Let’s face it – getting stung by any bee is going to hurt. Their stingers pack a painful venomous punch that nobody wants to be on the receiving end of. But what if that stinger belongs to the queen herself? If you inadvertently anger the ruler of the hive, what consequences can you expect?
The Queen Rules the Hive
The queen bee is the most important individual in a colony. She is the only fertile female, responsible for laying all the eggs that become workers, drones, and future queens. A good queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day! She also produces pheromones that keep the workers loyal and cohesive as a unit. Without the queen, the hive cannot survive.
Queen bees are not aggressive by nature. Their role is to continue the lineage, not attack intruders. But she will sting to protect herself or the hive if seriously threatened. Those who work with honeybees know it’s crucial to stay calm and gentle around the queen. One wrong move can unleash her royal fury.
Her Stinger Packs a Potent Punch
Like all worker bees, the queen bee has a barbed stinger tucked in her abdomen, attached to a venom sac. But the queen’s stinger is a bit different – it is smooth and tapering at the end. This allows the queen to sting repeatedly without pulling out the stinger or damaging herself too much.
Don’t think that makes the queen’s sting a weak one though! It is just as potent as that of a worker bee. She releases the same type of venom, full of the compounds that cause pain, inflammation, and other reactions in the victim.
So if the queen bee stings you, expect the same instant burning sensation and throbbing pain as a regular bee sting. The area will quickly swell, redden, and may itch intensely. For most people, it is highly unpleasant but not a major medical concern. Just isolate the stinger quickly and treat the wound.
Allergic Reactions Bring Added Danger
For those who are allergic to bee venom, a sting from a queen bee can trigger a severe and even life-threatening allergic reaction. This hypersensitive response is known as anaphylaxis. Within minutes of the sting, symptoms rapidly escalate and require emergency care.
The immune system overreacts to the venom proteins, flooded the body with chemicals like histamine that induce system-wide effects. These can include:
- Swelling in the throat that obstructs breathing
- Nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting
- Severe dizziness or fainting due to dropping blood pressure
- Hives, itching, and reddening of the skin
- Face, tongue, and throat swelling
- Wheezing and tightness in the chest
Anaphylaxis causes organs to shut down and loss of consciousness. It must be treated immediately with an epinephrine injector like an EpiPen and a trip to the ER. Don’t take chances if you have a known bee venom allergy. Carry an emergency kit and have someone drive you for medical attention if stung.
She May Sting More Than Once
Remember that a queen bee’s stinger is made to sting multiple times if needed. When defending herself, she may sting once as a warning, then repeatedly if the threat persists. The more a queen has to sting, the larger the dose of venom released.
This does impact the queen each time she stings. There will be some muscle damage and the venom sac will be slightly depleted. But a few defensive stings won’t substantially weaken or injure her. To seriously harm the queen, she may need to sting 10 times or more.
The Stinger is Left Behind
Just like with worker bees, when the queen stings she is unable to retract her stinger back into her abdomen. It tears away taking a portion of her muscle, nerves, and the venom sac with it. This ruptures her abdomen, leaving an open wound.
So that post-sting reaction crowd-pleasing satisfying revenge on the offending target? The queen pays a greater price, now injured herself and unlikely to survive long.
Egg Laying and Colony Growth Slows
If the queen survives an injury from multiple stings, it will substantially impact her egg laying abilities. Up to 75% of her abdominal muscles may be torn away, severely limiting how she can contract her ovipositor and lay properly.
Without the queen laying up to 2,000 eggs per day, the growth of the hive slows to a crawl. No new workers are added and the colony size starts to shrink. Honey production decreases as well.
This natural decline spells disaster for the hive over time. The injured queen cannot replenish numbers and eventually will fail. The colony faces collapse unless the workers take drastic measures.
Workers May Kill and Replace Her
Here is the ironic tragedy. If a queen is damaged and her egg laying compromised after stinging, the workers may take matters into their own hands. For the good of the colony, they will kill and replace the queen.
The workers will begin emergency queen cell cups and rapidly raise a new queen. As soon as she hatches and is mated, the workers eliminate the injured queen through a process known as balling. They swarm over her, vibrating their muscles to raise the temperature and essentially cook their former leader alive.
This is all for the good of the hive, but still rather brutal. The queen sacrificed herself through stinging to protect her colony, and is assassinated once she is deemed useless.
What If She Dies From Stinging?
In most cases, if a queen bee has to sting she will not survive the ordeal. As mentioned above, she sustains substantial physical trauma pulling free and leaving the stinger and parts of her abdomen behind in the victim.
An open, torn abdomen leaves the queen highly vulnerable to infection, bleeding out, and going into shock. A stinging is a kamikaze mission for a queen. She inflicts pain to protect, but ultimately pays the ultimate price.
Without a fertile queen, laying thousands of eggs daily, the colony faces certain doom. The workers can keep things running for a short time, but no new bees means a steady decline. Within months, the hive will be dead.
Emergency queen cells may be made, but those take time to mature. And the hive needs a properly mated queen, which requires several mating flights. All the while, the numbers are shrinking. It’s a very precarious scenario.
What’s the Damage to the Victim?
Okay, so we know a queen bee sting takes quite a toll on the queen herself and potentially the colony. But what about the original victim that provoked her fury? How bad is the damage?
As covered earlier, the queen bee’s sting is just as painful as a worker’s. Expect instant burning pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness around the wound that may last for a few days. The area may feel warm to the touch as the venom works through your system.
For those not allergic, the sting remains local. Take antihistamines or over-the-counter pain meds to manage symptoms. Apply ice packs to reduce swelling. Clean the site well and leave the stinger in place for removal.
People with bee venom allergies may suffer severe systemic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Seek medical care immediately in that case. Though not pleasant, a single queen sting is survivable for most.
Lessons Learned? Do Not Provoke the Queen!
Here is the moral of this story – do not make the queen bee sting you! She is far more valuable alive and undamaged as the fertile heart of the hive. That one sting you provoke in anger can spell disaster for the colony.
Beekeepers know one rule above all – treat queens with great care and respect! Remain calm working around her, avoid sudden movements, and absolutely do not handle her roughly. She will sting if threatened, but avoid pulling the dragon’s tail if possible.
Next time the urge strikes you to antagonize that queen, remember her sting means sacrificing herself. Walk away and leave royalty in peace. Harmony and productivity of the hive depends on her leadership. Value the queen bee’s role and she will reward you sweetly in return.
So in summary, stinging is a traumatic experience for a queen that often ends in her death. It damages the growth and survival chances of the colony. Take precautions when handling queen bees and do not provoke their ire needlessly. Getting stung may satiate some petty urge, but destabilizes the health of the hive. Learn patience and gentle habits when working with bees – it benefits all involved.