Most bees don’t die after stinging – and other surprising bee facts

By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong
Amy-Marie Gilpin, Lecturer in Invertebrate Ecology, Western Sydney University
Rosalyn Gloag, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Research Fellow, University of Sydney

Most of us have been stung by a bee and we know it’s not much fun. But maybe we also felt a tinge of regret, or vindication, knowing the offending bee will die. Right? Well, for 99.96% of bee species, that’s not actually the case.

Only eight out of almost 21,000 bee species in the world die when they sting. Another subset can’t sting at all, and the majority of bees can sting as often as they want. But there’s even more to it than that.

To understand the intricacies of bees and their stinging potential, we’re going to need to talk about the shape of stingers, bee genitals,…

Read complete article

~	Houston area’s flood problems offer lessons for cities trying to adapt to a changing climate

~	Fractured futures: Upward mobility for immigrants is a myth as their health declines

~	The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project sends a clear warning to other would-be utopias

~	Setting the record straight on refugee claims by international students

~	Since Tesla recalled its vehicles in 2023, there have been 20 accidents and investigators are asking why

~	What is energy made of? The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast

~	Students on social work, nursing and teaching placements to get weekly $319.50 means tested Prac Payment from July next year

~	Nigeria’s minimum wage has never protected workers from poverty: here’s why

~	African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against them

~	Hong Kong ranks low on global press freedom index as watchdog cites ‘unprecedented’ setbacks