Robert Griswold, age 12, of Staten Island, N.Y., for his question:

IS A BEE STING POISONOUS?

When a bee stings you, he very definitely sends out a bit of venom which is poisonous. Glands attached to the sting produce the poison which is made up of complex chemical substances.

For most people, the sting of a bee will cause a bit of sudden pain. And the bite may be complicated with continued pain and swelling.

Some people are extremely sensitive to bee stings and can become very ill when the poison enters their bodies. Some even die from only one sting unless a doctor treats them quickly.

The stinger of a worker bee is straight with barbs or hooks on it. Muscles inside the sting keep working to force it deep into the  wound. After the sting is delivered, the stinger pulls out of the bee's body. The bee dies a few hours after losing its stinger.