They swarm around ponds on a hot summer day, they can’t resist the smell of your sugar-filled
soda, they jump, crawl, fly, and just give us all the creeps in general.
These critters may be small, but they can be lethal, so watch out!
When I tell you about a creature so dangerous that it’s the number one human-killer on
Earth, you probably imagine the usual suspects like sharks, bears, or lions.
But, no, you can easily squish this little guy with just a finger.
Any guesses as to what it might be?
Yep, it’s the mosquito!
Those very insects that you know as mere sleep disturbers buzzing around your ears at night.
Sure, it’s annoying if you get bit by a mosquito, but no big deal, right?
Well, not so much once you consider the fact that these buzzing nuisances carry a variety
of diseases.
Some of the most well-known are malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and West Nile virus.
These and many other life-threatening illnesses are transferred to humans through a mosquito’s
spout-like mouth when it pierces your skin and sucks your blood.
Gross!
These disease-spreading vampires claim an average of 750,000 human lives every year,
and malaria is responsible for about half of those deaths.
As for those scary sharks we see in horror flicks, they only take about 6 human lives
a year.
So, yeah, maybe film directors should take note and make a movie about mosquitos instead?
_____ Mosquitoes aren’t the only underrated killers
out there.
If you have a cat or dog, I’m sure you already know where I’m going with my next point.
Yes, fleas!
These creatures border on microscopic in size but can become a gigantic inconvenience once
they’ve infested your pets’ warm cozy fur.
Like mosquitos, fleas also feast on blood for survival.
They prefer animal blood to humans’, but this doesn’t mean they won’t have a taste
if given the opportunity.
Their itchy bite is usually more of a nuisance, but they’ve been known to carry more serious
diseases like typhus and the bubonic plague.
Yes, you heard that correctly: that thing that wiped out most of Europe in the 14th
century.
Anyway, just make sure to keep your furry friends up-to-date with their tick and flea
prevention! _____
Oh that’s right!
Another tiny vampire we should fear is the tick.
Both pet owners and hiking enthusiasts know all about these annoying little critters.
The problem with a tick is that it too is small enough to drink its fill of your blood
before you become aware of its presence.
In fact, a tick may have already left its host before the symptoms of disease start
showing up!
Oh yeah, and about those diseases – there’s more than you can imagine!
With 900 different tick species across the globe, they come with their own smorgasbord
of illnesses.
Although the word “tick” has become synonymous with Lyme disease, there’s also Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever, Tick Paralysis, Typhus, Relapsing Fever, Babesiosis…should I keep going?
Ok, you get it.
Try to stay away from these nasty little killers.
_____ Let’s take a break from the bloodsuckers
for now, and quickly move on to a creature that doesn’t move so quickly!
Who doesn’t love swimming in freshwater lakes or jumping into a cool river to escape
the summer heat?
Ah, yet again, dear outdoor adventurer, I have to warn you against the dreaded freshwater
snail.
Yes, you heard me right – one of the deadly creatures on this list is a snail.
But hey!
These freshwater inhabitants can be carriers of a parasitic worm called Schistosomiasis.
Once it infects the human body, it causes intense abdominal pain and blood in the stool
or urine.
Eeegh, yikes…
And can you believe that a snail could cause over 20,000 deaths a year?
The couch-potato lifestyle is starting to sound more and more appealing…
_____ The next seemingly cute little fella that
you should stay far away from goes by many names: the Southern flannel moth, the woolly
slug, the puss caterpillar.
Whatever alias it likes to don, you’ll recognize this bug by its luxurious hair-like spines.
These furry spines are actually what it uses to protect itself.
Contact with this fluffy-looking creature causes almost instant skin irritation with
pain so severe that some people say it feels like getting a broken bone!
Along with the pain comes swelling, burning, nausea, headache, blisters, rashes, chest
pain, numbness, and difficulty breathing.
Sounds like an alphabet soup of “No thanks, I’ll pass!”
