can you spot the moment i get stung in carching this swarm?! But did you know these ten facts about honey bee stings?!? 1. Honey bee stings are a defensive mechanism. Bees usually sting when they perceive a threat to their hive or themselves. 2. Only female honey bees can sting. Male bees, known as drones, do not possess stingers. 3. Honey bee stingers are barbed. When a honey bee stings, the barbs on its stinger get lodged in the victim's skin, causing the bee to lose its stinger and eventually