If you've ever been stung by a bee or wasp, you might think the attack came out of nowhere, but bees and wasps will only sting when they feel threatened.

They are social animals and often their attacks are as a response to a particular chemical given off by other members of their hive.

Now the science behind these attacks have been explained in a video by The American Chemical Society.  

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Honeybees (pictured) and wasps will only sting when they feel threatened. They are social animals and often their attacks are as a response to a particular chemical given off by other members of their hive

Most of the 20,000 species of wasps are solitary, but because solitary wasps do not sting, most humans are more familiar with social wasps, who live in complex communities. 

Only female bees and wasps can sting. Males do not have the egg-laying organ that is modified into a stinger on female insects.

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Unlike bees, female wasps have the ability to sting a target multiple times because their stinger does not fall off after use.

Social wasps and honeybees both use pheromones, secreted or excreted chemicals that trigger a social response in members of the same species.

In social bees and wasps, pheromones act as an alarm. They are secreted by some of the group when they think they are in danger, like if the nest is disturbed or one of them is killed. The rest of the wasps react to the pheromones by swarming out of the nest and attacking the intruder

When a wasp stings a human approaching a nest, the small insect simultaneously emits a chemical that signals the rest of the colony to attack.

This phenomenon was explained in a video from Reactions, a YouTube series from the American Chemical Society that 'uncovers the chemistry in every day life'.

'It's not so much that you've killed a wasp, it's that you've threatened a wasp or their wasp home,' says Sophia Cai, host of the video.

Wasps and bees will not sting someone at rest if they have not been disturbed by some agitation of their nest or threatened by swatting or quick movement of arms or legs.

They may land on someone's skin to inspect a smell or get water, but they will leave if the person stays calm and does not move quickly. 

Social wasps and honeybees (pictured) both use pheromones, secreted or excreted chemicals that trigger a social response in members of the same species. When a wasp stings a human approaching a nest, the small insect simultaneously emits a chemical that signals the rest of the colony to attack

WHAT IS A PHEROMONE? 

In honeybees, one of the molecules in their pheromone mix is isopentyl acetate or banana oil

Certain insects and animals release pheromones, often as oils or sweat, and other creatures can detect and respond to these compounds. 

This allows for a form of silent, purely chemical communication.

Since pheromones were first defined in 1959, scientists have found many examples of pheromonal communication. 

The most striking of these signals elicits an immediate behavioural response. 

For example, the female silk moth releases a trail of the molecule bombykol, which consistently draws in males from the moment they encounter it.

Slower-acting pheromones can affect the recipient’s reproductive physiology, like in mice, when the alpha-farnesene molecule in male’s urine accelerates puberty in young females.

In honey bees, one of the molecules in their pheromone mixture is isopentyl acetate, which is also known as banana oil because it is made naturally by the banana plant.

The science of wasps and honeybees was explained in a video from Reactions, a YouTube series from the American Chemical Society that uncovers the chemistry in every day life (still from the video shown)

Certain insects and animals release pheromones, often as oils or sweat, and other creatures can detect and respond to these compounds, which allows for a form of silent, purely chemical communication.

Since pheromones were first defined in 1959, scientists have found many examples of pheromonal communication. 

In social bees and wasps, pheromones act as an alarm, secreted by some of the group when they think they are in danger

'Both social wasps and honeybees use alarm pheromones to warn their buddies about nearby dangers,' says Ms Cai.

These chemicals are secreted by some of the group when they think they are in danger, like if the nest is disturbed or one of them is killed.

'If a hive or nest is disturbed, guard wasps will send out these guard molecules to rally the troops,' she says.

The rest of the wasps react to the pheromones by swarming out of the nest and attacking the intruder. 

In honey bees, one of the molecules in their pheromone mixture is isopentyl acetate, which is also known as banana oil because it is made naturally by the banana plant.

The molecule is often used to produce a banana flavour in foods because it smells like the fruit.

This is why beekeepers will say that a hive of distressed bees smells like bananas.

Because the attacks are triggered by pheromones, beekeepers use smoke from a special dispenser to disguise the smell of the molecules and calm their hives down.

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