Bees have stingers primarily as a defense mechanism to protect themselves and their colony. The stinger is a modified ovipositor (an egg-laying organ in female insects) that evolved to deliver venom when a bee feels threatened or to defend the hive from predators or intruders. The venom causes pain and acts as a deterrent to attackers. Specifically, in honey bees, the stinger is barbed, meaning it can lodge in the skin of a predator (especially larger mammals), allowing the venom to be pumped in continuously even if the bee pulls away. This action usually results in the bee dying after the sting because the stinger gets torn from its body. The stinging also releases alarm pheromones that signal other bees to join in the defense, helping protect the colony collectively. Male bees (drones) do not have stingers since stingers derive from egg-laying organs that only females possess. Queen bees have smoother stingers without barbs and typically use them mainly to fight rival queens rather than for general defense. In summary, bees have stingers to defend themselves and their hive, with the barbed stinger and venom functioning as an effective deterrent to threats, ensuring the safety of the colony even at great cost to the individual bee that stings a mammal or large predator.
