Do scorpions leave a stinger. Scorpion Stings: Debunking Myths and Uncovering Facts About These Venomous Arachnids
Are scorpion stings always fatal. Can baby scorpions deliver deadlier stings. Do all scorpion stings leave visible marks. Discover the truth behind common scorpion sting myths and learn fascinating facts about these mysterious creatures
The Truth About Scorpion Venom and Its Effects
Scorpions have long been a source of fascination and fear for humans, particularly in desert and semi-arid regions where these arachnids are commonly found. Their ability to deliver painful stings has led to numerous myths and misconceptions about the dangers they pose. Let’s explore the reality behind scorpion venom and its effects on the human body.
Contrary to popular belief, not all scorpion stings are life-threatening. In fact, of the 40 to 50 species found in Arizona, only one – the Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpuratus) – is capable of producing severe toxic symptoms affecting the nervous system. Even then, most people stung by this species can be safely managed at home with proper care and observation.
The Potency of Scorpion Venom
While all scorpions are venomous, the potency of their venom varies greatly among species. For most scorpion species, a sting typically results in localized pain and discomfort that resolves within an hour or two. This is important to remember when assessing the potential danger of an encounter with a scorpion.
Is the venom of baby scorpions more potent than that of adults? This is a common myth that has no basis in fact. The age of a scorpion does not determine the potency of its venom. Venom from all scorpions, regardless of size or age, is still venom and should be treated with caution.
Identifying and Treating Scorpion Stings
One surprising fact about scorpion stings is that they often do not leave a visible mark. Unlike bee stings, which typically result in a noticeable welt, scorpion stings can be difficult to locate. This is particularly true for the small Arizona bark scorpion, whose sting site may be nearly impossible to find even for medical professionals.
Proper First Aid for Scorpion Stings
When it comes to treating scorpion stings, there are several misconceptions about the best course of action. For instance, many people believe that applying an ice pack is the most effective way to alleviate symptoms. However, this can actually cause symptoms to return with greater intensity once the ice is removed.
Instead of an ice pack, what should you use to treat a scorpion sting? The recommended approach is to use a cool compress. This can be easily prepared by soaking washcloths in a bowl of water with ice cubes. Apply these damp, cool compresses to the sting site, rotating them as needed. This method provides relief without risking rebound symptoms or potential frostbite.
Another common misconception is that antihistamines are useful for treating scorpion stings. In reality, scorpion venom rarely produces severe allergic reactions. Unless you experience a severe allergic response, medications like Benadryl have limited benefit in reducing the neurotoxic effects of a scorpion sting.
Understanding Scorpion Sting Symptoms and Duration
When someone is stung by a scorpion, what are the typical symptoms they can expect? The most common effects include pain, numbness, and tingling. Patients often describe a burning sensation at the presumed sting site. The venom attacks nerve endings, causing them to fire improperly, which can result in numbness and tingling around the affected area.
How long do scorpion sting symptoms typically last? For most patients, the majority of symptoms will clear within the first six hours. After this initial period, it’s unusual to see any new or worsening symptoms. However, it can take up to 48 to 72 hours for symptoms to significantly resolve. In rare cases, some patients report persistent symptoms for weeks or even months afterward.
Severe Symptoms and Antivenom Treatment
In cases of severe bark scorpion stings, antivenom treatment is available. However, it’s important to note that most adults who seek treatment for scorpion stings don’t meet the criteria for antivenom administration. Adult patients are typically treated with strong pain relievers and sedatives to help manage symptoms during their most intense period, which is usually the first six hours after the sting.
For whom is scorpion antivenom typically reserved? The antivenom is generally used for severe symptoms in pediatric patients. It has proven to be very effective in reversing these symptoms, often allowing children to be discharged home after receiving the treatment.
Fascinating Facts About Scorpions
Beyond their venomous nature, scorpions possess several intriguing characteristics that make them unique in the animal kingdom. One of the most fascinating features of scorpions is their ability to glow in the dark.
The Scorpion’s Fluorescent Exoskeleton
Why do scorpions glow under ultraviolet light? This phenomenon is due to a hyaline layer in their exoskeleton that reflects certain wavelengths of the ultraviolet (UV) light spectrum. While the exact purpose of this trait isn’t fully understood, scientists believe it may help scorpions “see” their surroundings or possibly attract insect prey.
Interestingly, this fluorescent property is so ingrained in scorpion biology that even fossilized remains of ancient scorpions still glow under UV light. This unique characteristic not only adds to the mystique of these creatures but also provides a practical method for researchers and enthusiasts to locate scorpions in the wild.
