The Most Dangerous Animal On the Planet!

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Do you know what animal causes the most human deaths every year? It’s not sharks, or jellyfish, or snakes, or spiders. It’s not other humans (we come in second). It’s not lions, or tigers, or bears. Oh, my… The animal responsible for the most human deaths, year after year, is the mosquito.

Mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and the one that is top of mind in the news lately – the Zika virus – kill nearly three-quarters of a million people every year. In the Northeast we are concerned about EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and West Nile Virus, both of which have resulted in deaths during the past several years.

Here are some facts that may help you prevent a bite from one of these thirsty bloodsuckers:

•  Mosquitoes are considered the most dangerous creatures on the planet, responsible for more human deaths each year than all other animals combined.

•  There are more than 2,500 species of mosquito sharing the planet with us, and the only continent on which they are not found is Antarctica.

•  Mosquitoes are dated, from fossilized remains, as far back as the Triassic Period – that’s 400 million years ago.

•  A female mosquito can lay as many as 300 eggs in one go and produce up to 3,000 offspring during her entire life span.

•  It’s estimated that mosquitoes drain 1.6 million gallons of blood from Americans every year. That’s equivalent to 4 million blood transfusions.

•  Physical activity ups the risk for bites by as much as 50%, because working out builds up lactic acid in your sweat, and that makes you more appealing to mosquitoes.

•  People with Type O blood are bitten twice as much those with Type A, with Type B folks falling somewhere in the middle.

•  Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes, because they are drawn to heat, and darker clothes retain more heat than light-colored clothing. You should definitely avoid black and navy blue during mosquito season.

•  Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so be sure to eliminate areas where water can collect from your yard (and police your koi pond, if you have one, for mosquito breeding).

•  Just one bottle of beer can significantly boost your risk of being bitten, according to a study published in the journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. Researchers suspect it’s because drinking beer increases the ethanol in your sweat, and ups your body temperature.

•  Beware the full moon. Studies have shown that mosquito biting activity increases by as much as 500% during a full moon.

•  Pregnant women get bitten about twice as much as the rest of us. The body temperature of pregnant women is a degree warmer than everyone else, and they exhale 21% more carbon dioxide (CO2), a known mosquito attractant.

I never did like the little buggers anyway.

Fortunately, I have found quite a few ways to keep them off me, and off you – naturally. We have effective mosquito repellants in soap, oil and balm form, with no DEET, petrolatum or other chemicals. We also have an all-natural biting insect mix that helps with hypersensitivity to insect bites, and helps reduce the itch you get from them.

Be careful out there, and don’t let mosquitoes bug you this summer, or hinder your enjoyment of outdoor activities. Come see us at Medicine World, and become mosquito-free, naturally.