Bees are less likely to sting when in a pair, scientists say
Bees are less likely to sting when in a pair, scientists say
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For those who are afraid of bees, settling down for a picnic or going for a walk in the countryside can be a stressful occasion. But being bothered by two of them is better than one, according to a new study, as they are less likely to sting when in a pair.
![[Being bothered by two bees is better than one, according to a new study, as they are less likely to sting when in a pair (stock image)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/00/94618593-14335915-Being_bothered_by_two_bees_is_better_than_one_according_to_a_new-a-59_1738111567458.jpg)
Researchers from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse looked at the differences in bees’ stinging behaviour when alone or with another bee. They collected honeybees from ten different hives and placed them in ‘arenas’ where they were met with different scenarios.
Each scenario contained a 3D printed ‘dummy’ that was designed in a way that meant bees would not lose their stingers when attacking. Analysis revealed that individual bees varied in their likelihood to sting, indicating that some are inherently more aggressive than others.
Certain conditions - such as the introduction of an ‘alarm pheromone’, which could indicate a nest is under attack - led to a higher rate of stings. However, the team found that bees were less likely to sting when in a pair. Researchers from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse looked at the differences in bees’ stinging behaviour when alone or with another bee (stock image).
Being bothered by two bees is better than one, according to a new study, as they are less likely to sting when in a pair (stock image). Writing in the journal Royal Society Open Science the team said: ‘In ‘The bear and the bees’, a fifteenth-century cautionary tale about the danger of giving way to anger, a bear overturns beehives after being stung by a bee and is consequently chased by thousands of them.
