Snapshot

BV is an odourless and transparent liquid containing a hydrolytic mixture of proteins with acid pH (4.5 to 5.5) that bees often use as a defence tool against predators. One drop of BV consists of 88% of water and only 0.1 µg of dry venom. The latter is an extremely complex blend of peptides including melittin, adolapin, apamin, and MCD-peptide. It also contains enzymes, most importantly PLA2, and compounds of low molecular weight like bioactive amines.