Luckily for the bumblebees, they don't die if they sting. ON the other hand, honey bees DO die if they sting. In bumblebees, the stinger is smooth, like a needle, so it can pierce the skin several times. Honeybees have a sting with barbs, though, and when they sting you, it stays in the skin and pulls part of bee away with it - so the bee then dies. It seems sad, and daft, but in the world of bees it makes sense. The bumblebee survives; but the honeybee needs to protect the hive, and in a sense it sacrifices itself for that. There are maybe 20,000 - 50,000 honeybees in a hive, so it's worth the bee making sure nothing hurts it. So next time you see a bee - remember the sting thing. They don't want to sting you - they have MUCH more important things to do. They'll only sting you if they see you as a threat. Pretty brave, really, when you think about it. And bumblebees do this amazing thing if you approach - they'll wave first one leg, then two, to warn you off - and then if you're still hanging around and not giving them some space, they'll turn and show you their sting. That's THREE warnings...and they're trying really hard NOT to sting you! I think that's pretty fair - and pretty clever. :)
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