The venom apparatus of the honeybee, like that of many social insects, has a prime role of defence to the colony and stinging behaviour is most commonly observed in the proximity of the hive or nest. Pheromone secretion is considered to be one of the main stimuli for inducing an aggressive attitude amongst defending worker bees. The main enemies are honey-loving mammals and a range of invertebrate species, mainly Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera.
