200 such attacks cause severe poisoning in a person, more than 500 - death.
Man uses not only the results of the vital activity of these amazing creatures - honey, bee bread, propolis, wax, but also bee venom. Healing properties its value is so high that an entire medical branch has developed on its basis - apitherapy. The poison is used to treat a wide range of diseases, primarily diseases of the musculoskeletal system, is used as part of medicines, and also in pure form. To do this, the insect is applied to the sore spot so that it stings. Treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor.

The bumblebee (Bombus) is a relative of Ápis melliféra and belongs to the same family. This is a large, thick, hairy hymenoptera: the female reaches 28 mm in length, the male – 24 mm. It is also a social insect, living in small families of up to 100 individuals.

The roles in the family are less clearly defined than among the inhabitants of the hives, although the basis of the family is the fertile female, the only one of the entire family who remains to spend the winter. The remaining members die by winter.
The nests are located close to the ground, under moss or between rocks, and consist of honeycombs made from rough wax or empty cocoons.
Bombus feeds on nectar and pollen and also produces honey. In many respects, bumblebee honey is superior to the product produced by the inhabitants of apiaries, but it is impossible to collect it in sufficient quantities - insects do not stock up, since the colony does not stay over the winter.
He is an unrivaled pollinator. Greenhouse employees are trying to attract it to their farms in order to improve the fruitfulness of plants.
The sting of this hymenoptera is hollow, without serrations, only females have it, which can use it repeatedly. The insect is not aggressive; it stings very rarely, but is painful. Swelling and numbness develop at the site of the lesion.

The external difference between the well-known paper wasp and honey bee visible to the naked eye: the body of the first is slender, smooth, the breast at the junction with the abdomen becomes thinner, the body of the second is more rounded and shaggy.

The wasp, in accordance with the entomological classification, is a representative of a special family, which includes many species. In our region, the most widespread are vespids, or the paper variety.

The name comes from the fact that these social stalked bellies chew wood and make paper out of it, from which they build spherical nests.
In the nest, the female builds a honeycomb and lays eggs there. Later they hatch into larvae. If the queen is removed, workers begin to lay eggs. The number of nest inhabitants during a season can reach several hundred, but in winter most of them will die. Fertilized females survive the winter and establish new colonies in the spring.
The main difference between vespids and hive dwellers is in the food system. Paper nest builders, like most species of the wasp family, are predators. Moreover, adult individuals feed on flower nectar and fruit juice, but their larvae require protein food. They chew flies, butterflies, pieces of meat, spoiled fish or carrion and feed their larvae in this way. Other species paralyze their victims - insects, caterpillars and spiders - with poison and lay their eggs in them, alive but immobilized. As the larvae develop, they feed on “fresh meat.” It is these differences between the wasp family and honey producers that explain its tendency to attack for no apparent reason.
The sting of these Hymenoptera is hollow inside, has no serrations, and is also an ovipositor. It does not get stuck in the skin of a mammal, and its owner can sting several times. Thin " wasp waist"contributes to the fact that the Hymenoptera can fold almost in half and strike in any position. The poison is much more allergenic than the poison of the inhabitants of apiaries, causing severe pain, swelling and cell destruction, especially in the case of an attack on the face - nose, eyes, mouth. Sad statistics confirm that every year several dozen people around the world die due to wasp attacks.
These stalked bellies are equipped with powerful jaws with which they inflict painful bites.

Video: wasps through the eyes of bees and a beekeeper.

Wasp giants

The danger increases if a person or animal is attacked by a hornet, the largest species of the aspen family. In temperate climates, the worker reaches 25 mm, and the queen reaches 35 mm.

Nests can be found near human habitation under the roofs of houses or barns.
They are 100% predators, feed on other arthropods and feed the larvae with them. They also include fruit juice in their diet, and do not ignore honey. For this reason, adult individuals cause great damage to apiaries, destroying their workers and robbing the hives.
The severe consequences of injecting poison are explained not by its quantity, but by increased allergenicity. Only females are equipped with a three-millimeter sting, which can sting repeatedly. The poison contains histamines, toxins, the substance acetylcholine and other components that cause irritation of nerve fibers, palpitations and severe pain syndrome. An allergic reaction in this case is accompanied by severe swelling and can have unpredictable consequences.
They are found much less frequently than the same vespids, and are less aggressive, they do not attack first. However, such a neighborhood in a country house or dacha is highly undesirable - an accidentally disturbed nest can turn into a tragedy.
There is nothing useless in living nature - every species, including predatory ones, takes up the necessary ecological niche. And yet, if a wasp colony, and even more so a hornet colony, is found near human habitation, all measures must be taken to get rid of it.