Scorpion Behavior and Habitat
Understanding scorpion behavior and habitat can help reduce the risk of unwanted encounters. Scorpions are primarily nocturnal creatures, preferring to hide during the day and emerge at night to hunt for prey.
Common Scorpion Hiding Places
Where are you most likely to encounter a scorpion in or around your home? Scorpions often seek out dark, cool places to rest during the day. Common hiding spots include:
- Under rocks, logs, or debris in the yard
- Inside shoes or boots left outside
- In cracks and crevices in walls or foundations
- Behind loose tree bark
- In cluttered areas of garages or sheds
To minimize the risk of scorpion encounters, it’s advisable to keep your living areas free of clutter, seal entry points into your home, and always check shoes and clothing before putting them on, especially if they’ve been left outside.
The Ecological Role of Scorpions
Despite their fearsome reputation, scorpions play an important role in their ecosystems. As predators, they help control populations of insects and other small arthropods, contributing to the balance of their habitats.
Scorpions as Pest Control Agents
How do scorpions benefit the environment? By preying on various insects, scorpions act as natural pest control agents. Their diet often includes crickets, cockroaches, and other insects that humans consider pests. In this way, scorpions can actually help reduce the need for chemical pesticides in some areas.
Additionally, scorpions serve as a food source for a variety of other animals, including birds, reptiles, and small mammals. This makes them an important link in the food chain of many ecosystems.
Scorpion Conservation and Research
As with many species, some scorpion populations face threats due to habitat loss and climate change. Conservation efforts are crucial to ensure the survival of these ancient arachnids, which have inhabited Earth for over 400 million years.
The Importance of Scorpion Research
Why is ongoing scorpion research important? Scientific studies of scorpions contribute to our understanding of evolution, venom composition, and potential medical applications. Some components of scorpion venom are being investigated for their potential use in treating various medical conditions, including certain types of cancer.
Furthermore, research into scorpion biology and behavior can lead to improved strategies for managing human-scorpion interactions, reducing the risk of stings while preserving these fascinating creatures in their natural habitats.
Living Safely with Scorpions
For those residing in scorpion-inhabited areas, learning to coexist safely with these arachnids is essential. While completely eliminating scorpions from your environment may not be feasible or desirable, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of encounters and stings.
Preventive Measures Against Scorpion Intrusions
What can you do to discourage scorpions from entering your living spaces? Consider implementing these preventive measures:
- Seal cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior, paying special attention to areas around pipes and cables.
- Install weather stripping around doors and windows.
- Keep your yard free of debris, woodpiles, and dense vegetation near the house.
- Use outdoor lighting that doesn’t attract insects, as these are a food source for scorpions.
- Consider using sticky traps in areas where scorpions are commonly found.
By taking these precautions, you can significantly reduce the chances of unwanted scorpion encounters while still respecting their role in the ecosystem.
What to Do If You Encounter a Scorpion
If you do come across a scorpion, it’s important to remain calm and avoid provoking the creature. Scorpions generally sting only as a defensive measure when they feel threatened. If possible, use a long-handled tool to gently guide the scorpion into a container for safe relocation outdoors, away from living areas.
Remember, while scorpions may seem intimidating, they play a valuable role in nature and typically pose little threat to humans when proper precautions are taken. By understanding these fascinating creatures and respecting their place in the environment, we can learn to live alongside them safely and appreciate their unique characteristics.
Scorpion Stings: Myths and Facts
They’re creepy and they’re crawly, and one may be hiding in your shoe! If you live in the desert or a semi-dry climate, you’ve probably encountered a scorpion or two in your yard or house—and possibly even stepped on one. Ouch!
While scorpions actually are pretty amazing and beneficial creatures, many of us fear them because they can sting. Much of this fear stems from the myths that are out there about them. It may be hard to separate fact from fiction.
Bryan Kuhn, PharmD, a pharmacist and poison education specialist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, dispels five myths and confirms five facts about scorpion stings.
5 myths about scorpion stings
Myth #1: A scorpion sting is fatal.
Between 40 to 50 different species of scorpions live across Arizona. Only the Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpuratus) can produce severe toxic symptoms to your nervous system – though most people stung by one can be safely managed and observed at home.
Myth #2: Baby scorpions are deadlier.
The age of the scorpion doesn’t dictate if the venom is more dangerous than the venom of an adult scorpion. Venom from all scorpions, regardless of size, is still venom.
