High-speed video reveals how honey bee stingers pump venom

Erik Stokstad reports in Science that researchers filmed removed honey bee stingers in simulated tissue and found that flaps on two lances alternately seal a bulb, keeping venom flowing. Science published the report on Oct. 12, 2026; ScienceMagazine shared it on Oct. 20. The researchers hope the mechanism might inspire tiny pumps for biomedical devices, a proposed application rather than a demonstrated one.