# Was you ever bit by a dead bee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-you-ever-bit-by-a-dead-bee/593271 "2011-08-19T02:43:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-you-ever-bit-by-a-dead-bee/593271/1 "2011-08-19T02:43:30Z")
The question is a running gag in _To Have And Have Not_. I gather that having been bitten by a dead bee is bad luck. Is this an actual superstition? Or was it made up? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-you-ever-bit-by-a-dead-bee/593271/2 "2011-08-19T02:50:23Z")
The movie made it clear what was meant. Lauren Bacall explained that a bee can die and land on the ground, but his stinger remains and can still sting you if you step on it. The information was presented as truth and I see some sites confirm it’s possible. Walter Brennan means “stung by a dead bee.” The point was that he was asking about a rare but possible event, but that it confounded most people. Slim understands the question, which shows that she’s a smart woman. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-you-ever-bit-by-a-dead-bee/593271/3 "2011-08-19T02:52:15Z")
‘Eddie’ liked to ask it of people who seem to have had a run of bad luck, which led to my assumption.