It’s almost winter time, and that means that all the annoying, stinging insects of the world are descending into the holes they call home. Today we’ll review why those stings hurt so much.

Bees and wasps are six-legged insects with bright yellow, and black lines on their fat little bodies. They will attack if they are disturbed with a black stinger that extends out of the abdomen of the bee. Once piercing their target, the stinger extends through the skin and causes a burning sensation. That burning is really a chemical they release in the sting called melattin. The venom activates the pain sensors, causing burning sensations throughout the body that can last up to a couple of days.

The shock of being sting may also be a problem. One second, a wasp stings you for no reason. The next second your arm is burning. Well, it’s winter, so that means you don’t really need to worry about bees. As soon as summer hits, watch out.