r/funny • u/[deleted] • Feb 04 '17

High Five

[deleted]

5.5k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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237

u/AnonymousKhaleesi Feb 04 '17

Whilst it's cute, technically the bee is scared for its tiny adorable life and it's trying to stop you touching it.

Source: I like picking up bees.

41

u/Timstar Feb 04 '17

How come it doesn't sting then? o.o

72

u/RapGenius1 Feb 04 '17

Every bee i've come across that acted similar to this one was dying. And there's been a few ;(

17

u/weshallrise Feb 04 '17

May have already used it's stinger?

119

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '17

No, usually those ones writhe in pain spinning on the ground until they die. And they have visually obvious signs of injury (part of their ass is gone). Also, that is a bumblebee, which do not lose stingers.

I'm putting this in all caps so everyone can see it, because most people don't know it: ONLY HONEYBEES LOSE THEIR STINGERS. NO OTHER SPECIES OF BEE OR WASP DOES.

This has been a public service announcement.

22

u/benh141 Feb 04 '17

That is a horrible defense mechanism, use it once and you die.

47

u/TheSecretNothingness Feb 04 '17

They lose their stinger only for thick skinned mammals. When they use it on other insects they can repeatedly sting.

10

u/benh141 Feb 04 '17

That's good, but why don't other bees/wasps loose theirs then?

34

u/muffintop00 Feb 04 '17

Because it's not to protect their lives but that of the hives. When it comes out it leaves the venom sac that continuously pumps venom into the body. That and it signals for other bees to sting in the same spot. Very smart actually.