Whether seeing a spider crawling through your kitchen sends you searching from a magazine or you prefer a catch and release technique, there is a reason that insects are so feared. Many insects are quite dangerous. In the worst cases, they can cause death. In others, they can cause serious health issues, ranging from scarring to nerve damage to paralysis. They may be small compared to other deadly creatures, but the most dangerous insect bites are something to be feared. Look at the most dangerous insect bites around.

The most dangerous insect bite comes from the mosquito — so you want to swat and spray whenever possible. They may seem common and harmless, but they cause hundreds of millions of cases of malaria each year. Of those cases, around one million lead to death. If that’s not enough to convince you of the danger of mosquitoes, they also cause other diseases including dengue fever, yellow fever, encephalitis, West Nile Virus and Zika.

TseTse flies are another deadly biting insect. Native to Africa, TseTse flies are famous for causing “sleeping sickness,” but left untreated the sickness can become fatal. TseTse flies feed on the blood of vertebrates but when they bite they also inject a powerful toxin. They cause the deaths of around half a million people each year.

Kissing bugs have a much friendlier name than they do personality. So-called for their habit of biting the lips of people that are asleep, kissing bugs transmit a parasite. They also bite pets and animals. In early stages, the kissing bug causes symptoms such as welts and rashes, but can also cause death. Around 12,000 people die each year of kissing bug disease.

Fire ants may not be deadly, but they are definitely dangerous. Painful stings lead to severe skin problems and allergic reactions.

Wearing repellents and keeping an eye out can help guard against some scary insects.

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