A bark scorpion, in general, is smaller in size than other species of scorpions so perhaps this is where this myth comes from. That said, baby bark scorpions aren’t potentially more venomous or dangerous than their older siblings or parents.
Myth #3: Scorpion stings will always leave a mark.
Unlike a bee sting, scorpion stings often do not leave a mark. Given the small size of the bark scorpion, it’s often difficult to find the puncture wound. It’s not surprising that even when a patient comes into the urgent care or emergency department that the staff are also unable to determine the location of the puncture wound.
Myth #4: Applying an ice pack is the best way to alleviate symptoms.
While an ice pack may seem like it will be useful in reducing the numbness and pain caused by a scorpion sting, symptoms can come back with greater intensity when the ice pack is removed.
Instead, use a cool compress applied to the sting site. To do this, get a bowl of water with some ice cubes and soak a few washcloths to use as damp, cool compresses. Place one of the washcloths on the sting site and rotate out with a fresh one as needed. This way you’ll provide the same level of relief without causing any rebound symptoms or potential frostbite to the skin.
Myth #5: Antihistamines are useful after a scorpion sting.
Scorpion venom rarely produces a severe allergic reaction. Unless you have a severe allergic reaction, Benadryl and other antihistamines are of limited benefit in reducing the neurotoxic effects from a scorpion sting.
5 facts about scorpion stings
Fact #1: Scorpions are venomous.
All scorpions are indeed venomous, though their venom varies greatly in potency. This means that if you’re stung by a scorpion other than the bark scorpion, the symptoms will likely only include localized pain and discomfort that should resolve within an hour or two.
Fact #2: Scorpions glow in the dark.
Scorpions contain a hyaline layer in their exoskeleton that reflects certain wavelengths of the ultraviolet (UV) light spectrum. Though not completely understood why, it’s believed this allows the scorpions to either “see” their surroundings or perhaps attract their insect prey. Even fossils of ancient scorpions are still fluorescent under UV lights. Pretty cool!
Fact #3: Severe bark scorpion stings can be treated with antivenom.
There is an approved antivenom for severe bark scorpion-related symptoms, although most adults who seek treatment for scorpion stings don’t meet the indication threshold. Most adults can be treated with strong pain relievers and sedatives to help tolerate symptoms when they’re at their most intense—roughly the first six hours.
The antivenom is generally reserved for severe symptoms in the pediatric population. It is very effective in reversing these symptoms, and children can generally be discharged to home after antivenom administration.
Fact #4: Symptoms from a scorpion sting usually last about three days.
For most patients, the majority of symptoms will be clear within the first six hours. After six hours, it’s unusual to see any new or worse symptoms. It can take up to 48 to 72 hours for those symptoms to significantly resolve, though in very rare instances, some patients report persistent symptoms for weeks to months afterward.
Fact #5: Typical symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling.
Patients often describe a burning pain at the presumed sting site. The venom attacks the nerve endings causing them to fire improperly, which can cause numbness and tingling around the site. The venom doesn’t travel in the bloodstream though, so it doesn’t affect your brain, heart or lungs. As the symptoms worsen, patients will describe muscle twitching or spasms, sometimes involving the tongue, and altered taste sensation or even a lump in their throat when swallowing.
Kids can have it the worst though.
They can have severe muscle spasms and cramps and increased salivation to the extent that it becomes a choking hazard in the very young. Fortunately, in all these scenarios, there are different treatment strategies offered in an urgent care or emergency department that can address all these more serious cases of a scorpion sting.
In general, it’s good to remember that scorpions aren’t out to get you. They are really harmless unless provoked, so it’s important to follow these precautions:
- Shake clothes and shoes before putting them on
- Wear shoes, particularly when scorpions are active at night
- Put on gloves when you are working in the yard
- Keep grass closely mowed and prune back bushes and overhanging tree branches
Here are other helpful tips to fight off scorpions and other critters.
In the rare chance a scorpion stings you and you begin to experience severe symptoms and/or an allergic reaction, please visit your nearest urgent care or emergency department or call the Poison Control at 800-222-1222 (available 24 hours a day).
To find a Banner Health location near you, visit bannerhealth.com.
For additional information on scorpions, snakes and other creepy critters, check out these related articles:
- Bad Bug Bite? When You Should See a Doctor
- 6 Tips to Get Your Family Ready to Camp
- Scorpions to Snakes: Here’s What Not to Do if Stung or Bitten
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Wellness
Parenting
Wound Care
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How Dangerous are Scorpion Stingers?
Scorpion anatomy is also intriguing. Their pinching claws and curved tails make them unique among pests commonly found in the house and yard.
