5 Of The Deadliest Insects Live Right Here In Utah!
After looking up the info for this article, I have found that there are many gross ways to die. And how did ticks not make the top 5?
#5 Locust- The Migratory Locust in North America decimated the crops of the early pioneer settlers of Utah. As the story goes, there were so many locusts that you could not see and the crops were covered in them. The settler's known at the time as 'Mormons,' now refer to themselves as members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, prayed for relief from the scourge (later know as Mormon Crickets) on the valley and were rescued by 'great flocks of seagulls.'
Ehrlich talks about the locusts and says, "It remains the world's largest recorded insect outbreak. Here in Utah, at the time of the transcontinental railroad, migratory locusts periodically descended on the homesteads of Mormon settlers, laying up to 1 billion eggs per acre."
#4 Fleas- Fleas can be indirectly deadly through their role in transmitting diseases. While a single flea bite is not typically deadly, fleas are known carriers for things like Yersinia pestis, which causes bubonic plague. When infected fleas bite a host, they can transmit these diseases, potentially leading to severe illness or death if left untreated. Historically, fleas have been responsible for significant disease outbreaks like The Black Plague and Typhus, making them a public health concern when proper control measures are not in place. thank goodness for modern sanitary conditions and health practices.
#3 Bees- We need bees. They pollinate everything and make delicious honey. But they can also be deadly. Bees have the ability to deliver painful and potentially lethal stings. When a bee feels threatened, it may sting to defend itself, injecting venom into the victim. For individuals who are allergic to bee stings, this venom can trigger a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Multiple bee stings, even for those without allergies, can also be dangerous due to the cumulative effect of venom in the body, potentially leading to serious health issues or death. With the introduction of Africanized bee our local bees have become more aggressive and protective of their queen and honey.
#2 Kissing Bugs- These sound cute right? Well listen to this and decided.
Kissing bugs, also known as triatomine bugs, can be deadly due to their ability to transmit a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi. When these bugs bite a human, they often defecate near the bite site. If the person scratches the bite and unknowingly rubs the bug's feces into the wound or mucous membranes (such as the eyes or mouth), the parasite can enter the body. Eeeeeeeeew!
Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, which can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. Chagas disease can become chronic and eventually damage the heart, digestive system, and other organs. In severe cases, Chagas disease can be life-threatening, particularly if it results in heart problems or affects individuals with weakened immune systems.
#1 The Mosquito- What good are these?? Every time you go to a ballgame or camping these buggers come out in full force. They like to eat me alive. I get so many bites compared to my husband!
Mosquitoes themselves don't straight-up kill us, but they're like little disease delivery agents. When these bloodsuckers bite us, they can pass on some seriously nasty stuff like malaria, dengue fever, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. These diseases can make us super sick or even kill us if they get real bad. Malaria, for instance, can give you a sky-high fever and mess up your organs, while dengue fever can turn into a life-threatening mess. So, thank you mosquito abatement district for trying to keep mosquitoes at bay.
There's a new sheriff in town and they are ready to attack all hoarding space. What does your garage look like? How about a basement? Do you have natural gravity flow closets that you fear opening? I think most of us do. Most of us are not actually hoarders but, no worries I have a solve for you.
I had a few areas in my house that needed a little more help than I could muster. On Cat Country Utah we do Free Business Shout Outs on Mondays and one of the businesses that took advantage of our program was called, Organized Chaos 435. I told Melanie & Shaunna I needed a little help and they were all over it!
It was VERY easy to set up and it only took and hour and a half to get my whole garage tidied up!! I had already tried and failed to finish several times so it wasn't too bad, just dirty, dusty and full of cat hair. (So sorry Shaunna.)
They got started removing everything from one side of the garages and then asking me what needed to stay and sorted the stuff into piles. I was cleaning outside in the yard and making dinner while they took over.
For this amount of junk and space and time that it took (1.5 hours), It would run about $150-$200. Now I know you just think for that type of money you will just get it done for yourself, but how long has your junk sat there clogging up your feng shui?
My garage was a cluttered, dusty dirty mess. I am so glad I got a hold of them. I didn't even realize how much anxiety my mess created.
After about an hour and a half for work for 2 people (I was barely there after they asked all of their questions), here are the results.
Now this is all very usable space! It just needed a few tweaks. when my husband needed something we just moved stuff around and never got back to moving it back.
This is the space I had started on but just never finished up. Melanie & Shaunna wanted to do more and label everything for me but I had to run.
So much garbage was removed! It might not look like monumental before and after pics but it really was great. I guess I am not as much of a hoarder as I thought or the pics would be more dramatic. hahaha
I have to tell you it's been a few days now, and every time I open my garage to park, I am thrilled all over again.
Take Back Your Sanity AND Your Space with Organized Chaos 435, Melanie & Shaunna- Helping you organize your space or haul away your stuff one room or load at a time. (Yes, they can haul your junk away too!) They are just getting started cleaning up southern Utah. Make sure you check out all of their before and after pics here: Organized Chaos 435
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