Sharks, Bears, Coyotes? What Is the True Animal Threat to Human Safety?

Each year as summer comes around and we plan trips to the coast, the shark sightings start popping up all over the news. Up the coastline cameramen travel, spreading fear and anxiety from shore to shore. Our social media feed fills up with scary stories of ocean trips ruined by the sight of a fin. And then there are the bears. In foothill towns, they come down the mountain more and more often searching for food as winter gets closer. Bears are no longer scared of humans as we’ve invaded their habitat, so homeowners stand locked and loaded: ready to protect themselves from these grisly beasts. Neighborhood newsletters warn residents to keep their pets indoors at night for fear of coyote attacks! It would seem we are not safe from nature in our own homes!

They Are Smaller Than You Think

You know that may be true, but the beasts we need to be combatting are much much smaller and much more dangerous. The Bill Gates Foundation released a graphic of the world’s deadliest animals based on the number of humans killed by them each year. Sharks were at the bottom of the list, killing 10 people a year.

Ten! That’s a lot of fuss for 10 people. Dogs with rabies kill 25,000, and that never makes the news. Bears and coyotes… not even on the list, not at all. But at the top of the list, with a staggering number, is the little bitty mosquito. According to this chart, each year the mosquito kills 725,000 people. That number is hard to fathom. Malaria, spread by the Anopheles mosquito, kills close to half a million people every year, according to statistics from the Malaria No More organization. Most of these are pregnant women and children.

Don’t Panic… Protect

The point here is not to create panic about mosquitoes either. In 2015 there were 10 documented cases of Zika in Kentucky according to the CDC and only 1 West Nile in 2014. The last EEE case was in 2013. We are not at any sort of epidemic levels of mosquito-borne illness here in Louisville. However, there is definitive proof that mosquitoes have survived on this earth for around 210 million years and have been spreading the same diseases. The Mother Nature Network reports that it is believed Alexander the Great may have died of mosquito-borne illness. With proof that these pests are not going anywhere and are the number one killer of humans worldwide, Mosquito Squad of Louisville reminds that continued protection is the best prevention. Our barrier treatment and misting systems eliminate 85-90% of mosquitoes in your outdoor areas. By keeping the vectors away, we can feel at ease as we enjoy the outdoors. Call for a quote today or fill out the quick form below!