Types of insects that might be dangerous in Nigeria
Did you know that Nigeria is actually not the safest place on Earth when it comes to dangerous insects? We will tell you about top 7 creatures you should definitely avoid if you want to live a long and healthy life.
List of insects that might be dangerous for you
That said, some creepy crawlies are way more dangerous than others, and you should know about them if you want to stay alive and healthy. Here are seven insects found in Nigeria that can potentially be harmful.
Bees
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Now, we know what you might be thinking: what can a tiny fuzzy bee do to me? That is where most people make a mistake when approaching bee hives. While most of the time these insects pay no mind to humans, they are quick to attack when provoked. And while one sting might only cause mild pain, imagine if a whole swarm attacks you.
What is even more terrifying is that some people (albeit not that many) are allergic to bee stings, and a single prіck might cost them their lives if help does not arrive on time. So it is best to stay away from bees for your good.
Tarantula Hawk Wasp
When you think of a wasp, you probably imagine an insect not much bigger than a bee, and slightly more annoying. However, tarantula hawk is no ordinary wasp. Not only are they much bigger than their tiny striped brethren (they usually grow up to 5 cm), their stings are also so much more painful.
As a matter of fact, tarantula hawk wasp’s sting is one of the most painful in the world, second only to bullet ant’s bite. While there have been no recorded fatalities from the sting of tarantula hawk, you should keep your distance if you want to avoid immense pain.
Tsetse Fly
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Another winged beast you should stay away from is the infamous tsetse fly. Unlike the two previous insects we have mentioned, this one is not dangerous because of the painful sting, but because of the disease it carries around that affects millions of people every year.
Tsetse flies are known for carrying the so-called sleeping sickness, and they can infect a person by biting them and transmitting Trypanosoma that is responsible for making someone sick. If diagnosed and treated early, you can cure the sleeping sickness with medicine. Otherwise, it can lead to swelling of lymph glands, severe lethargy and eventually even death.
Black flies
Apart from tsetse flies, you should also stay away from black flies that usually live by lakes and ponds. Even though they look mostly harmless, these little devils actually carry Onchocerciasis, which most people know simply as River Blindness.
You might not even notice the moment when a black fly lands on you, but you will definitely notice suspicious bumps under your skin and severe itching. What is more, there is a reason why this disease is commonly referred to as river blindness, as the parasitic worm transmitted by black flies may cause visual impairment and even permanent loss of sight.
Mosquito
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While we are on the topic of disease-carrying pests, did you know that mosquitoes are actually the deadliest insects in the world? Well, now you do. Yes, because of malaria transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, up to a million people die each year. Even though mosquitoes can be found everywhere, most of these deaths happen in Sub-Saharan Africa, so you know that Nigerians are at risk.
The most terrifying part is that there is currently only one malaria vaccine, and even that one is not very effective. Thus, if you do not want to catch malaria, protect yourself and your home from mosquitoes as best as you can.
Driver ants
Thankfully, Nigeria does not have bullet ants, whose bites hurt as much as a bullet wound, but it has something much creepier. Pretty much everywhere in Africa, you can come across driver ants. While a single ant cannot do much to seriously hurt you, a whole swarm of them can do much more than just bite you.
Also known as army ants, these tiny but ferocious creatures can literally kill you. They usually move together in large packs, which allows them to work as a single organism. This way, they can subdue their victim by overwhelming them, leaving cuts on the skin and mucous membranes (and even eyes) and suffocating them with their sheer amount. So if you see a swarm of these coming your way, run.
Emperor Scorpions
After all of the horrors we have just told you about, you are probably expecting the worst from emperor scorpions. However, they are not quite as scary as the rest of the insects on this list. In fact, some people even keep them as pets!
That said, there is a reason they ended up on this list. Even though they are not as dangerous as some of the other species of scorpions (even their close relatives fat-tailed scorpions), their stings hurt just as much as those of a bee, and they might even cause the same allergic reaction. That is why you should steer clear of them. Or, if you do keep an emperor scorpion as a pet, handle it with utmost care and with necessary protection.
While Nigeria has a lot of insects out there that might hurt or even kill you, it still has a long way to go to be nearly as terrifying as Australia, and we hope it never gets that bad. For now, you should just take the necessary precautions and not poke the wasps’ nest (particularly if it is tarantula hawk wasps we are talking about). Stay safe out there!
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Source: Legit.ng
