Content
A bee's sting is an organ necessary for insect protection of the hive and is used only in case of danger. You can examine the structure of a bee sting in detail at high magnification under a microscope. It is located at the tip of the abdomen.
What does a bee sting look like?
The stinging organ has a complex structure. You can examine a bee's sting in detail only with high magnification under a microscope: it looks like a sharp long needle, thinning from base to tip. On the sides, notches are clearly visible, with sharp ends directed towards the base. Worker bees have only 10 of them, and the queen has 4. In essence, the sting is an ovipositor that has changed its purpose. Drones don't have it at all.
It consists of several elements:
- three chitinous parts with plates;
- the middle part is a sled, widened in front and narrowed in back;
- stylet - consists of two lancet-needles, located in the depression of the sled from below: when bitten, the stylet breaks and releases the needles.
Each part of the organ has its own purpose. The insect pierces the skin with stilettos. Inside the sled, in the thickened part, there is a poisonous gland, which, in turn, consists of a filiform lobe and a reservoir. A toxic liquid accumulates in the bubble.Nearby are glands that produce lubricant for the stylet.
In the photo under a microscope you can see a bee sting and a foreign body, a lancet, removed from the body of a bitten person:
Where is a bee's sting located?
The insect's body is divided by the petiole - the waist - into the chest and abdomen. The upper and lower parts are connected into a single organism by a metasoma - a thin stalk through which nerve endings pass. It is at the tip of the abdomen that the bee has a sting. Its tip is clearly visible even without strong magnification. When the bee is calm, the organ is visually invisible.
Does a bee leave a sting when it stings?
After a bite, the organ gets stuck in the wound of an animal or person. Having punctured the skin, the stylet is immersed in a soft layer. Instinctively, the bee tries to tear the stilettos out of the wound, but the barbs get stuck in the tissue. The sting comes off from the abdomen with part of the internal organs. A wound forms on the insect’s body, after which it dies. A bee survives a fight with wasps and beetles. The notches of the stylets do not get stuck in the chitinous coverings.
How a bee stings
In a calm state, when the insect is not in danger, the organ is hidden in a special apparatus (bag) at the end of the abdomen. During a bite, the sting is pushed out of the sheath. The muscles activate the plates, causing the stilettos to slide along the sled.
In preparation for an attack, the bee lowers its sting. The abdomen bends forward strongly, and the case rises. At this moment, the stinging organ is already partially exposed. During the strike, the stilettos move sharply forward, then the abdominal muscles draw them back.
The bee uses its stinger to pierce the surface of the animal's skin. After the puncture, poison is injected into the wound. The toxic substance begins to flow down the sled.
The main component of bee venom is apitoxin: it is what causes the burning sensation. The substance that enters the body causes pain. In addition, it can cause allergic reactions. Stung insects and small animals (mice) die from one or more poisonous injections. A single bee sting is beneficial for most people. A person stung repeatedly receives too much venom. Death can occur after accumulation of 0.2 g of apitoxin in the body. Bites to the neck, eyes, and lips are especially dangerous.
The toxic liquid has a yellowish tint. Once in the blood, the poison quickly spreads throughout the body. The reaction to a bee sting varies from person to person. In the most severe cases, the poisonous substance causes the stung person to develop:
- shortness of breath;
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- loss of consciousness;
- sudden jumps in blood pressure;
- swelling of the respiratory organs;
- redness of some of the tissues surrounding the puncture site of the skin;
- painful sensations;
- asphyxia.
What does a bee sting look like after a sting?
After a bite, the severed organ begins to act autonomously. The sting continues to contract, squeezing new doses of venom into the wound. By pulsating, it penetrates even deeper under the skin. The entire length of the bee's sting is immersed in the tissue, and the entire supply of poison, which is located in the sacs at its base, during contractions flows down the stylets into the formed channel, then enters the blood. The bite area turns red very quickly. After some time, only a black dot remains visible on the surface.
The photo shows a bee sting, torn out along with part of the insect’s body, in human skin. Only the upper part of the organ is visible on the surface: its remains must be removed as quickly as possible.The bitten area looks swollen, and swelling quickly forms around the wound. A black dot is clearly visible in the middle.
How to remove a sting after a bite
The danger is that the damaged area quickly swells and turns red, and the bitten person may experience an allergic reaction. The sting that the bee leaves in the skin continues to deliver poison into the wound. It must be removed, but this cannot be done with nails, a needle, scissors, or, under sterile conditions, pulled out with tweezers, swinging from side to side. When removing, you need to make sure that the yellow sac with poison at the end of the needle comes out. If a piece of an organ breaks off and remains under the skin, you will have to seek help from a surgeon.
After removing the bee sting, the bite site must be treated with an antiseptic: alcohol, brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide and ice. Experienced beekeepers, in the absence of allergies, recommend a honey solution to relieve pain: dilute a teaspoon in a glass of water and drink. To neutralize the allergen, you should take an antihistamine.
Conclusion
The insect needs a bee's sting, first of all, for protection. Therefore, when encountering a bee, it is important not to provoke it with active actions (especially, do not wave your arms), but try to calmly move to a safe place. The bite is unpleasant, but in the absence of allergies it is not dangerous: it is important to completely remove the sting from under the skin.
