Science

Rare Photograph: Image Shows Exactly Why Bees Die After Stinging You

It‘s not an urban legend that after you’ve been stung by a honeybee (it must be a honeybee, not just any type of bee) it will die. This is because part of its abdomen with the stinger gets stuck in you.

Now in a very rare photograph, evidence of this was taken happening in real time. Photographer Kathy Keatley Garvey, a communications specialist in the University of California-Davis’ Department of Entomology who maintains the “Bug Squad” blog in her free time, was able to capture the image, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Why Honeybees Die After Stinging You Caught in Photograph

Here you can see the parts of the honeybee being left with the stinger as it flies away. (Photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey via Sacramento Bee)

According to her blog post, apiculturist Eric Mussen and Garvey were checking the hives at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC-Davis when Mussen told her to get ready with her camera as he knew a bee was going to sting him:

I removed the lens cap and aimed my camera at the bee. The bee was NOT about to sting him–the bee WAS stinging him.

I shot four photos within a second. My camera can shoot as fast as eight frames a second. Settings: 640 ISO, 1/250 of a second, aperture of 13.  Camera: Nikon D700, equipped with a motor drive and a 105mm macro lens.

Garvey contacted the Blaze and said this isn’t the first time such an action has been captured on camera, but it is extremely rare. Check out more of Garvey’s photos of “The Sting” here.

In capturing the image, she has also won top honors at the Association for Communication Excellence competition.

This story has been updated since its original posting to correct factual errors and to include more information. It was first reported that this was the first time anyone had captured an image like this, which Garvey informed us is not the case. 

(H/T Cubicle Bot)

Comments (132)

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  • felix
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:51pm

    BUSHS fault !

    Report Post »  
    • dirtypolitics
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 6:32pm

      lol

      Report Post »  
    • AKDuclos
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 9:15pm

      Jesus Christ! This is older than me. Pics and videos of this are way way way old.

      Surely to God you all didn’t fall for this…..

      AKDuclos  
    • phillipwgirard
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 9:29pm

      Whatever will BEE will BEE,,,

      Report Post » phillipwgirard  
    • random357
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 10:26pm

      I‘m 61 and I learned this in grade school in the mid 50’s. Nothing to see here.

      Report Post » random357  
    • RJO
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 10:28pm

      She was stung for the following – the fault of:
      George Bush
      Pope Benedict
      All Conservative Talk Show Hosts
      Racists disguised as blue-collar/hard working/spiritually-grounded/respectful Americans
      Ronald Reagan (Because Ron Jr. says so)
      Sarah Palin
      Michelle Bachmann
      Clarence Thomas
      The Pilgrims
      Christopher Columbus
      Former CBS newsman Bernie Goldberg
      Barry Goldwater
      Ted Nugent
      and last but certainly not least……GOD!

      Report Post » RJO  
    • Servant Of YHVH
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 10:53pm

      @AKDuclos

      I agree with you 100%, this is 100 years old. Kids for decades have always caught bee’s and made them sting their shirt so that they would lose their stinger. As a kid we all thought that was cool. This story would be like taking a picture of a camera for the first time in 2012. The story is soooo old!!!

      Report Post » Servant Of YHVH  
    • lukerw
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 11:46pm

      They are educated at a: KamiKazi School :)

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Heb4Seven
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 12:38am

      @AKDUCLOS:
      Please…Stop using God’s name in vain here. HE Nor HIS SON are swear words.
      .

      Report Post »  
    • The Giver
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 12:41am

      That’s a female bee. Males don’t sting. But do you know what happens to the male (Drone) bee when he impregnates a Queen bee! Yeap! He dies after losing his ‘parts’. The Bees Know.
      Honey bees will not sting unless provoked ( standing at entrance of hive) or if you’re hurting them. They work their whole lives to produce honey and raise the young. The most fascinating creatures! I see our Father in Heaven in the bees.
      SURPRISE: Bush did not do this!… but maybe Obummer will write an executive order to stop female bee discrimination. Oh wait, they can‘t vote for the Democrats YET so he doesn’t care.
      Happy Father’s Day to all the dads whether biological or not. Anyone can donate sperm. It takes a real man to be a dad. May you BEE free from stings on Father’s Day.

      Report Post » The Giver  
    • CaliforniaCommenter
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 1:25am

      Lmao!!

      Report Post » CaliforniaCommenter  
    • SpeckChaser
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 1:36am

      I really would have though this problem would have been worked out through evolution.

      Report Post » SpeckChaser  
    • right-wing-waco
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 8:06am

      Bush killed the dinosaurs too.

      Report Post »  
    • Ethereal
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 10:54am

      @AKDuclos
      I thought the same thing. I have seen this 100 times. Im 42 now but in my childhood I remember seeing video on tv regarding the additional bee inards being left behind after the sting and couldnt figure out why they say “for the first time.”

      Report Post » Ethereal  
    • jhrusky
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 11:55am

      Those of you exclaiming in shock that “this is so old” apparently have trouble reading the article.
      The article is about capturing the loss of the bee’s parts on film. Yes, we all know honeybees die when they sting because parts of their anatomy get torn from their body, but this is the first time it is know of that the process was captured on film.

      Report Post » jhrusky  
    • jhrusky
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 12:00pm

      OK … I just went and googled this and did find a few videos of the actual sting, although more manually than a sting and the bee leaving on it’s own accord and turning its innards into outards.

      SO, seems like those of you saying it was done for years are correct and I was wrong. Admittedly, I had never seen this before and I’m certainly not living in a cave.

      Report Post » jhrusky  
    • hialtitude
      Posted on June 17, 2012 at 3:27pm

      Don’t forget Dick Cheney and Haliburton for the blame list.

