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Bee stings
Bees are not naturally aggressive. They sting only when they feel threatened or when their nest or hive is in danger.
Bees feed on the nectar from flowers and, therefore, stings are more likely during spring and summer when they are out of their hive looking for food.
A bee’s stinger is barbed – a real miniature harpoon! and cannot be withdrawn when the skin is penetrated. In the bee’s struggle to escape, the stinger, the venom sack and some of the digestive tract are torn from its body, so the bee dies.
Be careful! If you have been stung by a bee you have to remove the stinger very quickly otherwise all the venom left in the sack will drain into your skin. Be very gentle when you remove the stinger and make sure not to squeeze the venom sack. The best way is to use a thin object (i.e. a nail file or a knife) under the venom sack and move it around the stinger whilst trying to dislodge it.