Here are some quick facts and tips about scorpions that may help lessen the sting of your next encounter.
The scorpion stinger
The stinger, also known as the telson, lies at the tip of the scorpion’s tail.
It features a bulb. This is where the scorpion’s venom is both produced and stored. Some say the scorpion stinger resembles a hypodermic needle, and it functions in much the same way when dispensing venom.
Typically when a scorpion hunts and attacks prey, it first attempts to crush its victim by grabbing with its pincers. If needed, the scorpion will also sting its prey, injecting venom that attacks the nerve cells and leads to paralysis and death. Scorpions have small mouths. Following the kill, the scorpion coats its victim with digestive juices that break down the body and make it easier to consume.
It’s not common for a scorpion to sting a human as they are defensive in nature. Whenever you come across a scorpion, understand that it may sense a threat and sting to keep you from crushing or otherwise harming it. Most scorpion stings are no more painful than a bee sting. Like a bee, sometimes a scorpion will lose its stinger in the process. Scorpion anatomy gives these arachnids the ability to release their stingers and parts of their tails in order to quickly flee a perceived threat.
While the scorpion heals within days, the tail and its stinger do not usually grow back.
Related > What to do If You Get Stung by a Scorpion
Scorpion venom
The scorpion’s venom is composed of a protein chain called chlorotoxin. Each type of scorpion has its own venom, and all scorpion venoms have different toxicities.
Related > The Difference Between Poisonous and Venomous
For example, the sting of a Deathstalker scorpion, found in North Africa and the Middle East, can be deadly. In the United States, the bark scorpions of Arizona and California are the only species that pose a significant threat to humans.
Scorpion venom is also being studied for its potential benefit to humans, both for developing better insecticides and for creating new drugs to treat diseases.
Treating a scorpion sting
Most scorpion stings will simply cause pain, swelling, tingling and numbness at the site of the sting.
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you have a scorpion encounter that results in a sting:
- Clean the wound with mild soap and water
- Apply a cool compress to the affected area for 10 minutes. Remove it for 10 minutes and then reapply it.
- Don’t consume food or liquids if you’re having difficulty swallowing
- Then you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, to help ease the pain from the sting.
The Mayo Clinic also says that toxins in scorpion venom can have a stronger effect on children. If you, or you children, begin to experience more severe symptoms after being stung by a scorpion, you should seek professional medical assistance immediately.
Helping avoid scorpion stings
Here are some practical tips for helping avoid an unpleasant encounter with this stinging pest:
- Wear shoes, particularly at night. Scorpions are nocturnal creatures
- Wear gloves when you work in the yard, especially if you will be lifting rocks and logs or collecting firewood
- When camping in areas where scorpions are active, check your tent carefully and don’t sleep on the ground outdoors
- If you live in an area where scorpions are active, shake out your shoes before putting them on, even while in your house.
Be sure to check any shoes left outside, in the basement or in your garage as well - Seal cracks and crevices in your home, and use a blacklight to check crawl spaces for scorpions.
Be sure to check any shoes left outside, in the basement or in your garage as wellIf these exotic pests become a problem in or around your home, contact the professionals at Terminix®. Our pest control professionals can help rid your home of all these scorpions.
Who has the worst sting in the world?
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Many creatures use the stinger to hurt enemies and inject poison, but they look like innocent babies compared to the monsters columnist BBC Earth talks about Ella Davis.
The sting is one of the most cruel inventions of nature.
To begin with, it hurts, stabbing into flesh like a sharp lance.
But the stinger is also a chemical weapon that injects a dose of toxins directly into the bloodstream.
Whose sting is more terrible than all other stings; which animal should be avoided at all costs?
- The most poisonous creature on the planet Earth
- Folk remedy for snakebite – another myth?
- How a bee attack saved a dying woman’s life
This question is more complicated than it might seem at first glance. You can think about who stings the hardest, or about whose poison is the most toxic or the most deadly – and this is not the same thing.
Let’s start with the pain. It is easy to check who stings the most painfully: you just have to allow yourself to be stung.
Photo copyright, Martin Dohm/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata)
In his famous experiment, entomologist Justin Schmidt allowed a multitude of insects to sting him in the name of science and developed his own pain index with heartbreaking descriptions of the sensations from the sting of each of them.
The unfortunate inhabitants of Central and South America will probably agree with Schmidt that the sting of the bullet ant hurts the most. The very name of this insect is associated with the pain of a gunshot wound.
And the most generous portion of poison – 2.5 milligrams – is injected into its prey by the road wasp of the genus Pepsis. However, Schmidt claims that the sting is “essentially non-toxic, just painful.”
