Scientists solve mystery behind honeybee's sting

Key points

• Australian scientists have discovered how a honeybee's stinger keeps pumping venom after the bee has flown off. Researchers at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales led the work, which was published in the US journal PNAS.
• Using high-speed video, lead author Fiorella Ramirez-Esquivel showed that two tiny, specially shaped valves act like pistons. Their shape allows them to push venom in a continuous flow.
• The team has suggested the design could help in medical technology, such as an insulin pump.