Honeybee stingers keep pumping venom after the bee flies off
Two tiny, specially shaped valves act like pistons, pumping venom in opposite directions.
Australian scientists have found how a honeybee's stinger keeps pumping venom after the bee flies away. Researchers have known since the early 20th century that honeybees empty their venom sacs using small pumps.
A study in the US science journal PNAS is the first to film stingers still pumping after they come free. Using high-speed video, Dr Ramirez-Esquivel showed two tiny, specially shaped valves act like pistons.
The valves form a parachute-like seal on the downstroke, then collapse to reduce backflow on the upstroke. The team hopes the design could help medical technology.
Others have suggested it could be useful in designing something like an insulin pump. The team tested the design on a 3D printed model.
Dr Ramirez-Esquivel was stung once while catching bees, after she missed with a jar.
- PNAS
- Journal
- Five years
- Time spent on the study
- One, while catching bees outside
- Researcher's stings during the work
Why it mattersFor anyone stung, it explains why the venom can keep coming after the bee has flown off.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet; the medical device idea is still a suggestion, not a product.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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