As yellow jacket season approaches in Roanoke, VA, survivors of these pesky little insects have come forward with their own stories. Whether you’ve experienced the terror from these tiny sky demons or you know someone who has, you’re aware that this is not a time to mess around.

Earth science and biology teacher at Hidden Valley Highschool, Ms. Blankenship reveals her traumatic encounter with the yellow jackets saying, “I hate them. Stay inside. When I was little, maybe seven or eight years old, I was at my grandparent’s house, and they had an apple orchard. We were playing in the apple orchard and one of us stepped on a yellow jacket’s nest. At first, I thought they were flies until they started stinging. My brother took off running and left me with them. I was wearing a sundress and sandals, quickly swarmed with the bees. My mother and grandmother spent the res of that afternoon picking the yellow jacket bees out of my hair.”

These insects are notorious for their uninvited aggression. While other bees sting just once, yellow jackets will sting over and over again. Try to enjoy an afternoon picnic with one of these insects and you certainly will not be asking for a second date.

Student and survivor, Garry Norris Jr. (11), recalls his own encounter from years past. “I was doing gardenwork with my neighbor so I could get twenty dollars. As I was hoeing a hole to put a pipe in the ground, I hit a yellow jacket nest. That was the worst experience of my life.” Norris describes watching one come out and then one thousand. Running for his life, Norris was stung 67 times. “Luckily I was able to get into the house pretty quickly but it was a terrible experience.”

If you plan on being outdoors this season, consider yourself warned. You just might be next on the sting list.