With all the variety of phobias, it is no surprise that someone is terrified of insects. Basically, most people don't have any enthusiasm for them. But if many people are neutral about various ants and dragonflies, then stinging insects make them shudder with fear. Basically, people are afraid of wasps and bees, as their stings are very painful and sometimes cause severe allergic reactions. This fear is called cnidophobia, and like apiphobia, it is widely known everywhere, regardless of a person’s age. Moreover, a person is afraid of stinging insects, even if they are just flying past on their own business, or sitting peacefully on a honey plant and are not going to attack. The fear of contact with such insects is incredibly intrusive and persistent, and it is not so easy to get rid of it.

Fear of stinging insects does not develop in the same way, and it is completely irrational, because it is well known that insects do not attack people with the intention of stinging them. This only happens if, without noticing a bee sitting on a plant or any object, you accidentally disturb it or try to pick it up with your hand. And even then, the insect tries to move away. The only exception would be if you climb directly into a wasp's nest or bee hive. That's when they sting, in self-defense. A bee, for example, bites a person and dies. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that there is no point in them biting just like that, out of nothing to do.

You should know that the bite of stinging insects is often completely harmless. And sometimes it is even used for medicinal purposes; everyone knows that bee venom helps in the treatment of many rheumatic diseases. But the peculiarity is that such bites are very painful, so it is not surprising that a person can develop cnidophobia. Studies have shown that cnidophobes are mainly residents of large cities, who sometimes perceive representatives of the insect world rather inadequately. Indeed, in prolonged mosquito nets It is difficult for insects to penetrate windows, and if the calm atmosphere of an office or apartment is disturbed by the unusual buzz of a stinging insect, this is a whole event. And here it is no longer clear who is in greater panic - a bee that came from nowhere, or people chasing after it with a magazine or a rolled-up newspaper in their hands.

All this, up to a certain point, may not be taken seriously, and even seem funny if adults behave this way, but such an impression is created only for those who do not themselves suffer from this phobia. Moreover, everything is much more complicated if a person first encountered a stinging insect bite when he was still a child. Also, ordinary fear very quickly becomes a phobia if an insect bite causes an allergic reaction. It is known that one or two bites, as a rule, do not cause severe allergies. But cnidophobes fear that anaphylactic shock, which they once experienced, may develop, so for them there is nothing more scary and dangerous than a peacefully buzzing bee.

But along with real situations that cause fear and panic, there are other reasons for the occurrence of cnidophobia. Psychologists assign a special role to the so-called yellow press, which often describes all sorts of wild stories, including those involving insects that can sting. There are many horror films in which the plot is based on the existence of huge mutating insects that sting everyone, and this is their purpose. Impressionable people can't just look and forget. All disturbing information remains in the subconscious, and can manifest itself after a fairly long period of time, when the film itself has long been forgotten, but the impression of it and emotions have become the reason for the development of cnidophobia.

People suffering from this phobia do not always behave in the same way; many of them are aggressive. They do not try to hide if they see a wasp; on the contrary, their goal at this time is to destroy it. They strive to kill the insect, and do not rest until they do this. In general, people with such a phobia diligently avoid going to places where they can meet stinging insects. They don’t go for walks in the park, try to visit their dacha less often, and going on a picnic in nature is out of the question. It is enough to see just a picture of a bee, and the cnidophobe’s mood deteriorates; the person may quarrel with others who have nothing to do with it.

If the disease is more severe, then symptoms known from other phobias or anxiety disorders are observed. For example, a person feels severe weakness, sweats intensely, and cardiovascular problems arise. Dizziness, nausea, and trembling of the arms and legs often occur. In such a situation, it seems to the patient that something terrible and irreparable will inevitably happen to him. It takes a few minutes to calm down. The patient should sit in a quiet room and take the medicine prescribed by the doctor. Due to the fact that fear has no basis and is a consequence of the disease, it is almost impossible to convince such a person that the best way out is to get away from insects so as not to provoke an exacerbation of cnidophobia.

Bees are one of the most beneficial insects. Many beekeeping products make an indispensable contribution to medicine and help cure various diseases. But despite the obvious usefulness of bees, they sting quite painfully. That is why specialists who work directly with these striped workers wear special protective suits.

The "essence" of bee venom

Bee venom is a colorless liquid with an acidic reaction and a rather pleasant odor. It is a mixture of the secretions of 2 glands: small and large poisonous. A special bag is provided in the bee's body to store the venom.

It should be noted that this substance, secreted by a bee, contains thirteen amino acids, as well as others chemical compounds. The basis of bee venom is melitin. The dose of poison when the sting penetrates the skin is 0.25 milligrams.