Ants of the species Pogonomyrmex Maricopa, on the other hand, possess perhaps the most powerful venom of all stinging insects. Each ant has very little poison, but they live in colonies of 10 thousand insects, ready to repel any threat together, which can be very dangerous.
This is important to understand: stinging insects not only cause pain, but can also be a threat to life and health. In particular, scorpions are known for their dangerous stingers.
Photo copyright, Daniel HEUCLIN/naturepl.
com
Photo caption,
Yellow scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus)
Scorpions have one of the most terrifying-looking stings: the last segment of the tail, the telson, ends in a needle and a pair of venom glands .
However, scorpion specialist Lorenzo Prendini of the American Museum of Natural History claims that of the 2,000 known species of scorpions, only about 20 have “medical significance”, that is, they pose a threat to human life.
All but one of these dangerous scorpions belong to the butid family, whose representatives live in different parts of the world: from Mexico to Brazil and from southern Africa to India. However, the most terrible of them are concentrated in a kind of “hot spot”.
“There are many very poisonous species in North America and the Middle East,” says Prendini. .crassicauda)”.
The yellow scorpion is also known as the “death hunter” and androctonus means “killer”. And this is not an exaggeration.
Photo copyright, MYN/Gil Wizen/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
Androctonus bicolor
Southern autoctonus is a fearless creature that does not burrow, but hides in cracks, including in the walls of village houses.
This scorpion can grow up to 10 centimeters in length, and its venom contains powerful toxins that affect the nervous system.
“The consequences of poisoning with scorpion venom depend on the amount of poison that has entered the body and the degree of its toxicity – the strength of the effect at the cellular level,” says Prendini.
“Thus, a larger scorpion whose venom contains less potent toxins, but which is capable of injecting more venom into its prey – such as A. australis or Parabuthus granulatus – may pose a more serious threat to life than a small scorpion with a more potent poison, but in smaller doses, such as Leiurus quinquestriatus.
Most healthy adults can survive being stung by a scorpion, but only if they receive proper medical attention, including an antidote.
“Most deaths from scorpion poisoning occur in young children, the elderly or the sick,” says Prendini.
“The majority of scorpion attacks occur in rural areas populated by the poor and located close to the habitat of scorpions.”
Partly because death by scorpion sting most often occurs in remote places, the available data on such cases cannot be considered completely reliable. The same applies to the most dangerous stinging inhabitants of the oceans.
Photo author, Visuals Unlimited/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
Bulldog ant (Myrmecia piliventris) stings its prey
Jellyfish and their relatives use stinging cells called nematocysts to hunt prey and protect themselves.
These specialized cellular structures act like tiny harpoons. Some of them, piercing into the flesh, carry a poisonous charge, aimed primarily at slowing down the movements of fast-swimming prey, such as fish.
Of the 2000 species of jellyfish known to science, only 10-15 species pose a threat to human life.
But their close relatives, box jellyfish, which, despite such a similar name, belong to a different group, can be really dangerous.
The largest of them is the sea wasp, or the Australian box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), which can weigh up to a kilogram. Its numerous three-meter tentacles are studded with hundreds of poisonous needles that affect muscle and nerve tissue.
Photo copyright, Aflo/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
North Sea compass jellyfish (Chrysaora melanaster)
“C. fleckeri is responsible for most deaths from jellyfish stings in Australia, while other Chironex species are responsible for the killings elsewhere,” explains jellyfish connoisseur Lisa-Anne Gershwin of an Australian federal science agency called the National Association for Scientific and Applied Research.
In particular, if you measure the danger of a sting by the speed of death, the Australian box jellyfish will lead this hit parade.
“C. fleckeri is considered the most poisonous animal in the world,” says Gershwin. “[Its victims] die in just two minutes. And not in some cases, but very often.”
“Death occurs as a result of blocking the heart muscle in a contracted state,” she adds. “After that, survival is unlikely – you cannot further compress what is already compressed. So the whole safety precautions come down to avoiding a bite and immediately holding the victim cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”
Another name that comes up in conversations about deadly box jellyfish is the Irukandji jellyfish.
Photo copyright, Jurgen Freund/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
Irukandji jellyfish (Carukia barnesi) coast of the country, where the bite of this creature was first recorded in the 1950s.
But experts now recognize about 25 species of jellyfish in the order Carybdeidae – all of which have a terrifying ability to sting their victims and are found all over the world.
