# Wasp, bees won't sting if you hold your breath **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2011, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120 "2011-06-28T09:07:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/41 "2015-10-15T13:24:02Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Why and who is telling you that you would die from another incident? I would think that you would now have more of an immunity/tolerance of wasp venom than most people not less. Allergies only develop after you are exposed to the toxin. If you’ve never been stung, you can’t be allergic. It’s your body’s own overactive defenses which cause the damage. Having a massive dose of venom at a young age could cause you to develop an allergy. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/42 "2015-10-15T14:01:12Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I would think that you would now have more of an immunity/tolerance of wasp venom than most people not less. When going through desensitization therapy they start you on low doses of bee venom every week for an extended period of time (many months to a year) with additional booster doses. [http://www.webmd.com/allergies/immunotherapy-for-allergies-to-insect-stings](http://www.webmd.com/allergies/immunotherapy-for-allergies-to-insect-stings) A huge does of venom in one incident will not have the desired effect. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/43 "2015-10-15T14:23:45Z")
Interesting thread. I noticed that it is four years old so some of the participants are probably not going to see your comments. And to join in. I haven’t been stung by a bee in over 50 years. My pores skin and carbon dioxide status has not been carefully monitored so I have no anecdotal evidence to provide. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/44 "2015-10-15T14:24:51Z")
But but, what if you are allergic to zombees? ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/45 "2015-10-15T16:20:32Z")
> [@Mikeisskeptical](#): > > But I would guess that honey bees are far more numerous than other species due to domestication. So it still could be true that most individual bees die when they sting if not most species. > > Unless I my guess is wrong. I haven’t done any research or anything. Bumblebees do not shed their stinger like honeybees. Bumbles can sting repeatedly, they are so mild mannered though that it rarely happens. I recall my mom got stung by a bumble once, that got tangled in her hair and she was trying to pick out with her fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/46 "2015-10-15T17:28:52Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > But but, what if you are allergic to zombees? I know I am. They bring me out in hives. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/47 "2015-10-15T17:49:47Z")
Oh, bee-have! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/48 "2015-10-15T17:52:58Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > I am _not_ going to dig up any cites but I promise you two things. > > 1. Holding your breath does not “close pores”. “Closing pores” is a nonsensical phrase. Of course not! For that, you need a “pore key”. Also, you need to find the “pore key hole”. But if you leave your pores closed for too long, you’ll suffocate, like that unfortunate girl in Goldfinger (that was true - the actress really DID die! Snopes confirmed it!) ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/49 "2015-10-15T18:13:17Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Of course not! For that, you need a “pore key”. Also, you need to find the “pore key hole”. But if you leave your pores closed for too long, you’ll suffocate, like that unfortunate girl in Goldfinger (that was true - the actress really DID die! Snopes confirmed it!) Re:Goldfinger The most interesting part of that story is that, at the time, the prevailing notion was that covering all of your pores WOULD kill you (it won’t) unless you left a small part of skin exposed. I think that they actually left some some parts of her stomach an sides untouched so that she could “breath”. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/50 "2015-10-15T19:15:40Z")
Anecdotes, sure, but I keep bees, and several people have mentioned at the beekeeping group that they’ve noticed the bees being more aggressive when they’re wearing some aftershaves or deodorants (that is, the beekeepers wearing them, not just the bees resenting being disturbed when getting ready for a big night out). Also some people do seem to attract more bee aggro than others, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, and it is feasible that smell is a part of that, though I doubt holding breath would make that much difference. Sudden movements definitely are a good way of getting stung; occasionally I’ve forgotten and shaken something off my hand while doing a hive inspection, and the bees noticeably get angrier and home in on the fast movement. Some angry bees do home in on faces, some go more for hands (mine have a thing for hand stinging), some colonies regularly go for ankles (or climbing up inside trousers), it seems to vary a bit by colony. Incidently, queen honey bees don’t have a barbed sting, so can sting repeatedly, though they only ever seem to use it to fight each other. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/51 "2015-10-15T20:49:57Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Incidently, queen honey bees don’t have a barbed sting, so can sting repeatedly, though they only ever seem to use it to fight each other. The point of a queen fight is to win and survive, thereby winning the right to procreate. Dead queen bees can’t produce thousands of workers and continue the species. ---
**Author:** ![Reneel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3bc359/32.png) [@Reneel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reneel)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/52 "2022-03-03T19:28:00Z")
Holding your breath works. I’ve done it all my life. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/53 "2022-03-03T19:32:19Z")
Impressive. Most people can’t even manage a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120/54 "2022-03-03T22:37:33Z")
Are you breathing, Christian? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/h96Ox5w6W_0/hqdefault.jpg "Creepy yoga farmer!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96Ox5w6W_0) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasp-bees-wont-sting-if-you-hold-your-breath/587120.md?page=2)