system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Do honeybees, wasps and hornets have a different cocktail of venom in their stings or is their chemistry pretty much all the same?
gpt
Bees, wasps, and hornets all evolved from a common ancestor, so their venom is similar. Basically, their venoms contain irritants that irritate the victim/the individual who was stung. Phospholipase A2 and mellitin are the allergens that cause a bee sting. Antigen 5 is the main venom of a wasp/hornet. Both a bees and a wasps venom contain hyaluronidases, but the combination of compounds really dictate how the stings work/feel. A bee will inject a venom that basically causes inflammation - similar to an allergic reaction. A Wasps’ venom breaks down cell membranes and they can sting multiple times which is why they hurt so much more: they do actual damage. Finally, bee stingers stay in the skin, and you should always remove them. Hope this helps!