When we think of bloodsuckers,
we usually think
of the fictional kind.
Vampires.
But there are real creatures
that will suck our blood.
And they could be living in your home
or crawling on your skin right now.
What can you do
to protect yourself
from these bloody nuisances?
Creatures that feed on our blood
are the stuff of nightmares.
But they are real.
And there is little
we can do to avoid them.
Bedbugs may not be
the most dangerous
creature in the world,
but they are annoying.
These small flat insects
like to live in clothing,
beds and couches.
They particularly like locations
that give them easy access
to you at night.
Their bites are painless,
but they will become itchy,
painful welts.
This can make you lose sleep
or develop anxiety and depression.
If you find any bedbugs,
clean all the affected linens,
clothing and bedsheets
using hot water
and the highest dryer setting.
You can also call an exterminator
or use an approved pesticide.
Don't do what a 31-year-old woman
in Michigan
did to get rid of bedbugs in her car.
She poured rubbing alcohol
over the seats of her car
and lit it on fire.
She was hospitalized
with second-degree burns.
But she's not the only person
to try fighting bedbugs with fire.
A Detroit man
also ended up in hospital
after accidentally burning his apartment
while attempting to disinfest a couch.
Hopefully, neither of the hospitals
had any bedbugs.
Most leeches are fairly small.
They can easily fit
on one of our fingers.
But in South America,
the Amazonian leech
can grow as large
as 45 cm (17.7 in) long
and 10 cm (4 in) wide.
Their razor-sharp jaws
clamp onto their prey.
In this case,
it's you.
As they take hold,
these leeches use a sucker
to draw out your blood.
Their saliva contains hementin,
which prevents your blood from clotting,
allowing it to flow freely.
They can engorge themselves
up to six times their normal weight.
The Amazon is also home
to the Tyrant King leech.
With teeth five times longer
than other leeches,
it can grow up to 8 cm (3 in) long.
A six-year-old boy
who had bathed in the river
complained of headaches.
Doctors discovered
the Tyrant King leech in his nose.
So, if you ever feel a booger in your nose
that seems to squirm
when you try to pick it out,
you might want to go to a doctor.
Otherwise, to remove a leech,
pull your skin directly
under its mouth until it's taut.
Then slide a credit card
or a piece of paper
under its mouth and pull up.
We usually associate fleas
with dogs and cats,
but these suckers like human blood too.
These tiny insects can jump
incredible distances,
up to 50 times their height.
Fleas can carry and transmit diseases
including murine typhus
and the Bubonic plague.
Typhus symptoms include headache,
body aches and rash.
Symptoms of the plague include fever,
fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.
The Illinois Department of Public Health
reports the plague could have killed
200 million people,
including 25 million in the 14th century.
In the U.S., there is an average
of seven cases of the bubonic plague
every year.
If a tick latches onto you,
it will feed for several days.
Some species can cause
Lyme disease in humans.
Those ticks carry
the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.
First, it causes flu-like symptoms.
The bacteria can spread
to your nervous system,
joints and heart.
But that's not the only disease
these little arachnids can spread.
Their bite can also cause encephalitis,
ehrlichiosis
and Powassan virus disease,
among others.
Ticks live in wooded areas,
tall grass and under leaves.
So inspect your clothing
after being in a tick habitat.
If you find a tick,
wash your clothes with antibacterial soap
and hot water.
And don't twist when using tweezers
to remove it from your body.
In April 2021,
ticks infected with Lyme disease
were widespread at California beaches.
They're the ultimate bloodsucker
and the ultimate pest.
You could argue
that mosquitos are also the deadliest
creature on the planet.
Hundreds of mosquitos have bitten you.
So they can't be that dangerous.
Right?
Well, mosquitos
kill about 45 million
people every year.
Like ticks,
mosquitos feed on multiple hosts
and can pick up a disease
from one host and transfer it to another.
They spread malaria,
Zika virus
and West Nile virus, among others
If you want to move somewhere
without mosquitos,
you only have three choices,
the Arctic,
the Antarctic
or Iceland.
Mosquitos aren't choosy.
But they seem to be most attracted
to people with type O blood,
larger people who exhale
greater amounts of carbon dioxide
and those who sweat more.
These bugs also seem to enjoy
the blood of pregnant women
or people who have just enjoyed alcohol.
So put down that beer
and stay inside with your beloved pet.
But be careful,
they can be dangerous too.
Want to know which animal
makes for the most dangerous pet?
Then keep watching
How to Survive.