Campaign against Old Wives Tales

[Supernick]

On the quiz show QI the other night it was stated that the common perception that all bees die after they sting you, and wasps can go on stinging for as long as they feel was false. Can anyone back this up? Apparently it's not true for all species of bee or even most species of bee.

[Clanad]

Actually, the honey bee is one of the few bees that die after stinging.  They actually rip out of their bodies the stinger and its muscle structure after stinging.  A neighboring ranch to us raises Alfalfa Leaf Cutting Bees, (megachile  rotundata) commercially.  The bees are almost non-aggressive, but when they do sting the pain isn't nearly equal to that of honey bees, which are in fields of a ranch next door in the other direction. I've been stung by the leaf cutters and they do not die since their stinger is not barbed as is that of the honey bee.

[jills]

how can you question anything said by Mr Stephen fry.  The man is an oracle, and to be revered, not checked up on!! ;-)

That said, the point Alan Davies made about colds and cold noses was QI, in my opinion!