Less Inclined To Rob The Hive

Is the toxicology of honeybee stings understood? Does the food of this bee have anything to do with the severity of the poison? It is known that summer aster yields honey that is slightly bitter; could it have influenced the secreted poison? Then again, the sting was allowed to remain in the flesh and slowly pump out all of its poison. In most cases people who are stung instantly and usually unconsciously remove the sting, so comparatively little poison is injected. The manner of stinging differs with Hymenoptera according to the position of the protruded weapon.

The social wasps, Vespa and Polistes, and some of the solitary species, as the jug-maker, Eumenes, and the larger predacious forms, Sphex, Pompilus, Pepsis, Sphecius, Ammophila and their allies, give a direct thrust in line, with the abdomen; the social bees and the solitary muddauber wasps make their thrusts at right angles to the abdomen, the sting being pointed toward the dorsum, making it necessary for the abdomen to be curved under so as to bring its upper surface against the object to be stung.

The bees do not constantly protrude their stings, even when captured; they flash them in and out repeatedly against the forceps. The wasps extend them for instant use, making constant efforts to sting. The mud-dauber when first captured tries to use its sting on the forceps, but finding the effort fruitless, it desists until teased. The stings of bees andl solitary wasps are sheathed their full length: those of the social wasps are generally without these two-part scabbards and when not in use the stings are drawn into fleshy pockets above the muscle-covered poison sacs. All insect stings are endowed with feelers that are apparently organs of sense. The sheaths of the bees act this part, with an evident function not unlike the palpi of the mouthparts.

The nature of the object to be stung is ascertained by them. Bees held by forceps will not often try to sting any object that to them does not seem antagonistic, as an apple, a twig or leaf; but if a finger is offered there is no hesitation-on the part of the bee. After I had rubbed a smooth stick against my hand, that a honeybee would not sting until it had the flesh odor, the bee readily tried to sting the stick, and a bumble-bee showed the same tendency. Forceps evidently seem antagonistic, or offer negative influence. The muscular action back of the sting is sufficient to force it through the toughest callosity. We can understand the value to the hive, if not to the individual bee, in having the sting become detached and continue to force poison into the wound. Undoubtedly a bear, raccoon, opossum or skunk with a score or more of remaining stings continuing to pump and pain might be somewhat disinclined further to rob the hive of the contents, no matter how delectable the feast.

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