We have looked up some information about this on the Internet and discovered a few things.
They DO think we are attacking them! Even though we are not, they THINK we are. That's why they sting, to defend themselves and especially their hive. Apparently it is not that common for them to sting when they are far away from their hive, only if you wave at them or step on them.
Another thing we discovered is that they die when they sting, because the stinger gets caught in the skin of the person or animal they sting and when they try to fly away, the stinger does not come loose and part of their tummy gets torn. That's why they die. Queen bees are luckier though, because they don't have the same type of stinger. Theirs goes in AND comes out easily.
Motorbikes: why do some of them stink so much and make so much noise?
My parents explained that the stink was to do with the fuel, and with the motorbike not being in very good shape normally. Fuel is generally smelly. Motorbikes now have mechanisms to control fumes, but my mother says that when she was growing up, ALL motorbikes stank and made noise. I suppose I am lucky then. The noise is also normally related to how new or how old the motorbike is. The newer, the more silent. Old models of motorbikes were noisier. Apparently some people who ride motorbikes actually LIKE the sound and they cut off part of the pipe at the back to make it even noiser! The pipe is called an exhaust pipe and actually helps reduce the noise.
I don't like the smell or the noise.
That's all for today! I hope you've enjoyed my questions.
Thanks Iain. Getting stung by a bee is not nice. Did you know that if you are wearing very brightly coloured clothes, a bee might think you're a flower and buzz around you - perhaps even land on you? I remember that in your great grandmother's house the bedroom had curtains with a bright flower pattern on them. In the summer, early in the morning, lots of bees used to come to the window, trying to get at the flowers!
ResponderEliminarIf a bee does land on you, the best thing to do is keep very still and it will probably go away on its own. Or you can try blowing on it gently - that sometimes makes them fly off.
I don't like motor bikes either. I agree that they are very stinky and noisy.