Deadliest Insects in the World
Driver Ants Driver Ants got their name because they are continually on the move, looking for food. Most of the deaths associated with these ants are the researchers on location. They are indigenous to the Congo where the native Africans have learned to use these travelers to their advantage.
Bullet Ants These ants are 1 to 2 inches in length and their name is an indication of what a bite may feel like – being shot! At a minimum, the pain is extreme, sometimes leading to paralysis. Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist who famously created the Schmidt Pain Index for insect stings, described the bullet ant bite like, “walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch rusty nail in your heel.”
Fire Ants These little ants build their colonies on the ground in soil and sand, very close to your feet! If you’re not careful, your feet can be covered in record time and the biting begins before you ever have a chance to get away. Fire ants are very protective of their colonies and so intruders are given NO mercy.
Kissing bugs The kissing bug, how sweet, a bug that gives kisses. However, the name is deceiving. It is actually a blood-sucking parasite that is attracted to its feeding sites by breath. So if you breathe through your mouth, you are a target. This kisser leaves behind a gift after he is done feasting…Chagas; which can be a life-threatening illness.
Fleas A flea’s life is spent searching for a place to call home, where they can enjoy a meal of sweet warm blood. These little parasites can be found on reptiles, mammals, domestic animals, and humans! Over the centuries this little pest has caused devastation over the centuries. The Black Plague and Typhus are a couple of flea-borne diseases that have been devastating to communities.
Mosquitoes How can such a small pest be so dangerous? Despite their size, they carry life-threatening diseases, and measures should be taken to protect against large infestations. This tiny pest is responsible for much misery and death. Nowhere in the United States is safe from mosquitoes; they are found everywhere, even in Alaska!
Bees How can these cute little fuzzy, pollen-collecting and honey-making insects be a danger? Bees are very territorial and will protect their queen with their life. With the introduction of the Africanized bee, this trait has been cross-bred into the American honey bee making them more aggressive and unpredictable.
Giant Japanese Hornets These guys are not to be taken lightly. Measuring 2 to 3 inches, this hornet carries a toxin that often leads to paralysis, kidney failure, and death, oftentimes a slow one, in those that are bitten. Much like mosquitoes, this Asian pest is attracted to humans who sweat, drink alcohol, smell sweet, or are running.
Bot Flies Could there be anything more disgusting than flies developing under your skin and then eating their way out? If you are vacationing south of the U.S. border, in Mexico or down through South America and the rainforests, take precautions and beware of subtle illness after returning home.
Locusts While they do not directly kill humans, the devastation that an invasion can cause has been responsible for crop devastation and the consequential starvation of millions in history from the biblical times to 1874 in the American Great Plains, and more recently, infestations in Niger.