r/WTF 9d ago

One little mistake can have grave consequences...

12.5k Upvotes

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5.6k

u/kekubuk 9d ago

Honey gatherer. They usually go up to the hive without any protective garment and carry with them a bundle of something that gave out tons of smoke to disorientate the bees. This dude smokey bundle fell off, so now the pissed off bee can easily swarmed him.

1.3k

u/Beard_of_Valor 9d ago

disorientate

For clarity, bees experience an urge to load up on honey and ventillate the hive when they sense smoke (prepare to flee and avoid death from poor quality air). This is why the smoke calms them, even if disruption is happening like what might happen in a serious crisis.

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u/barbekon 9d ago

Also, to sting you, bee needs to compress it's body to C-shape (to touch you with it's butt) but there is so much honey in stomach, that bee can't do it.

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u/shorelaran 9d ago

So is that why they don’t sting when you find a migrating hive?

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u/OddHeybert 9d ago

I'd assume either that or they want to avoid unnecessary risks or losses while they're vulnerable.

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u/rugbyj 9d ago

"I'm busy, stay here and I'll sting you later."

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u/logicallyundeniable 8d ago

Ah the infamous ‘busy bee’

3

u/Hi_562 8d ago

Are bees aware they only have a one shot (then immediately die) stinger system equipped?

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u/OddHeybert 8d ago

You'd think right? But then again there wouldn't be survivors to warn the others so unless the bees can associate the two from observation I would imagine not.

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u/pelrun 9d ago

Mostly it's because they don't have a hive and brood to protect, so it's harder for them to feel sufficiently threatened.

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u/DrOrpheus3 8d ago

If you mean when they seasonally swarm, then that's part of the reason. The bigger reason though bee's are more chill in migration swarms is there's no nest to protect, just the Queen, which they WILL protect.

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u/low_altitude_sherpa 8d ago

Because it is another great day of saving the beeeeees.

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u/Armagetz 8d ago

More to the fact that a sting is fatal to them and they don’t have anything to defend. Now if you started to kill/crush bees and get attack pheromones released they might respond but evolutionarily it’s not to the gain of the hive to throw workers away when there aren’t brood already gestating to replace. Additionally few animals that would have interest in honey less pile of bees can also reach where they typically swarm at.

1

u/Teestow21 7d ago

Where is a bee's stomach?