Bee sting: myth and reality

These insects do not always have the opportunity to actually use their sting. If the insect's abdomen is filled with honey, even with a strong desire, the bee will not be able to sting, since the abdomen will not be able to bend. It is also worth remembering that bees use their sting not only when in contact with humans, but also when “communicating” with other insects.

In addition, the queen bee also has its own nuances in the use of the sting as a weapon of defense. She will not sting a person under any circumstances, while her rivals can get a fair amount of damage from her.

Causes of bites

Experts say that these insects sting only in the most extreme situations. And the voluntary desire of a bee to attack a person is an exception to the rule rather than a pattern. In order for her to attack, she must first be provoked to such actions.

A bee begins to attack only in those cases when it begins to think that a person may pose a danger to it and, as a result, become a source of serious problems. For example, bees bite when they become confident that a person can destroy their hive or take their honey. Based on this, one of the main attributes of a beekeeper is a protective suit.

Bees also attack when they believe that a threat is hanging over them. Therefore, if you hold an insect in your palm, it will certainly sting its offender.

But the reasons for a given insect bite are not always as obvious as in the cases described above. For her behavior to become aggressive, sometimes the following factors are sufficient:

Strong smell. In order to provoke a bee to sting, you just need to perfume yourself with eau de toilette with a pronounced odor. In its absence, the bee may also react negatively to the strong smell of sweat.
Color of clothes. It has been proven that people wearing dark clothes are stung by bees more often. Therefore, the practice of wearing white protective suits has long been common in beekeeping.
The smell of smoke. It can also cause an insect attack. Bees quickly recognize impending fires that destroy their homes, so this problem for these insects is one of the most relevant. Therefore, when encountering a bee after a fire begins to flare up somewhere, the person who gets in its way runs the risk of being attacked by it.
Bee venom. When this insect bites, other bees may appear if they smell the poison of their relative.

In addition, it is also worth paying attention to the fact that not all bees bite the same way. Insects living in different areas Russia has different attitudes towards people. Carpathian representatives of this class are the calmest. While Central Russian and Caucasian people can behave unfriendly even for no apparent reason.

Why do bees die?

Almost everyone knows what happens to a bee after it stings a person. After it stings, the striped worker dies. But few people know that it does not die if it stings insects. Such resonance is quite easy to explain. The bite of this insect occurs when it inserts its sting into the skin of a person or into the body of another insect.

A bee's sting is designed like a harpoon. It has rear-facing serrations that prevent the tip from being easily removed. Based on the fact that the chitinous cover of insects is thin, the striped worker has to make efforts to remove the bite weapon without causing serious damage to herself.

On the contrary, a person’s skin is elastic and elastic, which is why the sting gets stuck in it and it is almost impossible to remove it from there. Of course, the insect will try to do this, but it is unlikely that it will succeed, while it will still need to fly away, and the faster the better.

When people die

Sometimes not only the owners of the sting themselves die from bee stings, but also people who succumb to the attack of these insects. Similar cases They happen infrequently, but they should not be overlooked. If a person has a severe allergic reaction to bee sting, then everything can end tragically, even death.

It must also be remembered that death can await a person if many insects of this species attack him at the same time. Therefore, in places where honey miners gather, it is better to wear a special suit.

If a person has been stung by a bee, the sooner he removes the sting from his skin, the better it will be, first of all, for himself. It is best to do this with tweezers, since if you start squeezing out the bee venom, it can get into the blood.

After this procedure, the wound must be treated with alcohol or potassium permanganate. If you don’t have these products on hand, you can wash the bite area cold water. In order for the poison to leave the body faster, experts recommend drinking more liquid.

What happens if you don't remove a bee's sting in time? There is a fairly simple answer to this question. The longer the bee’s protective weapon stays in the human skin, the more poison will get into the wound. Therefore, you should not delay in providing assistance when bitten by this insect.

Attention! The stung area should not be rubbed or combed. Because the tumor may become larger.

In such situations, doctors use histamine or adrenoline injections (adrenaline constricts blood vessels, and histamine, on the contrary, dilates them). People prone to allergic reactions should first take an injection of calcium chloride. It is also worth noting that in small doses, bee venom is harmless to most people. The exception is those who have heart disease.

It is also worth noting that people can become quite accustomed to the venom of this insect, but the immunity developed in this case is only temporary. Healthy people capable of taking five hundred bites. For example, beekeepers who are immune to this type of venom will be able to survive even after being bitten by a snake.

Do bees sting beekeepers?

