Fear of Bees

The fear of bees, also known as apiophobia, apiphobia or melissophobia, is a specific phobia triggered by the presence or anticipated presence of bees, a variation of entomophobia, the broader fear of insects, arising primarily from fear of being stung. It often coincides with, and is sometimes conflated with, a fear of wasps, and can affect quality of life through anxiety around outdoor activities; exposure therapy is an effective treatment, though a fear of bees held by someone who risks a life-threatening allergic reaction to stings is considered a rational fear rather than a phobia.