How to Survive the Top 5 Deadliest Bloodsuckers

5 min read

When we think of bloodsuckers, we usually think of the fictional kind. Vampires. But there are real creatures that will suck our blood. And they could be living in your home or crawling on your skin right now. What can you do to protect yourself from these bloody nuisances?

Creatures that feed on our blood are the stuff of nightmares. But they are real. And there is little we can do to avoid them. Which creatures want to suck our blood? What dangers do these tiny bloodsuckers pose? How can we protect ourselves?

Number 5 – Bedbugs

Bedbugs may not be the most dangerous creature in the world, but they are annoying. These small flat insects like to live in clothing, beds and couches. They particularly like locations that give them easy access to you at night.

Their bites are painless, but they will become itchy, painful welts. This can make you lose sleep or develop anxiety and depression. If you find any bedbugs, clean all the affected linens, clothing and bedsheets using hot water and the highest dryer setting. You can also call an exterminator or use an approved pesticide.

Don’t do what a 31-year-old woman in Michigan did to get rid of bedbugs in her car. She poured rubbing alcohol over the seats of her car and lit it on fire. She was hospitalized with second-degree burns. But she’s not the only person to try fighting bedbugs with fire. A Detroit man also ended up in hospital after accidentally burning his apartment while attempting to disinfest a couch. Hopefully, neither of the hospitals had any bedbugs.

Number 4 – Leeches

Most leeches are fairly small. They can easily fit on one of our fingers. But in South America, the Amazonian leech can grow as large as 45 cm (17.7 in) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide. Their razor-sharp jaws clamp onto their prey. In this case, it’s you. As they take hold, these leeches use a sucker to draw out your blood. Their saliva contains hementin, which prevents your blood from clotting, allowing it to flow freely. They can engorge themselves up to six times their normal weight.

The Amazon is also home to the Tyrant King leech. With teeth five times longer than other leeches, it can grow up to 8 cm (3 in) long. A six-year-old boy who had bathed in the river complained of headaches. Doctors discovered the Tyrant King leech in his nose.

So, if you ever feel a big booger in your nose that seems to squirm when you try to pick it out, you might want to go to a doctor. Otherwise, to remove a leech, pull your skin directly under its mouth until it’s taut. Then slide a credit card or a piece of paper under its mouth and pull up.

Number 3 – Fleas

We usually associate fleas with dogs and cats, but these suckers like human blood too. These tiny insects can jump incredible distances, up to 50 times their height. Fleas can carry and transmit diseases including murine typhus and the Bubonic plague. Typhus symptoms include headache, body aches and rash. Symptoms of the plague include fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reports the plague could have killed 200 million people, including 25 million in the 14th century. In the U.S., there is an average of seven cases of the bubonic plague every year.

Number 2 – Ticks

If a tick latches onto you, it will feed for several days. Some species can cause Lyme disease in humans. Those ticks carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. First, it causes flu-like symptoms. The bacteria can spread to your nervous system, joints and heart.

But that’s not the only disease these little arachnids can spread. Their bite can also cause encephalitis, ehrlichiosis and Powassan virus disease, among others. Ticks live in wooded areas, tall grass and under leaves. So inspect your clothing after being in a tick habitat.

If you find a tick, wash your clothes with antibacterial soap and hot water. And don’t twist when using tweezers to remove it from your body. In April 2021, ticks infected with Lyme disease were widespread at California beaches.

Number 1 – Mosquitos

They’re the ultimate bloodsucker and the ultimate pest. You could argue that mosquitos are also the deadliest creature on the planet. Hundreds of mosquitos have bitten you. So they can’t be that dangerous. Right?
Well, mosquitos kill about 45 million people every year. Like ticks, mosquitos feed on multiple hosts and can pick up a disease from one host and transfer it to another. They spread malaria, Zika virus and West Nile virus, among others

If you want to move somewhere without mosquitos, you only have three choices, the Arctic, Antarctic or Iceland.
Mosquitos aren’t choosy. But they seem to be most attracted to people with type O blood, larger people who exhale greater amounts of carbon dioxide and those who sweat more. These bugs also seem to enjoy the blood of pregnant women or people who have just enjoyed alcohol.

So put down that beer and stay inside with your beloved pet. But be careful, they can be dangerous too. Want to know which animal makes for the most dangerous pet?