Bees have a much greater armory of defenses against attacks than simply their stingers.
For external threats, the bees rely, first and foremost, on their protective nest. Guard bees patrolling the single, tight entrance quickly attack intruders, and when necessary, will join a massive counterattack synchronized by the release of alarm pheromones. For internal threats, bees have a bevy of defenses as well. When first building the hive, they varnish the interior walls with floral herbicides and fungicides. They bear a colony-specific odor that helps them distinguish between colony members and intruders.