Beasts of the Field

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The pale horse brings pestilence in the last days.

While new exotic diseases may come out, it is good to be aware of current threats that are with us now.

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A breakdown in sanitary conditions, or temperature and weather changes, could allow what is already with us to get worse.

The fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth will be called

1. to bring illness and death

2. to feast upon the dead bodies

For those righteous who are exposed to the dangers around them, it is wise for them to know what the dangers are.

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Rev 6:8   And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Exodus 23:29

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

Isa 18:6 They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

Jer 7:33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray [them] away.

Jer 16:4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; [but] they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

Jer 34:20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

Eze 32:4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.

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Beasts come in all sizes. The large ones are obvious.

This is a look at the smaller ones, that bring large problems.

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It would be wise to be aware of threats that may be in our own back yards.

May God give us wisdom to protect ourselves during perilous times.

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Reference:

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-deadliest-bugs.php

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It is estimated that there are about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 insects living today. That’s right, a quintillion insects.

In the world, there are about 900 thousand different kinds of living insects, making up about 80% of all of the world’s species.

In the U.S. alone there are 91,000 known species and about 73,000 that have yet to be scientifically described and classified.

While the insects on this list are nowhere near being the deadliest animals on earth, these bugs really do make their mark… sometimes literally, sometimes remarkably- particularly for living things that are no bigger than a human finger.

Below is a list of ten insects that you definitely don’t want to run into:

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1. House Centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata)

Originating in the Mediterranean (or Mexico, depending on the source), the house centipede has become a very common bug around the world.

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What’s the danger?

While centipedes aren’t insects that are responsible for tons and tons of deaths, you’d be surprised to find out that every two years one person does die due to a centipede bite.

This is usually due to an allergic reaction to the venom that the bug can inject into your body when it bites you. However, it’s rare that one is so allergic to this venom that it kills them.

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2. Fire Ants (Solenopsis)

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They kill by stinging their prey and then injecting venom known as solenopsin.  And because of this, when a human is stung by the ant, it can be compared to the sensation felt when being burned; however, the sting is usually minor and something that the body can fight on its own.

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What’s the danger?

As you’d imagine, a little ant can’t do much damage to a human. However, ants live in colonies and sometimes, with enough stings and enough bodily sensitivity, the fire ants can kill.

It is said that about 5% of those who report being bitten by a fire ant die due to anaphylactic shock. Of course this is very far and in between, but there are reports of deaths caused by an allergic reaction to the venom.

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3. Siafu (Dorylus)

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Very similar to fire ants, Siafu are ants that are mainly located in east and central Africa, but they can also be found in parts of Asia.

These ants are said to live in colonies of 20 million ants, notably 20 million blind ants.

They are able to travel through the use of pheromones.

Out of these 20 million, there is a group of ants known as the soldier ants. These ants are the ones that are able to sting to fend off or kill prey.

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What’s the danger?

If one is stung by a Siafu, the bite is often very minimal and nothing that requires a doctor. However, it is said that the young and elderly are very susceptible to their bites, and some have died due to complications caused by the ant bite.

Around 20-50 people reportedly die each year from a Siafu bite. These ants are often very aggressive and when you interrupt their colony, you just may be in a little bit of trouble.

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4. Wasps and Bees (Vespula germanica/Apis mellifera)

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What’s the danger?

If you’re not allergic to a wasp or bee sting, then you really have nothing to worry about. If you are allergic to wasp or bee stings, then getting stung might be more of a problem.

It is said that about 53 people die each year because of an allergic reaction from being stung.

Those who are allergic to the venom let off after being stung can go into anaphylactic shock, which often brings about hives, wheezing, confusion, pale skin, and sometimes unconsciousness and even death.

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5. Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia)

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This hornet is said to be the biggest in the world, with a length of 2 inches and a wing span of 3 inches.

The hornet also sports a ¼ inch long stinger, but being stung with by this hornet is definitely not like being stung like a bee.

While you won’t find these hornets anywhere near the U.S. or Europe, they can be found in East Asia, especially Japan.

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What’s the danger?

According to Masato Ono, someone who has been stung by an Asian Giant Hornet, the sting felt like a “like a hot nail being driven into his leg.”

The venom that is released by the stinger has about 8 different compounds, one that causes discomfort, one that can damage soft tissue, and one that is able to create an odor that may attract even more hornets.

