Honeybee sting. Detached sting from a honeybee (Apis mellifera) stuck in a human finger. The sting is a modification of the female ovipositor, or egg-laying apparatus. It is no longer used to lay eggs, but instead serves as a weapon of defence. The sting consists of moveable chitinous elements, into which the ducts of two glands open. When a bee stings, the contents of the alkaline gland are mixed with the contents of the acid gland producing poison. The tip is armed with backward-sloping barbs, which makes it difficult to remove intact. The action of stinging kills the bee.