The legend persists that bumblebees have no stingers and therefore cannot sting. The bad news is that bumblebees can sting people. However, you have to make a lot of effort to get to know a bumblebee stinger. This guide explains why the big, yellow-black bugs sting and how you can reliably avoid a conflict.
Can bumblebees sting people?
Bumblebees can sting, especially if they feel threatened or their nest is in danger. Female bumblebees have a stinger and can sting multiple times, while male bumblebees have no stinger and therefore cannot sting.
- Bumblebees can sting people if the furry insects are kicked, squeezed or otherwise pressed, endangering their nest.
- Bumblebees can sting multiple times because the yellow-black bumblebees pull their stinger out of human skin after a sting.
- Male bumblebees cannot sting because drones do not have a stinging apparatus.
Can bumblebees sting?
Bumblebees only sting in extreme emergencies
Puffy, fat bumblebees are rightly said to have peaceful dispositions. Of course, the cozy hummers won't put up with everything. In order to defend themselves and their nest in case of danger, Mother Nature has equipped the insects with a stinging device. This is a defensive spine that is connected to a small bladder to inject a poisonous secretion. A bumblebee never stings immediately and without a tangible motive. Furthermore, the insect announces its intention with clear threatening gestures:
- First warning: Bumblebee raises its middle leg towards the human
- Second warning: Bumblebee turns on its back, growls loudly and shows its defensive stinger
A simple approach to admire a busy bumblebee up close does not trigger these warning signals. Anyone who touches the fluffy insect, takes it between their fingers or otherwise constrains it will have to pay for this crime with a painful sting. Accidentally stepping on a hidden bumblebee in the flower meadow is also punished with a sting. Bumblebees get really angry when they see their nest in the ground or on a tree in danger. A loud hum warns the approaching people: this far and no further. If the warning is ignored and the nest is opened, the human culprit will have to deal with a whole crowd of angry workers.
Bumblebees don't bite
The mouthparts of bumblebees are used exclusively for feeding. Their peaceful disposition doesn't even give these sedate furballs the idea of defending themselves against an attacker by biting them. In any case, the biting tools are not strong enough to penetrate human skin.
Can bumblebees sting multiple times?
There are no barbs on the stinger of a bumblebee. This circumstance enables bumblebees to pull out the stinger after a sting. For this reason, bumblebees can sting more often over the course of their short lives. However, the fluffy pacifists rarely actually use this ability. In particular, the bumblebee does not sting a victim with further stings, but quickly runs away.
In contrast, the stingers of bees are equipped with barbs so that they get stuck in the skin. If the bee flies away, part of its abdomen tears off. Bees are therefore unable to sting multiple times because they pay for each sting with their lives.
Which bumblebees cannot sting?
Male bumblebees have no spines
In the tightly organized bumblebee colony, the males have a bad hand. This is especially true when it comes to their defense. The so-called drones are not allowed to have a stinger. However, this fact does not prevent male bumblebees from simulating the existence of a defensive stinger. In an emergency, drones send out the same warning signals as their sting-armed counterparts. The males are perfect at lifting the middle leg and turning it dramatically onto their back. If you don't have a magnifying glass to hand to look for the stinger, you should refrain from risky experiments to determine whether it is a stinging or non-stinging bumblebee.
Tip
Bumblebees are threatened with extinction and are protected. Hobby gardeners who are close to nature make an important contribution to species protection with inviting bee pastures in the bed and on the balcony. Seed mixtures such as Veitshöchheim bee willow and Bingenheim bee willow pamper bumblebees with a rich nectar buffet.
Bumblebee sting – What to do?
If the threatening gestures of a bumblebee are ignored or not noticed, a bumblebee sting is the painful result. Following the severe pain, other symptoms appear, such as severe swelling, redness and annoying itching. The pain subsides after a short time. All other symptoms accompany the human victim for a few days to a week. With these targeted immediate measures and home remedies or a high-tech device you can alleviate the consequences of a bumblebee sting:
| Immediate measures | Home remedies | High-Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Ice compress | Retterspitz | Stitch Healer |
| cold water | acetic clay | |
| Onion slice | Horseradish | |
| Lemon Juice |
Adults and children have no time for experimental self-medication if the sting occurred in the neck or throat. The injected poison causes swelling that can block the airway. For reasons of caution, small children and allergy sufferers should always go to their family doctor if a bumblebee has stung.
Immediate measures
Effective immediate measures alleviate the initial symptoms after a bumblebee sting and shorten the duration of unpleasant sequelae. The best first aid supplies are usually available in the kitchen. How to act correctly after a bumblebee sting:
- Locate the puncture wound and do not scratch it
- Press ice compress or ice battery onto the puncture wound
- Alternatively, run ice-cold water over the area for several minutes
- Cut the onion, cut into slices and place the juiciest onion slice on top
- Drizzle lemon juice on a cotton pad and place it on the bumblebee sting
Onion slices and lemon juice are not suitable if the puncture wound is near the eye. However, you can apply a cooling washcloth to relieve the initial pain and counteract the swelling that begins.
Home remedies
Numerous home remedies provide relief if the reaction is normal
The legendary herbalist Margarete Retterspitz is credited with numerous effective home remedies. Since the end of the 19th century, the family business has been supplying fans of natural healing methods with preparations that, among other things, help against bumblebee stings. The classic Retterspitz medicinal water is also included, as is the much-praised Retterspitz vitamin gel. Both preparations are applied to the puncture wound and thanks to their cooling effect, pain, swelling and itching are quickly forgotten.
