Winter has a terrible reputation at times. We in Illinois should be a little more appreciative of the few months of winter that we get to enjoy some bug-free living, even while we’re busy griping about the ice, cold, and snow.
Considering that eight of the ten deadliest insects in the world call Illinois home, I’m happy to swap creepy-crawlies with their stings and bites for a few months of shivering and complaining about the present weather every year.
Recently, while browsing through my phone to kill time, I came across a piece that drew my interest.I couldn’t help but stare at the headline, “The Top Ten Deadliest Insects In The World.”
There were plenty of unwanted creepy-crawlies, as one might assume from the article, but I was surprised to learn that many of those deadly insects have made Illinois their home. Credit: JC Ehrlich.com
Coming In At The Bottom Of The List Of The Deadliest Bugs In Illinois Is One That You Might Not Expect
I suppose it comes down to numbers. One of these creatures is a grasshopper; swarms of them destroying crops are locusts, and Illinois is home to locusts.
Although they do not directly murder people, invasions have historically caused crop destruction and the ensuing hunger of millions of people, starting in biblical times and continuing through 1874 in the American Great Plains and, more recently, infestations in Niger. You might not eat, but the locusts will always eat.
Coming Next Are 3 Bugs That All Of Us In Illinois Have Probably Had An Encounter With, And One Of Them Is The Deadliest And Most Dangerous Of Them All
The most deadly and hazardous of them doesn’t even appear frightening, which is strange:
Now, given that it is covered in blood and is using its face to stab a person, it may appear a little frightening up close. Why is the mosquito thought to be the most harmful and lethal of all?
This website, TheMysteriousWorld:
The most hazardous insect species on the planet are mosquitoes. This most lethal bug spreads the deadly malaria disease, which kills one million people annually. Mosquitoes distribute malaria germs from one location to another and bite victims to transfer the infection into their blood. According to WHO estimates, 500 million cases of malaria are reported annually, and a child dies from the disease every 30 seconds.
Bees and fleas rank second and third, respectively, on the list of the deadliest and most harmful insects in Illinois, behind mosquitoes. It should be quite obvious why bees exist, but why fleas?
Humans, domestic animals, mammals, and reptiles are all hosts to these tiny parasites! Devastation has been inflicted by this small bug over the generations. Two flea-borne illnesses that have wreaked havoc on societies include typhus and the Black Plague.
