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Mind, Body, Soul
What Bugs Me
By Mona Lease
Greetings, Gals!! Here's another interesting article I read. Read on
while I swat this house fly...grrr.
30 Most Dangerous Bugs in America
Africanized Honey Bees: Or killer bee..was introduced into America
after an experiment gone wrong. In the 1950's, colonies of African
honey bees were brought into Brazil for cross-breeding..to increase the
honey output. Some of the African queens and worker bees escaped and
bred with European honey bees to create the killer hybrid. By
1990...these bees were in Texas.
Arizona Bark Scorpions: Found in the deserts of Arizona, and
California..these scorpions are the most dangerous known to the United
States. If stung, you can experience painful swelling, breathing
difficulties, and muscle spasms. Seek medical attention right away.
Brown Recluse Spider: From south central and midwestern US...watch out.
They are in your woods and closets. Their venom can make you sick and
scar your skin.
Black Widow Spiders: Not much bigger than a paperclip, their venom is
15 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake. Few people perish of
their venom. A black widow bite causes muscle aches, nausea, and
breathing difficulty.
Mosquitos: Beyond the itch, mosquitos transmit malaria, dengue, yellow
fever, and St. Louis encephalitis. More than one million people world
wide die annually from illnesses passed to them via the mosquito.
Centipedes: They don't bite - they pinch. Their pinch can cause
swelling, redness, and pain.
Red Harvester Ants: Primarily in Texas, these ants have a brutal bite.
They don't attack unless provoked.
Fire Ants: In the southern states, they "gang up" on you. In severe
cases, death has been reported.
Ticks: They spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis (bacterial infection),
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and babesiosis (red blood cell disease).
Paper Wasps: They will attack you if you encroach on their
territory...and it will hurt. There might be an allergic reaction, but
they are "all bark and no bite."
Sac Spiders: They attack without provocation and are responsible for
more bites than any other species of spider. Their bite is painful for
the first 10 hours or so and might cause blistering or bruising. It
usually does not result in anything serious or life-threatening.
Tarantulas: They are actually pretty dangerous. They don't attack often
but their bite causes redness, swelling, and muscle spasms.
Oriental Rat Fleas: This is the same flea who carried the plague in the
Middle Ages. The flea traveled on the rats. That "plague" exists in
parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Wheel Bugs: Their bites aren't fatal, but immediately and intensely
painful.
Cockroaches: They do bite and they eat anything...including human
flesh. They prefer feet, hands, and eyelashes.
Tarantula Hawks: One of the most venomous insects in the world, they
prefer arachnids. For humans, their bite feels instantaneous,
electrifying, and totally debilitating.
German Yellow Jackets: Accidentally introduced into Ohio, they build
their nests in attics and under roofs. If disturbed, they aren't afraid
to sting you - repeatedly. Watch leaving out food...they love sweets.
Botflies: They are a menace. They lay their eggs on mosquitos which end
up on humans. When they hatch, the larvae burrow in the host's skin and
become parasitic.
Puss Caterpillars: Do not pet this fuzzy-wuzzy. It is the most
dangerous caterpillar in the United States. It's "fuzzy hairs" are
toxic spines that stick your skin and cause a painful reaction .
Kissing Bugs: A growing problem in the southern United States, over
half of these carry the parasite responsible for Chagas disease, which
can cause everything from body aches to heart failure.
Browntail Moth Caterpillars: On the coast of Maine and Cape Cod, this
caterpillar has poisonous hairs that, if touched, can cause a reaction
like poison ivy. You don't have to touch the caterpillar. Hairs detach
and can land on you causing the reactions.
Asian Giant Hornets: The largest and deadliest hornet in the world,
it's venom can destroy red blood cells and cause a human's kidneys to
shut down.
Red Widow Spiders: In certain parts of Florida, the venom is a
neurotoxin and can cause permanent muscle spasms.
Hobo Spiders: Their bite causes long-lasting headaches, bone and joint
pain, muscle weakness, and hallucinations.
Io Moth Caterpillars: From the south, their sting is excruciating.
Striped Bark Scorpion: Found in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado,
and Louisiana...their sting packs a punch that can last a few days. No
deaths are attributed them.
Chiggers: They are the larvae of trombiculid mites. Their saliva causes
the itchy, irritated bumps.
Asian Lady Beetles: In 1988, these beetles were brought to the United
States to slash the aphid population. They bite and are now considered
a pest.
Giant Resin Bees: They don't sting unless provoked...so don't provoke
them.
Velvet Ants: Called Cow Killer Ants...they are actually a wasp (only
the female stings). Popular Science says their sting is "30 minutes of
life-changing, pray-for-death pain." - Morgan Greenwald
"Sometimes all you need is for someone to just be there, even if they
can't solve your problems. Just knowing there is someone who cares can
make all the difference." sun.gazing.com
The best is yet to be!! MONA
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