Dan Greenwood 
Honey bees tend to hog the bee limelight, but there are thousands of other species worthy of our attention. I want to give some attention to sweat bees. They’re fairly common and are known for their tendency to land on us.
We’ve all been told that bees have suicidal methods of self-defense. If this is confusing to you, you’re not alone. But you’ve seen it with your own eyes, so it has to be the truth, right? The reality is that bees don’t have a death wish, and what we’ve heard of their aggressive behavior is mostly a misunderstanding.
Wood bees, better known as carpenter bees, have an intimidating appearance. They’re big and seem to be slightly more mean than bumblebees. How much should you fear them? Do wood bees sting?
The behavior of wood bees is fascinating, especially when it comes to their approach to defense. Here’s the truth about them.
It’s a universal fact that bee stings are quite painful and can cause a range of symptoms. Whether we’ve been stung or not, most of us have an innate fear of bees. Bee stings shouldn’t be taken lightly. They open up a world of potential complications, from anaphylaxis to the threat of repeat stings by alarmed swarms of bees.
We know to be careful when bees are around, but is our paranoia necessary? Do all bees sting? Let’s uncover how afraid of bees you should actually be.
It’s no secret that bees sting—it’s been a known fact probably since the day humans met bees. The question, however, is why do bees sting? Do they sting when they’re hungry, angry, by accident, or on purpose?
Today we’re going to explore this topic and get to the bottom of exactly why bees sting.
Bees are feared for one thing—their stinging. Bees use their stinger as a defense, whenever they or the hive is threatened. As the bees sting, they release venom which can have extremely painful results. But, how much does a bee sting hurt?
Bee stings are a part of summertime. Although not everyone experiences them, they are on everyone’s mind, especially parents. Children love playing outside during a warm summer’s day, but here they share the grass and flowers with the bees.
Bees usually sting to defend themselves or their nest and their stings can lead to severe reactions. This is why it’s good to be aware of how long bee stings are likely to hurt and when it’s a cause for concern.
Bee stings are tricky. There’s always a chance that you could have an allergic reaction, even if you don’t know you’re at risk. It depends on you as an individual.
Some reports state that the more you get stung (as beekeepers will), the more resistant you’ll become. Others say that whether or not you’ve been safe before, you can develop an allergy after being stung one too many times.
When it comes to treating stings and insect bites, not everyone has an emergency first aid kit they can whip out in a heartbeat. Perhaps you’re allergic to over-the-counter medications, or simply don’t like the idea of them. There’s also a chance that you don’t have access to them when you need them.
I know of a woman who’s been stung by bees about 15 times in her life. In one instance, she was attacked by a small swarm and stung—on her head—multiple times. She was so upset by it, that she had someone else take care of the punctures. Although they did a good job of it (and she made a speedy recovery), this won’t always be the case.