The sting of the queen has a smooth shaft that makes it easy to insert and remove. The worker sting has a barbed shaft and like a fish hook, it is easy to insert but difficult to remove. As a result, the sting venom gland and surrounding muscles remain anchored in the victim's flesh as the worker flies away. This results in the death of the worker but ensures that the victim receives a maximum dose of venom.

Queens and workers sting for different reasons. When the colony is preparing to swarm, it raises several queens in special cells. The first queen to emerge goes around the nest and stings would-be competitor queens that have not yet emerged from their cells.

When two or more queens emerge at the same time, they fight to the death for control of the colony, using their stings as weapons. Workers sting to protect the nest from invaders. Guard bees recognize intruders by their scent or behavior. When they detect an intruder, they sting it, releasing an alarm pheromone in the process. This pheromone is a chemical that attracts other workers to assist in the defense of the colony. The same chemical is found in bananas, so I never eat bananas before working with the bees.

Alarm pheromone is just one of many chemicals bees use to communicate with one another. Bees rarely sting away from the nest, unless you step on them. Most of the 'bees' you encounter, especially at late summer and fall picnics, are really yellow jackets.