Summer is the best time to grab that sweet sunny air, as the sun invites you to spend a lovely day basking in the great outdoors.
Well, at the very least, it tries to. The current pandemic throws quite a wrench into the plans of many people looking for a vacation that involves outdoor recreational activities like swimming, but there are still some other activities out there (such as camping and hiking) that allow you to get out and about with minimal exposure to other people.
That said, let’s talk about insects.
Even if most of humanity around the world has stopped moving about, insects sure haven’t, and now that summer is here, they’re taking advantage
of the situation to expand their own habitats closer and closer into our homes. Read on to find out which of these little critters you should be watching out for this season.
1. Africanized honeybee
Meet the Africanized bee.
First identified in Brazil during 1950, these bees are hybrids of the docile European honeybee and the more aggressive Southern Africa variety.
Unlike most of the other honeybees in its species, Africanized honeybees are extremely territorial to the point of aggression. They’ll very well chase you for at least a quarter of a mile if you so much as give their hive the stink eye.
Individually, their stings are no more potent than that of its other relatives. In fact, thanks to its slightly smaller size than that of its
European counterparts, it actually has less venom than them bee per bee.
Though, admittedly, this probably doesn’t matter a whole lot when you’re going to be chased by the entire hive rather than just a single lone bee. At least a thousand people have been killed by them, too some of those deaths having more stings than most deaths from other bee species.
The worst part?
They’re practically indistinguishable from its European counterpart.
While technically smaller and slightly darker than them, they’re not exactly details you’ll be able to grasp in five seconds before realizing that you just angered a swarm of them.
2. Fire Ants
Ow! You’ve probably been stung by one of these ants before. Not quite the exciting ordeal. These little buggers can give you quite the painful sting, leaving behind welts. They can be especially be dangerous to people who have an allergic reaction, but they’re not deadly. Funnily enough, their stings are called “bites” instead.
A native of South America, Fire Ants have begun to spread as an invasive species all over North America, Australia, China, Taiwan, and even the United Kingdom in recent years.
Their mounds can be found almost anywhere, as they are very hardy in terms of survival. The best way you can keep yourself ant-free is to always watch the ground for any nearby red ants, especially if you’re considering sitting down. You may be near a colony without even realizing it.
3. Wasps
Wasps don’t really have a good reputation, as they’re seen as the more angry and aggressive cousins of bees. They’re not actually as bad as their reputation might suggest, as they are apex predators and help manage in pest control, while also being flower pollinators.
Still, they’ve garnered the reputation of being aggressive for a reason. Wasp nests can be found all over your neighborhood, and if you see a couple of wasps fluttering about, it’s likely that there is a wasp nest nearby.
A mature nest can contain thousands of wasps, and can be dangerous to anyone if approached, as wasps can sting multiple times.
4. Mosquito
More than just an annoying buzzing sound generator around the house, mosquitoes are known worldwide for transmitting multitudes of diseases
such as West Nile virus and dengue. As such, they are regarded as one of the most dangerous insects in the world as a result. At least one million people die from mosquitoes every year. Keep that insect repellant on!
5. Horsefly
As if regular house flies weren’t already enough of a nuisance, there are these guys. They can be found hanging around in hot and humid areas all over the world. Though unlike their annoying house counterparts, horse flies engage in nectar feeding.
The females need blood to reproduce, so they bite animals. This also means that humans can be a target.
Unlike mosquitoes, their bites are noticeably irritatingly felt immediately, and usually cause a knee-jerk reaction by people to brush them off. The bites are also quite painful, thanks to their scissor-like
mandibles, and may leave behind bruises. If they feel like their blood meal wasn’t enough, they may try to go in again for seconds!
Thankfully, they’re not as dangerous as mosquitoes in the disease-transmitting department, but they might be a problem for other animals like horses.
6. Tick
They latch onto dogs, and they sure as heck will latch on to you.
Like mosquitoes, the threat ticks pose is about the kind of diseases it carries, such as Lyme disease and Tularemia. There are roughly 850 species of ticks across the world, but it is generally known that most of them hide in tall, grassy, and undisturbed areas, so if you stay away from those places, you’ll immensely lower your chances of getting ticks of any kind. It might be a good idea to spray on insect repellant, though, as well as to do a body check later on.
7. Black Widow Spider
Many species of widow spiders exist all over the world, all of them laced with potent and dangerous toxins in their venom bites.
One of the most infamous examples is the black widow spider, whose body gives its species away, thanks to the distinct red hourglass shape on their abdomen.
Latrotoxin is present in its venom, meaning that a bite from this spider will leave you with different types of muscle problems for weeks. Probably not the way you want to spend your summer vacation…
It is not fatal for most people but can be particularly dangerous for children and the elderly.
Thankfully, it is non-aggressive. It lashes out at humans mostly out of self-defense, so if you’re watching where you’re going (like if you’re about to walk into its web), you’re unlikely to get bitten by one of these things.
Wrapping up
Many of the insects in this list are considered pests and can be aggressive.
It pays to always keep a clear mind and to always pay attention to whatever you’re doing to ensure that you don’t end up being bitten or stung.