![]() ![]() Make sure their clothing is loose so they can breathe.Turn them on their side if they are vomiting or bleeding.Raise their feet about 12 inches and cover them with a blanket.See if they have an epinephrine (adrenaline) auto-injector (Epi-Pen) and inject them if needed.If you or someone near you is experiencing an allergy or anaphylaxis, you should: Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be life threatening. These may be symptoms of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or passing out.changes to your skin, such as breaking out into hives.problems breathing or swallowing, or having tightness in your throat. ![]() Some symptoms warrant emergency medical attention. Foraging bees and swarms are unlikely to be aggressive, however, if you do encounter a swarm in the vicinity of your home, it is best to seek the advice of a professional beekeeper.Once you’ve been stung, it’s not uncommon to experience swelling, tenderness, or redness near the area that’s been stung. These pheromones are not easily shed, and apparently, smell vaguely like bananas!įinally, honey bees are most likely to sting when they perceive a possible threat to the hive. When a bee stings, alarm pheromones are also released which encourages other bees to join the fray and eliminate the potential threat. A severe allergic reaction occurs when too much histamine is released, causing extreme dilation of blood vessels, and a rapid drop in blood pressure, leading to a dangerous condition called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This also results in swelling and redness around the site of the sting. In response, histamine is released, which causes the blood vessels to dilate, enabling a faster immune response. Therefore, if you do get stung, you should remove the sting as quickly as possible.īee venom is called apitoxin, of which the main active component is a peptide called melittin that is responsible for causing considerable pain in vertebrates! The venom destroys the fatty lining of cells, as well as mast cells, which form part of the immune system. In addition, the sting is equipped with its own ganglion (or collection of controlling nerve cells), which continues to propel the lancets deeper into the victim’s flesh and pump venom into the wound for several minutes after detachment from the bee. This efficient stinging mechanism can quickly envenomate a relatively large area of tissue. Hence, it is sometimes possible to feel small vibrations emanating from a sting left in the skin. Paired muscles drive the lancets up and down alternately, like a pair of pistons, while at the same time operating ‘umbrella’ valves that squeeze venom down the central canal. The stylet terminates in a bulb which acts as a venom reservoir and is connected to the venom sac. The combined, tubular cross section makes this structure extremely stiff. The shaft of the sting comprises two barbed, opposing lancets and a dorsal stylet which together surround a central canal. The bee will thrust the sting perpendicularly into the skin of an unfortunate interloper, thereby ensuring venom is delivered deep into the tissues via the shortest possible route. The entire stinging apparatus is withdrawn into a special sting chamber when not in use. Bees, like mosquitos, will optimise their attack by targeting the face of an intruder – sensing high concentrations of carbon dioxide in expired air. So although worker honey bees never usually lay eggs, they have retained the modified ovipositor/stinger in order to defend the hive. Only the worker honey bee has a barbed stinger which can become lodged in the relatively thick skin of birds and mammals tearing loose from the worker’s body and causing her death within minutes. Most other bees and wasps, along with queen honey bees, have a smooth stinger that allows them to sting repeatedly. In fact, some species of bees do not possess stings at all. The evolution of venom made prey items much more manageable! Since the ovipositor is a female reproductive organ, only female bees have stings. The stinger is a modified ovipositor, which the bees’ ancestors used to deposit their eggs into the bodies of insect hosts. This would suggest a rather primitive apparatus, but in fact, the honey bee’s stinger is a highly complex and efficient organ. And in doing so, the stinger is ripped free from the bee’s abdomen, resulting in its imminent demise. It’s common knowledge that bees can deliver a painful sting. ![]()
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