I didn't realize this until I did some digging in the dirt and uncovered the fact that there are some seriously deadly insects living right here in Maine!

I am shouting this from the rooftops so we all can stay cautious and safe from these invasive and deadly buggers.

Let's get into it. An article from Field and Stream, was published on the 12 most deadliest insects in the world and HALF of them live in Maine! Say what?

What are the most deadliest insects in Maine?

Mosquito

Surprisingly, the most deadliest insects in the entire animal kingdom is none other than the unassuming mosquito. This is number 1 you guys. And this little blood sucking vampire is apparently responsible for over 700,000 fatalities annually! The mosquito carries diseases including, malaria, dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya, and lymphatic filariasis and in 2017, around 435,000 people died of the disease worldwide. Here's a pro-tip, it states that mosquitos prefer people with O type blood.

Bee

Moving on to number 2. It's the bee and this is one that I am not surprised about because of the number of people who are allergic. As the site states, bees caused the demise of 89 Americans in 2017, as reported by the CDC. The culprit behind these deaths is anaphylactic shock!

Black Widow Spider

Coming in at number 3, we'll move onto the Black Widow Spider. They can be found in the southern parts of Maine according to UCONN Health. This spider's claim to fame is its genuinely horrible and fearful name. According to the post, it's not fatal all the time, but the bite from a female black widow is the one that poses the biggest threat to people and it could turn fatal.

Ants

Here's a shocker for you! Coming in hot at number 4 is the hardworking ant. Yes, ants have the potential to be deadly, even though the likelihood is low, it can happened. Ants can be found... everywhere in Maine.

I remember when I was in Costa Rica in the rainforest, I had the most excruciating experience with fire ants. A bunch of them got into the side of my rubber boots and started to feast on my ankle. I had to lay down for 2 days with my leg up because of how painful it was.

There are 3 ant species that are formidable and they include fire ants, driver ants, and bullet ants.

Did you know that number 5 could infect you with the plague? Yep, THE PLAGUE!

Fleas

Waaay back in the 14th century, the Black Plague took 25 million lives in Europe and it came from fleas! Now, the World Health Organization suggests that while 1,000 to 2,000 plague cases are officially reported each year, the real number is likely much higher. Stay away from fleas!

Ticks

And coming in last but certainly not least according to the list are ticks! As Mainers, we aren't surprised that this insect is on the list. However, I wasn't aware that ticks were so deadly? Let's dive in.

As the article states, Ticks can transmit many disease-causing agents, like bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. What makes them terrible is that one single tick can have multiple pathogens, complicating diagnosis and treatment. Lyme disease is the one we all know about and it can be deadly. But the deadliest tick borne illness is the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which has a fatality rate of 30 percent in untreated patients.

Whoa. Well, this list certainly does not make me want to come in contact with any one of these insects. Just make sure you are cautious when you're around bugs in general and stay vigilant Mainers!