Ouch! Bees Cause Pain, But Do They Feel Pain?

The question of whether bees can feel anything, including pain, has been researched and collected, and in the end, there are still two trains of thought. One group claims that bees do not have the neurons in their brains to feel emotions, while others have clear data to show that bees can feel pain and will make selections that bring both feelings of satisfaction as well as endure pain for certain rewards. More recent studies involved inflicting injury to bees and observing how they tend to those areas more frequently. Bees are living things, and many of what scientists call behaviors may be more natural biological responses that do not require emotions or thought.

Insects Can’t Feel Pain

Until now, insects have not been thought to have the capacity for emotions or to feel pain due to the absence of the necessary neurons in their brains. Research shows that insects do not modify behavior after injury and continue feeding and mating without interruption. Recent observations of bees tending to injured body parts have led more to believe bees can feel pain and make choices based on pain and reward. Bees are critical to our ecosystem and play a vital role in pollination, which makes them worthy subjects for more research. If it is determined that bees feel pain, then what are our responsibilities to these pollinators?

The Right Thing To Do

If someone finds a bee in their pool drowning, what do they do? If someone has a beehive that is making them nervous, what do they do? If someone steps on a bee and the stinger is in their foot, how should they respond?

Bees in the Pool

More people than you think help bees out of pools and bodies of water because they know they can’t swim. Although one bee may not seem significant, human nature is to help others in need. Whether or not people know that bees can’t swim, they may use a screen or stick to try to help them out when they see them clearly struggling.

Unwanted Beehives

When people encounter a beehive that makes them fearful, how should they respond? The answer to this is always to call the professionals. It is dangerous to address a beehive, especially a large one, without the training and experience. In carelessly using a poison spray, you not only poison and kill the bees, but you also spread that toxin to other pollinators, and that can translate to people and pets. Unwanted bee swarms and beehives must be handled with care. Local beekeepers work together for eco-friendly bee removal and relocate them to a local apiary. Even if you are allergic to bees, treating them humanely is the right thing to do.

Stung by a Bee

When someone steps on a bee and finds a stinger in their foot, what should they do? There are plenty of sites, blogs, and advice on how to treat a bee sting. The real question is, do you kill the bee that lost its stinger as an act of mercy because it is going to die anyway? Not all bees have stingers, but if you are in this position, it is a choice. Bees may wander about until they die, so it is not necessary to mercifully kill them on the spot.

Experts Disagree

Some experts believe the observations of bees feeling pain are every animal’s natural instinct when processing stimuli. A stimulus may trigger a response to tend to a body part, but that does not mean they feel the sensation of pain. Animals can perceive something harmful, and this is called nociception. Instead of bees being more humanlike and feeling pain, others think bees are more like robots because they will avoid unpleasant stimuli after being exposed. The research that was done most recently was using a soldering iron to burn the tip of one antenna. At the same time, other groups did not receive heat on the soldering iron when it touched their antennae, and the third group was not touched by the soldering iron at all.

Beekeepers have dedicated their lives to protecting and caring for different bee species. When it comes to whether or not bees feel pain, they may not see the difference it makes because they genuinely care for their bees as best as they can anyway. If you have ever tried beekeeping or visited a local beekeeper, you know the passion and commitment it takes to do this well. If you ever have any questions about bees or beehives, get in touch with your local beekeeper. There is a close community of bee advocates, and they are always willing to help out however they can when bees are in need. So, even if bees can’t feel pain, we should still treat them with the respect they deserve for all their hard work keeping food on our tables!