Kissing Bugs
Do not let this innocent name fool you!
Kissing may not be such a pleasurable experience once you have had an encounter with the Kissing Bug (Triatoma sanguisuga). This insect gets its name from its habit of biting people around the mouth and eyes whilst they sleep – is it in cahoots with bed bugs?!The Kissing Bug, which is also known as a Mexican bed bug or Cone nose bug, is known to transmit Chagas disease (for which there is no available vaccine or medication) and although previously only found in South and Central America it appears its making a charge for the US border and making its presence felt in southern US states like Texas – you have been warned!
Lice
This name alone makes me cringe somewhat and reminds me of primary school days when one child or another in the class had head lice- such a common problem! Lice, like the other nasties in this blog, feed exclusively on blood.
The best (funniest) story I ever heard was from a colleague in Ireland, who was confronted by a delicate matter from a customer relating specifically to pubic lice/crabs (Pthirus pubis). Needless to say Rentokil does not treat pubic lice and medical advice is recommended as the best solution to such a sensitive problem. Enough said.
Ticks
Ticks are common biters – best way to avoid them is to stay away from woodland and bushy fields. Not always great advice for the nature lovers and hikers amongst us.
Lyme Disease is one of the most common tickborne diseases. It is a bacterial illness cause by the bacterium called “spirochete”, but it is thankfully treatable with antibiotics. If you find a tick on your skin, it is advised to remove it as quickly and as carefully as possible using tweezers, as the longer a tick remains attached to the skin, the more likely it is to transmit disease causing bacteria.
Fleas
Fleas are real blood suckers. They feed exclusively off the blood of humans, dogs, cats, horses and other animals.
I don’t know if I am the only one, but for quite a while I used to think that fleas could fly but in actual fact, fleas are wingless insects. They are incredibly adapt at jumping! Their agile, powerful hind legs are able to propel them high up into the air, making fleas one of the best jumpers of the insect world relative to its body size – some say they can jump up to 100 times their body height ( I have read maybe even 200 times as high). Imagine if we humans could do that? We’d give Spiderman a run for his money, that’s for sure.
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