Eight Bugs Found in Kentucky That You Do Not Want to Mess With

A few years ago, Field & Stream published a list of the deadliest insects in the world. The list includes multiple spider and scorpion species, as well as ticks. Those are all arachnids, not insects. But I'm guessing the list wouldn't have been as fun without our eight-legged "friends," also. Some on this list can be found in Kentucky, so here we go.

Ants

Ants, in general, are on the list, but the worst ones are not within our borders. That doesn't mean you want to mess with these things. Fire ants mean business, and you're better off making them none of your business.

Black Widows

Black widows rarely kill, but their bites will always cause pain due to the venom that makes a beeline for your nervous system. They also leave a nasty scar. They like dark corners in, for example, closets and basements.

Brown Recluse Spiders

Woodpiles and utility boxes are examples of warm, dry locations brown recluse spiders like to gather. I think I was bitten by one several years ago, based on the large mark it left. It never turned necrotic, thankfully, but I was able to rule out everything else. Also, I've learned I should consider myself lucky.

Bees

Bees make the Field & Stream list, but with a figurative asterisk. They're here because the publication lumps in Asian giant hornets and Africanized honey bees with the rest of them. But regular old bees can still send some folks into anaphylaxis, and that can lead to death.

Fleas

Several years ago, I house-sat for vacationing friends and lived to tell about it. If that sounds dramatic, it's because they had dogs (who were in a kennel) whose fleas had found their way into the carpet and were lying dormant. And then I walked across the floor in shorts, and my legs were immediately covered in them. I hosed them off outside and began to think of all the horrible diseases fleas can carry. Black plague, anyone? Again, I considered myself lucky.

Kissing Bugs

The eastern bloodsucking conenose (what a charming name) is a species of kissing bug found in Kentucky, but don't pucker up. These dudes can carry Chagas disease, which can become a chronic infection that plagues its victims with both cardiac and gastrointestinal issues.

Mosquitos

West Nile Virus, Zika, yellow fever, and malaria are just a few of the deadly diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. And West Nile has been a big issue this summer. Always keep a repellent handy that's loaded with DEET, and, by all means, don't replicate this classic 1980s commercial that always made me squeamish.

Ticks

Wear light-colored clothing that covers your skin. If you hike, stay on the trail. Load up on repellent. Check your pets. I found one on me the other day from the cat, and I freaked out. Nothing happened, and the critter was destroyed. But it was a tick. I want no part of them.

I want no part of most of the creatures on this list. Bees are fine, and I'm not much worried about ants. Plus, summer is winding down. Bring on the fall so we can stop talking about bug bites.