Fear of bees (or of bee stings), technically known as melissophobia (from Greek: μέλισσα, melissa, “honey bee” + , phobos, “fear”) and occasionally misspelled as melissaphobia and also known as apiphobia (from Latin apis for “honey bee” + Greek: φόβος, phobos, “fear”), is one of the common fears among people and is a kind of specific phobia.
Most people have been stung by a bee or had friends or family members stung. A child may fall victim by treading on a bee while playing outside. The sting can be quite painful and in some individuals results in swelling which may last for several days, and can also provoke allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, so the development of loathsome fear of bees is quite natural.
Ordinary (non-phobic) fear of bees in adults is generally associated with lack of knowledge. The general public is not aware that bees attack in defense of their hive, or when accidentally squashed, and an occasional bee in a field presents no danger. Moreover, the majority of insect stings in the United States are attributed to yellowjacket wasps, which are often mistaken for a honeybee