Bugs That Bite

Bugs are often considered as the most diverse group of animals, these bugs make up more than a million different species. They represent over 90% of different life forms on Earth and are found in various environment. Bugs that tend to bite are active throughout the day.

They tend to spread numerous diseases stimulated by different types of microorganisms including protozoans, bacteria, and viruses. The following list illustrates those bugs that sting and spread diseases through their toxic venom.

Often known as kissing bugs, hemipteras are insects that bite and can cause the Chagas disease. Firstly, the infected area swells up and then as the disease worsens, victims tend to suffer from chronic symptoms like heart disease and malformation of intestines. The drugs to cure the Chagas disease are at times ineffective. The victim can also die if the infection is not cared for.

The female anopheles mosquitoes can penetrate the victim's skin due to their specially designed body equipment. They have thin proboscis with two pairs of cutting blades, which help them to cut through the human skin. These bugs are carriers of malaria, and they multiply on a victim's red blood cells, causing symptoms like nausea, fever, chills, and flu.

The Japanese or Asian hornets have lethal venom which kills around 70 people in Japan every year. Its venom has high concentration of acetylcholine which can cause pain and dissolve human tissue. These bugs also have the tendency to prick more than once.

These wasps are medium-sized insects which look similar to honey bees. They live in colonies and their entire female population is capable of stinging, which causes victims to go into anaphylactic shock. A single sting can turn fatal for the victims.

These safari ants or pinching ants from Swahili, are notoriously famous bugs that tend to bite. Their columns are 12 inches wide and 200 ft long. The African ants feed on spiders, mice, and other insects. These deadly creatures climb up inside the victim's clothes and bite instantly when you least expect it.

They use large pinchers and hold on to their victim. Young children and seniors experience asphyxiation due to their sudden attacks. Each year, about 30-50 people die after being bitten by the African ants.

Fire ants are also known as red ants, with venom that can cause great pain and bumps. Some people may experience anaphylaxis, which is an allergic reaction to the venom. The bites are infectious and can turn into scars.

Often mistaken as houseflies, these large biting flies from Africa feed on the blood of vertebrates and transfer trypanosomiasis. The victims suffer from a kind of sleeping sickness with symptoms like headaches, fever, and joint pain. Each year, tsetse insect bites are fatal for about 300 victims.

These insects are small and off white in color, undetected through human eyes. These dust mites can trigger allergic reactions, cough, sneeze and runny nose, lethargy, respiratory problems, watery eyes, rashes, and digestive issues.

Tick bite are known to spread illnesses like Lyme disease, tick borne relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), Q fever, and Colorado tick fever to its victims. These different types of ticks are found in tall grass and shrubs, and stick to its victims.

These parasites are small, tough insects which feed on human blood and other warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs are mainly active at nights and feed on their victims without being noticed. The Cimex lectularius species is highly adaptive to human surroundings and are found all over the world.

There are approximately 27 known pathogens that reside inside a bed bug or on its mouth parts. The bed bugs bite leaves red bumps with intense itching over the skin. They bite repeatedly as they are looking for a blood vein and their bites are not visible immediately.

These wingless black bugs have tube-shaped mouth parts which they use to feed on the blood of victims. They spread the Bubonic plague from rats to humans. Fleas feed on warm-blooded vertebrates, and can become deadly if the infection spreads. The victim can develop swellings which turn into a pustule and can cause allergic reactions.

You can protect yourselves from mosquitoes, insects, and tiny-colorless bugs that bite by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants. Reduce skin exposure, and apply repellents on shoes, clothes, and mosquito nets. Mosquito coils and bug sprays may help prevent these bugs from entering your house.

Avoid use of repellents over exposed wounds, irritated skin, if you are pregnant or nursing, and also keep away from children's reach. Avoid roaming near swamps, fields, and dense forests, as these bugs tend to attach to their victims in such areas.