Those who are allergic to bees can die from the reaction, but some die because of a chemical known as mandaratoxin which can be fatal if there is enough introduced into the body.

It is said that each year, about 70 people die from these stings.

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6. Africanized Honey Bee (hybrid Apis mellifera scutellata)

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From Africa to Brazil the swarms of bees have reached Central America and have even come as far up as the southwestern U.S.

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What’s the danger?

Because they are known to travel in swarms, when a bee attacks a victim, many of the other bees will do so as well.

It is said that one swarm of these bees can take down a horse. The bees have killed about 1,000 people since they’ve started coming up from Brazil. These bees definitely put a face to the name killer bees.

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7. Kissing bug (Triatomines)

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There are 138 known species in existence.  Most of them are within the U.S., with others scattered throughout Asia, Australia, and Africa. All of the known species are said to be able to transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, a very harmful parasite that can be fatal.

Most species of the insect are known to live off of vertebrate blood while some are able to live off of invertebrates.

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What’s the danger?

The potentially lethal kissing bug is known to live in the same dwellings as humans, often making their homes on the outside as well as the inside of our houses.

It is said that 45,000-50,000 people die each year from kissing bug bites.

This is because the parasite that the bug carries, Trypanosoma cruzi, is known to cause Chagas disease, which seems very minute at first but is fatal over.

At first there is just swelling at the site of the bite, but then the disease can lead to intestinal issues as well as cardiac problems.

In fact most of those who die from Chagas disease die from Chagasic cardiomyopathy.

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Picture of parasite in blood

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8. Tsetse Fly (Glossina morsitans)

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This is a fly that lives by sucking blood from animals and humans.

The tsetse fly is found in the Kalahari and Saharan deserts.

This insect is widely studied today due to the disease that they transmit.

The flies look very similar to the normal housefly we all love to swat at, except for a proboscis on their head, which is the anatomical part that allows them to suck blood.

There are 34 different species of tsetse flies, all of them fitting into one of the three categories: savannah fly, forest fly, or riverine fly.

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What’s the danger?

Though a little fly may seem pretty harmless, the tsetse fly can kill, and do so each year.

Most of the deaths are in Africa- it is said that 250,000 to 300,000 die each year from something known as the sleeping disease (the numbers are slowly decreasing).

The tsetse fly carries protozoa known as trypanosomes, but so do many other insects.

However, when someone is bitten by the tsetse fly, the protozoa are introduced to the body and cause a disease known as the Sleeping Sickness.

If not treated properly, the disease is able to shut down necessary bodily functions, such as the endocrine and cardiac systems.

Next, the disease enters the neurological system, causing confusion and an abnormal sleep cycle due to insomnia and slumber. The most recent notable epidemic of the disease was in Uganda in 2008.

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9. Rat Fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis)

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What’s the danger?

While fleas are often no bigger than the nail on your pinky finger, they have been known to carry devastating diseases and germs, the most notable being the Yersinia pestis bacteria.

This bacteria is known for causing the death of nearly three-quarters of Europe’s population during the 14th century.

Better known as the Black Death, this plague killed between 350 and 375 million people and peaked during 1348-1350.

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10. Anopheles Mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus)

North American locations- this is not just in Africa

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Once the temperature outside hits a steady stream of temperatures above 50°F (10°C), you’ll surely start to them outside.

You are even more likely to see them once the sun begins to go down.

While only female mosquitoes will bite a human, some of them carry diseases that can be very harmful.

There are about 3,500 species of mosquitoes, 200 of those living in North America, many carrying ailments such as yellow fever, dengue, encephalitis, and even canine heartworm.

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What’s the danger?

However, in some cases, a mosquito bite can lead to a lifetime of illness, or even lead to death.

One of the most widely known mosquito-borne diseases today is malaria.

It is very prevalent in tropical countries: there are about 350–500 million cases found each year and about 1-3 million people die from it each year.

Malaria is said to affect at least 10% of the world’s total population.

These deaths are usually noted in sub-Saharan Africa where mosquitoes are very prominent and proper care for malaria is scarce.

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Final note

This post focuses on just the threat from insects.

We also need to consider the bacteria and viruses that are naturally occurring in our soils, and septic systems that we could be exposed to under bad conditions.

These could cause dysentery, tetanus, and other serious infections.