The power of nature works in acetic clay when you suffer from the consequences of insect bites. For good reason, the World He alth Organization included the natural remedy in the list of essential medicinal products in 1977. Are you bothered by a bumblebee sting? Then dissolve 2 tablespoons of acetic clay in a quarter liter of water. Apply the mixture and put a wrap around it. The home remedy is not suitable if the puncture wound has been scratched.
Is there a lack of Retterspitz and acetic clay in the medicine cabinet? Then treat the sting of a bumblebee with fresh horseradish. Simply rub a toe and spread it over the puncture wound as thick as a finger. To keep the horseradish pack in place, wrap a clean cloth or gauze around it.
Stitch Healer
More and more people are not only allergic to insect bites, but also to natural and chemical remedies. So what should you do if the human stab victim is allergic to lemon juice, onions, knight's tips and acetic clay?
In this case, high-tech comes into play in the form of a stab healer. The simple device promises quick relief from itching, redness and swelling after a bumblebee sting based on thermal treatment. For this purpose, the pen-like device has a heating surface that is simply pressed onto the puncture wound. The healing temperature of a skin-friendly 50 degrees Celsius is reached within 10 seconds. The duration of the treatment lasts 6 seconds. This short time is enough for the majority of the toxins to decompose, without any chemical additives. The heat is generated using batteries and a voltage of a modest 3.6 volts.
Excursus
Making food bumblebee-safe
Careless handling of food is the most common cause of conflicts with bumblebees. From morning to night, busy bumblebees tirelessly fly to up to 1,000 flowers to collect pollen and nectar. A coffee table set with cake, a sugar bowl and sweet drinks is just what a stressed worker needs. By storing food and drinks in a bumblebee-proof manner, you can avoid confrontations with bumblebees and their sharp stingers. Cover food in a bumblebee-proof manner. Drinks are served in sealed containers. These precautionary measures also include spicy foods, such as grilled meat or barbecue sauces.
Preventing bumblebee stings – tips
Annoying a bumblebee requires special effort or a coincidence of unfortunate circumstances. Simple rules of behavior make a significant contribution to ensuring that the peace-loving insect does not feel compelled to make the threatening gestures described above. How to successfully prevent a bumblebee sting:
Avoid conflicts
If you don't hit the bumblebee, you don't have to fear it being aggressive
A bumblebee on approach is in the middle of a grueling working day lasting up to 18 hours. Their only pursuit is to harvest nectar, pollen or sugary energy as food for themselves and the numerous offspring in the nest. By letting the furry insect do its thing, you avoid any conflict. How to do it right:
- never hit a bumblebee
- don't wave your arms
- Don't blow on bumblebees
- Do not block trajectory
A small bowl of sugar water at a reasonable distance works wonders if you want to enjoy your coffee table on the balcony or terrace without a bumblebee visiting.
Be careful in sensitive areas
Unexpected encounters with bumblebees do not end well for a person. Where the hairy insects are looking for food or prefer to build a nest, you should exercise caution from spring to summer:
- Orchards: only enter with shoes, avoid walking barefoot
- Garbage cans and waste baskets: do not reach into them, just let the waste fall in
- Compost heap: first check for bumblebee nests, then move
Lawns and trees become tricky areas when bumblebees or tree bumblebees set up their nursery there. Careful hobby gardeners use their lawnmower to make a large area around a nest of earth until it is abandoned in July/August. The pruning of tree crowns is postponed until autumn or early spring, when the pruning shears do not get in the way of the insects.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bumblebee sting dangerous?
Compared to a wasp or bee sting, a bumblebee sting is less dangerous. The stinger of a bumblebee does not get stuck in the skin. As a result, significantly less poison is delivered to the affected person. The stinging apparatus of wasps and bees have barbs that remain stuck in the epidermis and continue to release toxins into the organism for some time.
How often can bumblebees sting?
Because their stinging apparatus has no barbs, bumblebees can sting more often. In contrast to bees, a bumblebee retains its stinger because it pulls it out of the skin after a sting. Of course, the current victim does not get to know the bumblebee stinger again. Rather, the angry bumblebee runs away with its intact stinger on board. As a result, bumblebees can sting several times during their lifetime.
We discovered a bumblebee nest in our garden. Is there reason to be concerned about increased bumblebee stings?
If a colony of bumblebees builds their nest in the garden, you as a nature-oriented hobby gardener have reason to be happy. The nest is unmistakable proof that you are doing everything right and that the ecosystem in your green kingdom is in balance. Check out the website aktion-hummelschutz.de to find out more about the type of bumblebee, the size of the colony and how long the nest will be inhabited. There is no reason to worry. Even with large nests, flight operations are usually limited to one or two insects per minute. If you follow the recommendations in this guide, you will not suffer from bumblebee stings.
Can you remove a bumblebee nest from the family garden?
No, bumblebees are under strict nature protection and for good reason. The good-natured insects are at massive risk of extinction. If bumblebees and bees no longer pollinate our plants, future harvests will continue to decline. It is therefore strictly forbidden to disturb bumblebees, impair their lives or even remove a nest. Instead, educate your children about how to properly handle valuable natural gems. A bumblebee nest in the garden is the ideal opportunity to admire a natural wonder up close. In late summer the nest is abandoned again anyway because the entire colony dies and only the young queens survive in a hidden winter quarters.
Tip
Anyone who has to complain about poor harvests of tomatoes in the greenhouse relies on the help of bumblebees. In the mid-1980s, the Belgian amateur entomologist and recreational gardener Roland de Jonghe was thoroughly tired of laboriously hand-pollinating his tomatoes in the greenhouse. Without further ado, he planted a nest of earth bumblebees in the middle of his tomato plants. The result was so overwhelming that today more than 1 million artificially bred bumblebee nests are used in greenhouses every year.
