I was getting a queen into a queen cage and the little darling stung me. It didn't feel like a regular sting, but it definitely stung me. Anybody else have this happen?
David
was that the only queen you handled? did you have another in your hand recent and she smelled pheromones?
Keith
I was checking hives but not handling any other queens.
David
What was the difference between her sting and that of the workers?
I was just wondering if the queen dies after the sting.
Quote from: dirtyanklebeekeeper on May 20, 2009, 10:24:06 PM
What was the difference between her sting and that of the workers?
It was a ROYAL sting. :lol:
Steve
she does not die. Queens do not have barbs on the stinger, there fore she can and does with draw her stinger and keeps it and doesn't die like the worker. I would assume the venom would be pretty much the same.
:)doak
doak is right, if she lost her stinger after stinging then she could not kill other virgin queens before/during/after they hatch out.
Good call doak
G3
Thanks, I just try to study the Anatomy as much as possible.
Something triggered her, they very seldom sting.
doak :)
G3farms, the workers don't lose their stinger when stinging another bee, either. The tissue is too soft to hold the barbs.
If the stinger doesn't stick in another bee, does that mean little or no venom is injected? Just curious.
I've never been stung by a queen but I've seen plenty of queen's stingers, everyone was from a queen that was stressed or dying.
...JP
Dirty,
It didn't have the burn of worker bee, just a quick jab. Kind of a sharp sliver of glass maybe. It didn't hurt too bad, but It was very much noticable. It didn't feel as if there was venom.
David