Specifics of the uterine sting

Comparative table of the structure of the sting of an ordinary bee and the queen bee

Unlike an ordinary bee, the queen's sting has only three barbs. In addition, it is not difficult for her to pull out her protective equipment and use it several more times. Typically, the queen uses her sting only when a competitor appears. And then the two queens fight until one of them dies.

There is also a possibility that the queen is quite capable of stinging a person if she has not yet been fertilized. But she doesn't do it painfully. The only thing is that there may be itching at the site of the bite for a couple of days.

Rules of conduct in the apiary

To prevent bees from rushing, you must follow the following rules:

Do not neglect the careful choice of clothing, as the bee is not delighted with black and shaggy things;
Having entered the apiary, you should not move quickly between hives;
To prevent these insects from biting, control your breathing so that it does not reach them;
You should also approach the hives very carefully, trying not to knock them over.

What are the benefits of bee venom?

This type of poison is used in medicine. They treat various diseases. Experts have established the antibiotic properties of bee venom, which are destructive to seventeen varieties of bacteria. It is also known that bee venom has the most powerful antimicrobial effect if it is collected during the bribe season.

Based on the fact that every life phenomenon always has two sides to the coin, bee venom can also be viewed from two different points of view. On the one hand, it can be deadly, but on the other hand, on the contrary, it can put a person on his feet.

Bees produce food, substances that are used in cosmetology, medicine - and much more. The benefits from them are enormous. But still, under certain conditions, bees can sting and be dangerous to humans. But only for them this bite is fatal.

About the bee sting

Not all bees have a sting, but only some species. Also, bees are not always able to use their sting. For example, if the belly is filled with honey, then no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to use the sting, because the belly won’t bend. Bees use it not only to protect themselves from humans, but also when interacting with other insects. Also unique is the use of stings by queen bees. They never sting a person, even if the situation is extreme, but when meeting with competitors - easily.

When and why do bees sting?

Both scientists and experienced beekeepers confirm that bees sting only in exceptional cases. Bee attacks are the exception rather than the rule. The attack occurs when the insect begins to believe that the person represents to it real threat. For example, when a bee thinks that a person can do something negative towards the hive, or encroaches on honey. This is why beekeepers need protective suits because they give the bees the most reason to attack. A bee also stings if danger threatens it personally. For example, if you start squeezing a bee in your hand, then, feeling that it can be killed, it can easily use its sting.

Also, one of the most common examples is an overly pungent odor. Even very strong spirits are enough for the insect to react and launch an attack. Even if there is no perfume, it can react to the pronounced smell of sweat.

The color of clothing is also important. People dressed in dark clothes are stung by bees (and other insects) many times more often. It is not yet entirely clear what the reasons are for this to happen, but it has become a tradition - and a very effective one - to wear white apiary suits to minimize the number of bee stings while working in the apiary.

Another factor that bees react to is, oddly enough, bee venom. If you are stung by one bee, then the reaction of other bees to you will change dramatically. They will sense this poison - and it may become enough of a motivator for them to attack you.

Causes of bee death

As you know, after stinging a person, a bee can die. But it is also known that this does not happen when it stings another insect. The reasons are very simple. A bee sting occurs when it inserts its stinger into the skin of a person or the body of another insect. The bee's sting is designed in an interesting way - it is located behind the body and is built like a harpoon. It has special serrations that are directed backwards, which prevents the sting from being easily removed. In insects, the chitinous cover is quite thin, so the bee, with some effort, removes the sting from it without any critical damage to itself. But a person’s skin is very elastic and elastic, so a bee’s sting gets stuck there and it is almost impossible to pull it out. She flies away, leaving him covered in skin. Along with the sting, part of its intestines remains in the skin, as well as poisonous glands. Without all this, the bee dies, albeit not immediately. She is still alive for some time, but the wound turns out to be quite significant.

Deaths from bee stings

Sometimes not only bees die from stings, but also people whom the bees decide to bite. This happens rarely. Some people have a very strong allergic reaction to a bee sting, so the consequences can be anything, even fatal. But even those who are not prone to allergies may have a similar reaction if they are stung by several hundred bees at the same time. So it is better to avoid their accumulations if you do not have appropriate protection or if you have strong odors that can provoke the bee.

How to remove a bee sting

If you are stung by a bee, it is in your best interest to remove the sting as quickly and efficiently as possible. If the area of skin is not particularly sensitive, then theoretically it can be squeezed out, but if it is sensitive, then it is better not to do this, because squeezing only contributes to the spread of the poison in human body. It's better to take tweezers or something similar and pull it out without applying pressure. After this, it is recommended to treat the bite site with an alcohol solution, potassium permanganate or something similar. At worst, just rinse it with cold water or apply a damp towel. It is recommended to drink after a bee sting more liquid to quickly remove poison from the body.