Terrifying giant bees spreading in Hungary

The southern bee may be alarming in size and sound, but it is in fact a furry, peaceful giant native to Hungary.

Giant bees in Hungary

At first, many people are alarmed by the huge, loud banging bumblebees. The yellow-and-black stripes on the creature is thought by many to be a sign that it is equipped with venom. In reality, however, the giant bee that has spread to Hungary is a tame species.

“The species is basically indigenous to the Balkans and Asia Minor, the Carpathian Basin is the northern edge of its range, and it is not found beyond the Northern Carpathians. In Hungary, it is (was) a native but rather rare species, with only sporadic records from the first half of the 20th century. In the second half of the century, the number of sightings even decreased, and it is no coincidence that it was the first bumblebee species to be protected in Hungary in the 1980s. Today, the conservation value of a single specimen is HUF 50,000,” Miklós Sárospataki, a biologist and associate professor at the Department of Zoology and Ecology at MATE, told blikk.hu.

Their sting is milder than that of house bees, but they have more venom. The sting of the house bee is hooked, so it stays in the skin after stinging, while the venom bladder is torn out of the bee’s pot. This kills the insect, but the organs that have been torn out continue to pump venom through the stinger that has been stung into the skin.

In contrast, the sting of post-mites has no hook. After stinging, they retract and, if possible, escape, so that far fewer irritants enter the victim, making them less dangerous.