Summertime has almost begun for the northern hemisphere! That means that the bugs are out. While we can appreciate bugs for their contributions to nature, there’s no doubt that they can also be an extreme nuisance. The two bugs arguably considered to be the biggest nuisances are ticks and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes emerge when the weather gets warmer and seek a host to suck blood from. One of the many hosts that they find to suck blood from are human beings. While mosquitoes are active during warmer months, ticks can cause problems for people year-round, although they are most active in the spring and summer. Like mosquitoes, ticks drink blood from their hosts. When a mosquito or a tick draws blood from a human being or any animal, they are not only causing this host to lose needed blood; they are also increasing the chances of different diseases being passed down. Due to these factors, people use bug repellents to keep mosquitoes and ticks from hosting themselves on their bodies. While it is essential to do this during the warmer months of the year, many times, the types of repellents people use contain ingredients that contain toxins that can negatively affect one’s health. The challenge is trying to find the kind of repellent that can not only help one keep both ticks and mosquitoes away but also not cause any harm to one’s health. Fortunately, Nantucket Spider offers extremely effective repellents that keep bloodsuckers like mosquitoes and ticks away from the human body and do not contribute to causing damage to one’s physical health. It’s time to love yourself as much as you love being free from parasites.
Mosquitoes
In describing what a mosquito is, one could say that it’s a small fly species. The development of a mosquito involves the cycles of egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Mosquito eggs start hatching not long after the spring season starts, and the year’s freezes have begun to cease. As mentioned, one of the ways mosquitoes feed themselves is by sucking the blood from various hosts. They do drink the blood of many different types of animals. However, since humans spend more time outdoors during warmer weather months, which coincidentally is the same period in which mosquitoes are present, humans are the host of many mosquitoes. Not only is this very irritating for many, but it is also a health hazard, as while mosquitoes spend their time sucking the blood of humans, there is an increased chance of various diseases entering the body.
Diseases Caused by Mosquitos
One of the most widespread diseases caused by mosquito bites is the West Nile virus. Usually, this transmission results from infected mosquitoes sucking on someone’s blood. These mosquitoes become infected by sucking the blood of infected birds. Although studies show that most people contracting West Nile virus don’t display many symptoms, a few do. When they do, they often have a headache. Besides headaches, fever, nausea, sweating, weakness, and fatigue are common West Nile virus symptoms. When a person contracts the West Nile virus and leaves it untreated, it can result in severe illness or even death. Another condition that is perhaps just as widespread as the West Nile virus is the chikungunya virus. The symptoms of this, if they appear, are like those of the West Nile virus. Some of the extended problems resulting from the chikungunya virus include difficulties with one’s joints as they become severely swollen. While the West Nile and chikungunya viruses originated in the 20th century, malaria is said to trace back millions of years. It is arguably the most well-known disease associated with the bite of mosquitos. Like the West Nile and chikungunya viruses, the various symptoms of malaria include headache, nausea, and chills. Untreated malaria raises the possibility of kidney failure, seizures, coma, and even death. Since mosquitoes are so widespread during the year’s warm months, anybody will inevitably encounter them. Considering this factor and the known details about many of the diseases contracted from mosquitos, people need to take action to keep mosquitos away from them as much as possible. Even though most people use repellents to keep mosquitos off their bodies, they often contain chemicals that can negatively interact with one’s body.
Ticks
Unlike mosquitos, which are insects, ticks belong to the arachnid family. This family is the same one that spiders, scorpions, and mites belong to. Ticks are considered parasites that find hosts in the form of various kinds of animals and suck on their blood. Unlike mosquitos, ticks do not fly around but latch onto a host. There are different types of ticks in the world, some of which carry life-threatening diseases. There is always the chance that a tick will latch onto one’s skin without one knowing it. This scenario is especially the case for people that have animals. Whether one has a domesticated dog, cat, or a farm animal of any kind, the more you are around your beloved pets, the better chances a tick will start biting you and maybe transfer some disease. It’s best to protect yourself from the various diseases that ticks can transfer to your body.
Diseases from a Tick Bite
Lyme disease, like malaria for mosquito bites, is one of the more talked about conditions relating to the bite from a tick. This disease is arguably the most common condition related to tick bites in North America, Europe, and Asia. In the same way that West Nile virus results from the bite of a mosquito that has become infected after biting a bird, Lyme disease results from the bite of a tick infected with certain bacteria, usually after hosting on a rodent. Lyme disease symptoms include headaches, fever, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain. Like the conditions that result from mosquito bites, Lyme disease, which comes from ticks, causes severe damage if left untreated. Severe cases include partial paralysis and various effects on one’s brain and neurological system. A more recent virus that tick bites can cause is the Bourbon virus. This virus was discovered in 2014 when a man in Bourbon County, Kansas, died after what was believed to be a result of being bitten by infected ticks. Much of the area of the United States that is at risk for the Bourbon virus is also at risk for the Heartland virus. Another more recent tick-related virus, the Heartland virus, originated in 2009. Since both the Bourbon and Heartland viruses are relatively new phenomena, it is safe to say that there is a good chance of future illnesses and diseases that will result from tick bites.
This content is available exclusively to Wellness Master Club Members
Join Wellness Master Club today
- Unlimited digital access to EXCLUSIVE Wellness Master Club articles
- Subscriber-only content and newsletters
- Special Promotions, Discounts, and Offers to our ShopWell Store
- PreSales Notifications on thousands of products
You can cancel at any time.
Annual Membership
Billed annually
Already a member?
