The stinger is located on female bees at the end of the abdomen and is part of the ovipositor, which is an egg-laying device. Even though most bees can sting repeatedly, a honeybee only has one chance. The honeybee stinger has a hook-shaped barb and when it catches in a victim the bee can't fly away without inflicting the fatal wound of tearing out its ovipositor along with some internal organs. Even after the bee detaches itself, the venom sac and its attached muscles continue to pump venom into the victim.