_____ Another deceptive insect is the kissing bug.
The name is almost as deceiving as the seemingly fluffy fur of the woolly slug.
It’s also known as the assassin bug, but it probably prefers to go by the more flattering
nomenclature.
Anyway, we’re back to the bloodsuckers.
But this insect’s vampiric bite isn’t the biggest threat, not unless you have a
serious allergic reaction to it.
No, the issue here is the bug’s poop.
Their fecal matter can contain a deadly parasite that causes Chagas disease.
And I know you’re wondering, so here are the very unpleasant symptoms: muscle aches
and fever as well as heart and digestive failure.
Really thinking I’ll never leave my house again…
_____ But wait, have you ever found a centipede
in your house?
Oh, brother, what then!?
Well, I’m not talking about those little brown ones that send you running when you
notice one in the bathtub – those aren’t considered dangerous to humans, although they
can bite!
I’m talking about the bigger ones, the ones whose bite is extremely painful and comes
along with swelling, redness, headache, nausea, vomiting, skin necrosis, palpitations, and
anxiety.
In severe cases, a centipede bite can even lead to fatal heart attack if it’s not treated
in time.
_____ Anyone who’s spent some time on the Internet
has seen all those memes about creatures in Australia wanting to kill you.
The saddest thing is that it seems kinda true!
The land down under is home to some of the deadliest creatures on the planet, and that
includes the funnel-web spider.
If being one of the world’s most venomous spiders out there wasn’t enough, this eight-legged
nightmare-inducing monster can also survive underwater for several hours!
If a person gets bit, they can expect sweating, confusion, muscle spasms, and eventual progressive
hypotension that can result in death.
So, if you ever do find yourself trying to save a spider from drowning in Australia,
you might wanna think twice… _____
Now, unless you’re allergic, bees aren’t usually life-threatening.
But that’s just about normal bees.
As for the Africanized bee (which is a result of crossbreeding the European honeybee with
the East African honeybee), they can do some real damage even if you’re not allergic!
The Africanized bee (a.k.a. the killer bee) is more defensive than other honeybee species,
which usually only sting as a last resort.
Killer bees react to any kind of threat much quicker than other bees and swarm together
to protect their hive, meaning that a person can receive up to 10 times more stings than
with typical bees.
These super aggressive buzzers have been known to chase down their victims for up to a quarter
of a mile!
And they’ve taken their fair share of victims, both human and animal.
Maybe we shouldn’t crossbreed any more venomous creatures, eh?
Didn’t really turn out too good this time around…
_____ Speaking of bees, another airborne attacker
is the hornet.
Hornets can be aggressive at the slightest provocation, but just imagine a Japanese giant
hornet coming after you!
Their sting is so painful that it’ll send you straight to the hospital.
Even if you’re not allergic, the stings can still be fatal if enough venom is injected.
And if you do have an allergy, anaphylactic shock is ahead.
Getting stung 10 times guarantees that a person will need medical attention.
In the rare but possible case of being stung more than 30 times, a patient will require
emergency medical treatment.
The painful venomous sting can cause kidney failure, which means death if not treated.
_____ One more flying terror is the Tsetse fly.
These pesky bloodsuckers are the largest African flies and inhabit the more tropical areas
of the continent.
Like some of the other parasites that rely on drinking blood for survival, the tsetse
fly can transfer a dangerous disease to people called Human sleeping sickness.
No, it doesn’t help you sleep at night.
In the first stage of the disease, people experience flu-like symptoms including fever
and headaches.
Only after weeks or even a few months does the second stage begin with confusion, numbness,
and problems with nighttime sleep.
The good news is that treatment and intervention has reduced the fatality rate tremendously,
from around 34,000 people in 1990 to 3,500 in 2015.
And this number continues to drop.
So, when it comes to deadly creatures, it looks like having modern medicine on our side
is definitely a good thing.
But still, stay far away from any of the critters on this list, just to play it safe!
So, which of these creepy creatures scares you the most?
Let me know down in the comments!
I’m still trying to get the image of that spider out of my head, personally…
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