The smallest of them has a bell size of only one centimeter, but at each corner they have tentacles that can reach a hundred times the length of their entire body.
The poison released by the stinging cells located on both the tentacles and the bell disrupts the natural processes necessary for life.
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Unlike other jellyfish stings, symptoms are not immediately noticeable. “Irukandji syndrome” begins to appear after 20-30 minutes: the victim has back pain, nausea, muscle spasms and a feeling of inevitable disaster, and a heart attack is also possible due to a sharp increase in blood pressure.
“The most common Irukandji stings are Carukia barnesi – these jellyfish are just swarming,” Gershwin clarifies.
poison.”
Compared to the Australian box jellyfish, the Irukandji’s venom is “much more potent for the same volume,” but Gershwin says the chance of death from an Irukandji sting is lower if treated promptly.
However, it should be noted that Irukandji bites do not leave any marks, so it is possible that the number of reports of these encounters with invisible killers is less than the number of cases themselves.
At the same time, since 1883, 68 people have died in the waters of Australia from the bite of an Australian box jellyfish.
Photo copyright, NAture Production/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
Japanese giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica)
However, not so many people die from jellyfish stings today, thanks to awareness of the seasonal occurrence of dangerous jellyfish and improved treatment .
Therefore, in search of stinging animals responsible for the massacres, we will have to return to land.
The Asian giant hornet, the world’s largest stinging insect, has been nicknamed the “hell hornet”.
In Japan, 30-50 people die every year from the bite of a giant hornet, which causes severe swelling.
In the Chinese city of Ankang in 2013, as a result of a seasonal increase in the number of hornets, 41 people died in three months.
At least at first glance, it seems that these insects overtake other species in terms of the number of victims. However, an important caveat must be made: the number of deaths as a result of the attack of scorpions and box jellyfish is not well documented, that is, a direct comparison is incorrect.
However, it is possible that the deadliest sting comes from those whom we probably could not do without.
Schmidt claims that the species that poses the greatest danger – or at least deserves the most respect – is well known to all of us – honey bees.
Photo copyright, Simon Colmer/naturepl.
com
Photo caption,
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) live in colonies
All these bees belong to the genus Apis. European honey bees (A. mellifera) are well known to many in Europe and North America, while giant bees (A. dorsata) are more common in Asia.
“The honey bees A. mellifera and A. dorsata have large amounts of potent venom, attack by the thousands and are quite aggressive,” writes Schmidt.
For most people, a single bee sting causes just local pain and swelling. However, the stinging bee releases an alarming pheromone, which is a signal to attack for its relatives.
However, for the onset of a fatal outcome, there must be a lot of bites. According to Schmidt, in most cases, “with less than 500 bites, the risk of serious intoxication is low.”
Of course, it’s very unpleasant to be stung by a few hundred bees, but most of us won’t die from it.
At the same time, there are several factors that make honey bee stings the most deadly.
Photo credit, Tim Martin/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
African killer bee (Apis mellifera)
First of all, because of human love for honey, honey bees have spread all over the world. Among other things, this means that a person often comes into contact with them, thereby increasing the likelihood of an attack.
Secondly, some honey bees are particularly aggressive.
Domesticated bees are bred to be obedient to their owners, but wild honey bees in Africa are much more likely to attack predators en masse.
In the 20th century, they were introduced to South America and during this time they spread north, where they are called “killer bees”.
Over several decades, killer bees sent hundreds of people to the next world. However, they only attack if they believe that someone is threatening their hive.
Photo copyright, Visuals Unlimited, Inc/naturepl.com
Photo caption,
European honey bee (Apis mellifera)
If left alone, they will almost certainly leave you alone.
Finally, a single bite can be fatal if you develop an allergic reaction.
Anaphylaxis occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to an allergen, causing rapid development of edema, resulting in tissue damage and difficulty breathing.
The most severe reaction, which is called anaphylactic shock, can cause asphyxia, especially in the presence of a disease such as asthma.
A similar reaction can occur with an ant, hornet or jellyfish sting, but cases of bee stings with anaphylactic shock are recorded more often.
Fortunately, anaphylaxis is not very common. For example, less than three people a year die from bee stings in the UK, while in the US the number is about 55.
Read the original English version of this article at BBC Earth .
Who has the worst sting in the world?
BBCRussian.com
Many living creatures use a sting to hurt enemies and inject poison, but they will seem innocent babies compared to the monsters that BBC Earth columnist Ella talks about Davis.
© BBCRussian.com
The sting is one of nature’s cruelest inventions.