      Report Post »  
  • SuperSuineg
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:48pm

    filmed in slow-mo like 30yr ago, i guess only the bees and these kids didn’t know.

    Report Post » SuperSuineg  
  • Strat-M16
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:44pm

    Mosquitos die afte they bite me because I smash them. Shoot, I’ve know that for years …

    Report Post » Strat-M16  
  • vtxphantom
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:43pm

    To bee or not to bee. That IS the question

    Report Post »  
  • svan71
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:32pm

    first time? total b.s. seen this years ago..

    Report Post » svan71  
  • HawkEyeTx
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:25pm

    Duh
    I‘m just shy of 70 and I’ve know this for years and years from my GrandPa in the Hillcountry.

    Report Post » HawkEyeTx  
  • David_Bromberg
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:04pm

    or hornets. Those suckers just sting away, jab, jab, jab, then fly away to sting someone else.

    Report Post »  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 4:58pm

    I already knew why a mosquito dies when it bites me. Now I know why a bee dies after it stings me.
    Not the same process.

    Report Post » qpwillie  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 4:27pm

    kathy keatley garvey needs to get put more…shes about 30 yrs too late with her assumptions

    Report Post » cookcountypatriot  
  • seeker9
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 4:03pm

    Come on! It has been photographed, filmed, etc. hundreds of times. Oh well, what’s a bee sting among friends?

    Report Post » seeker9  
  • BOMUSTGO
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:56pm

    The remind me of suicide bombers.

    Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:53pm

    Hasn’t the EPA passed a law against knowingly killing a Honey Bee? They are an endangered species.

    These people could bee in trouble….

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • billo
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:52pm

    This isn’t the first time this has been filmed. I saw similar footage decades ago with the entrails from the bee continuing to pulse after the bee departed. A side note… an old acquaintance of mine used to catch bees and hold them by the wings, forcing them to sting him in the neck. He did this for the “rush”, much to the chagrin of the bee.

    Report Post »  
  • WithOutGodWePerishAsARepublic
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:51pm

    OH… OH… be careful Kathy Keatley Garvey …because PETA will be protesting outside your home and office for killing and endangering bees for personal gain and pleasure !!!! LOL

    Report Post »  
    • tommyg524
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:12pm

      thats ok, obama will likely make up defeated bee camps and the rest of us can take care of them in their new tax base funded beehavens with bee insurance for the sake of all beeings on the planet.

      Report Post »  
  • eaglescout1998
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:50pm

    It‘s too bad the paper wasp doesn’t suffer the same fate.

    Report Post » eaglescout1998  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:48pm

    Oh come on now…. I saw a movie in 10th grade Biology showing the same thing. Oh, that’s right, the new progressive schools don’t teach things like Math, Reading, Science or BIOLOGY……

    Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Inlightofthings
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 4:53pm

      and definitely not history…

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 6:51pm

      @Inlightofthings

      I left History out because that is one thing they do teach.

      Only it’s the skewed Sociocommiearxist version of lies and deceit. : (

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • freedomisasfreedomdoes
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:45pm

    Great shot, but hope they both the individual who was stung, & the photographer knew he was not allergic.

    Report Post » freedomisasfreedomdoes  
  • wisehiney
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:23pm

    Why did the bee get married?
    Cause he found his honey.

    Report Post »  
  • AmazingGrace8
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:19pm

    Wait a minute here. This is not fair. The Obama administration must form a committee and investigate fraud…oh wait…this admin. is too busy “gathering” information on the “Fast & Furious”. Well anyway, the award & honors SHOULD NOT go to this woman….Seinfeld already made a movie about this a few years ago! P.S. there is a real cute “honey-nut-cheerios” commercial on that shows a very nervous honey-bee noticing his “cousins & relatives” hanging on the wall….and the human is asking, “what’s your hurry?” Also love the commercial about the children’s pet possum. Sometimes the commericals are better than other programming. My dearest mom was a great gardener and grew beautiful flowers and one day I saw her carefully place her finger on the back of the(huge) “mother-of-all-bumble-bees“ that was on one of her yellow roses and the bee paused and then with a ”big-hum” flew away. I would not do it, but my mom had “nerves-of-steel” with a gentle touch.It is neat to drive by alfalfa fields, especially in Wyoming, and see the little sheds and smell the alfalfa and watch the bees work their magic. Honey in the morning, honey in the evening, honey at supper-time…I just love clover-honey. Yummmy
    Have a “honey-of-a-day” America !!!

    Report Post »  
    • Amica
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:43pm

      Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it stop it!!

      Report Post » Amica  
    • teebubba
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 4:44pm

      @Amazinggrace8….That has got to be one of the nicest, most thoughtful comments every made here. Thank you for upgrading this site today.

      Report Post » teebubba  
    • LRC
      Posted on June 16, 2012 at 5:41pm

      OK Amazing, you bee cool!

      Report Post »  
  • barber2
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:11pm

    He’s a keeper !

    Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:07pm

    I thought they shot themselves in the head with their little bee-guns becauses they could not face the world without a stinger.

    Report Post »  
  • Steverino
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:02pm

    I like honeybees. That kinda bummed me out for some reason – tore its little guts out. Does hurt like hell, though.
    Steve

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:01pm

    Wait, I didn’t get the shot, we’re going to have to do it again. That’s ths 62nd time Kathy, I’m having trouble breathing…what a pretty white light, I think I see angels…

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • SerikFox
    Posted on June 16, 2012 at 3:01pm

    I love how rather than warn her friend, she lifts her camera. Her friend was probably like “What are yo- OW! SON OF A *****!”

    Report Post »  
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