Editing Worker bee (section)

== Stinger ==
{{main|Bee sting}}
[[Image:Bee-sting-abeille-dard-2.jpg|left|thumb|The [[stinger]] of a black [[honeybee]] torn off its body and attached to a protecting dress]]
The worker bee's stinger is a complex organ that allows a bee to defend itself and the hive from most mammals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ramirez-Esquivel |first1=Fiorella |last2=Ravi |first2=Sridhar |date=Jun 23, 2023 |title=Functional anatomy of the worker honeybee stinger (Apis mellifera) |journal=50 iScience |volume=26 |issue=7 |doi=10.1016/j.isci.2023.107103 |pmid=37485367 |pmc=10359947 |bibcode=2023iSci...26j7103R }}</ref> [[Bee sting]]s against mammals and birds typically leave the stinger embedded in the victim due to the structure of flesh and the stinger's barbs. In this case, the venom bulb stays with the stinger and continues to pump. The bee will die after losing its stinger, as the removal of the stinger and the venom bulb damages or removes other internal organs as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-10-01 |title=Why do honeybees die when they sting? |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/honeybee-sting-kill-bee |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref>

The [[wikt:barb|barb]]s on the stinger will not catch on most animals besides mammals and birds, which means that such animals can be stung repeatedly by the same bee.