Video of the day
To begin with, it hurts, piercing into the flesh like a sharp lance. But the stinger is also a chemical weapon that injects a dose of toxins directly into the bloodstream.
Whose sting is more terrible than all other stings; which animal should be avoided at all costs?
The most poisonous creature on the planet Earth
Folk remedy for snakebite – another myth?
How a bee attack saved a dying woman’s life
This question is more complicated than it might seem at first glance. You can think about who stings the hardest, or about whose poison is the most toxic or the most deadly – and this is not the same thing.
Let’s start with pain. It is easy to check who stings the most painfully: you just have to allow yourself to be stung.
As part of his famous experiment, entomologist Justin Schmidt allowed a multitude of insects to sting him in the name of science and developed his own pain index, with harrowing descriptions of how each one stinged.
The unfortunate inhabitants of Central and South America would probably agree with Schmidt that the sting of the bullet ant hurts the most. The very name of this insect is associated with the pain of a gunshot wound.
The ant has very little poison, but they live in colonies of 10 thousand insects
And the most generous portion of poison – 2.5 milligrams – is injected into its prey by the road wasp of the genus Pepsis. However, Schmidt claims that the sting is “essentially non-toxic, just painful.”
Ants of the species Pogonomyrmex Maricopa, on the other hand, have perhaps the most powerful venom of all stinging insects. Each ant has very little poison, but they live in colonies of 10 thousand insects, ready to repel any threat together, which can be very dangerous.
This is important to understand: stinging insects not only cause pain, but can also be a threat to life and health. In particular, scorpions are known for their dangerous stingers.
Scorpions have one of the most frightening-looking stings: the last segment of the tail, the telson, ends in a needle and a pair of poisonous glands.
However, scorpion specialist Lorenzo Prendini of the American Museum of Natural History claims that of the 2,000 known species of scorpions, only about 20 have “medical significance”, that is, they pose a threat to human life.
The yellow scorpion is known as the “death hunter” and androctonus means “man-killer”
All but one of these dangerous scorpions belong to the butid family, whose representatives live in different parts of the world, from Mexico to Brazil and from southern Africa to India . However, the most terrible of them are concentrated in a kind of “hot spot”.
“There are many very poisonous species in North America and the Middle East,” says Prendini. .crassicauda)”.
The yellow scorpion is also known as the “death hunter” and androctonus means “killer”. And this is not an exaggeration.
Southern Autoctonus – a fearless creature that does not dig holes, but hides in cracks, including in the walls of village houses.
This scorpion can grow up to 10 centimeters in length, and its venom contains powerful toxins that affect the nervous system.
“The consequences of poisoning with scorpion venom depend on the amount of poison that has entered the body and the degree of its toxicity – the strength of the effect at the cellular level,” Prendini specifies.
“Thus, a larger scorpion whose venom contains less potent toxins, but which is able to inject more venom into its prey – such as A. australis or Parabuthus granulatus – may pose a more serious threat to life than a small scorpion with a more potent poison, but in smaller doses, such as Leiurus quinquestriatus.
Of the 2000 species of jellyfish known to science, only 10-15 species pose a threat to human life
Most healthy adults are able to survive after being stung by a scorpion, but only if qualified medical care is provided, including receiving an antidote.
“Most deaths from scorpion poisoning occur in young children, the elderly or the sick,” says Prendini.
“The bulk of scorpion attacks occur in rural areas populated by the poor and located close to the habitat of scorpions.
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Partly because death by scorpion sting most often occurs in remote places, the available data on such cases cannot be considered completely reliable. The same applies to the most dangerous stinging inhabitants of the oceans.
Jellyfish and their relatives use stinging cells called nematocysts for hunting prey and self-defense.
These specialized cellular structures act like tiny harpoons. Some of them, piercing into the flesh, carry a poisonous charge, aimed primarily at slowing down the movements of fast-swimming prey, such as fish.
Of the 2000 species of jellyfish known to science, only 10-15 species pose a threat to human life.
C. fleckeri is responsible for the majority of deaths from jellyfish stings in Australia
But their close relatives of box jellyfish, which, despite such a similar name, belong to a different group, can be really dangerous.
The largest of them is the sea wasp, or the Australian box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), which can weigh up to a kilogram.
Its numerous three-meter tentacles are studded with hundreds of poisonous needles that affect muscle and nerve tissue.
“C. fleckeri is responsible for the majority of deaths from jellyfish stings in Australia, while other Chironex species are responsible for the killings elsewhere,” explains jellyfish expert Lisa-Anne Gershwin of the Australian federal scientific agency called the National Association for Scientific and Applied Research. .
