 Queen and worker bumblebees can sting . Unlike in honeybees , a bumblebee 's stinger lacks barbs , so the bee can sting repeatedly without injuring itself ; by the same token , the stinger is not left in the wound . Bumblebee species are not normally aggressive , but may sting in defence of their nest , or if harmed . Female cuckoo bumblebees aggressively attack host colony members , and sting the host queen , but ignore other animals unless disturbed . 
