The Most Dangerous Utah Insects To Watch Out For

I have found that there are many gross ways to die. And how did ticks not make the top 5 deadliest bugs on this list? Be careful, spring renews all the bad with the good. Here are the top 5 deadliest bugs calling Utah home:

#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.

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