In particular, if you measure the danger of a sting by the speed of death, the Australian box jellyfish will lead this hit parade.
They have a tentacle on each corner that can be a hundred times the length of their entire body
“C. fleckeri is considered the most poisonous animal in the world,” says Gershwin.
“Death occurs as a result of blocking the heart muscle in a contracted state,” she adds. “After that, survival is unlikely – you cannot further compress what is already compressed. So the whole safety precautions come down to avoiding a bite and immediately holding the victim cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Another name that comes up in conversations about deadly box jellyfish is the Irukandji jellyfish.
Until recently, it was believed that there was only one species of jellyfish, the Irukandji, named after the Indigenous Australians living along the northeast coast of the country, where the bite of this creature was first recorded in the 1950s.
But experts now recognize about 25 species of jellyfish in the order Carybdeidae – all of which have a terrifying ability to sting their victims and are found all over the world.
The smallest of them has a bell size of only one centimeter, but at each corner they have tentacles that can reach a hundred times the length of their entire body.
The poison released by the stinging cells located on both the tentacles and the bell disrupts the natural processes necessary for life.
Irukandji bites leave no marks, so there may be fewer reports of these fatal encounters than the number of cases themselves
Unlike other jellyfish stings, the symptoms in this case are not immediately noticeable.
“Irukandji syndrome” begins to appear after 20-30 minutes: the victim has back pain, nausea, muscle spasms and a feeling of inevitable disaster, and a heart attack is also possible due to a sharp increase in blood pressure.
“The most common Irukandji stings are Carukia barnesi – these jellyfish are just swarming,” Gershwin clarifies. poison.”
Compared to the Australian box jellyfish, the Irukandji’s venom is “much more potent for the same volume,” but Gershwin says the chance of death from an Irukandji sting is lower if treated promptly.
However, it should be noted that Irukandji bites do not leave any marks, so it is possible that the number of reports of these encounters with invisible killers is less than the number of cases themselves.
At the same time, since 1883, 68 people have died in the waters of Australia from the bite of an Australian box jellyfish.
However, today not many people die from a jellyfish sting – thanks to the information about the seasonal appearance of dangerous jellyfish and the improvement of the quality of treatment.
Therefore, in search of the stinging animals responsible for the massacres, we will have to return to land.
The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest stinging insect and is nicknamed the “hell hornet”.
In Japan, 30-50 people die every year from the bite of a giant hornet, which causes severe swelling.
Honey bees… have a large amount of powerful poison, attack by the thousands and are very aggressive
In the Chinese city of Ankang in 2013, as a result of a seasonal increase in the number of hornets, 41 people died in three months.
At least at first glance, it seems that these insects overtake other species in terms of the number of victims. However, an important caveat must be made: the number of deaths as a result of the attack of scorpions and box jellyfish is not well documented, that is, a direct comparison is incorrect.
However, it is possible that the most deadly sting belongs to those without whom we, perhaps, could not do without.
Schmidt claims that the species that poses the greatest danger – or at least deserves the most respect – is well known to all of us – honey bees.
All these bees belong to the genus Apis. European honey bees (A. mellifera) are well known to many in Europe and North America, while giant bees (A. dorsata) are more common in Asia.
“The honey bees A. mellifera and A. dorsata have large amounts of potent venom, attack by the thousands and are quite aggressive,” writes Schmidt.
With fewer than 500 stings, the risk of serious intoxication is low.
For most people, a single bee sting simply causes local pain and swelling. However, the stinging bee releases an alarming pheromone, which is a signal to attack for its relatives.
However, for the onset of a fatal outcome, there must be a lot of bites. According to Schmidt, in most cases, “with less than 500 bites, the risk of serious intoxication is low.”
Of course, it’s very unpleasant to be stung by a few hundred bees, but most of us won’t die from it.
At the same time, there are several factors that make honey bee stings the most deadly.
First, because of the love of man for honey, honey bees have spread throughout the world. Among other things, this means that a person often comes into contact with them, thereby increasing the likelihood of an attack.
Secondly, some honey bees are particularly aggressive.
Over several decades, killer bees have sent hundreds of people to the next world
Domesticated bees are brought up in obedience to their owners, but in Africa, wild honey bees are much more likely to attack predators en masse.
In the 20th century, they were introduced to South America and during this time they spread north, where they are called “killer bees”.
Over several decades, killer bees sent hundreds of people to the next world. However, they only attack if they believe that someone is threatening their hive.
If you leave them alone, they will almost certainly leave you alone.