Insects of Importance to Pet Owners

Insects may seem like insignificant creatures to most of us, but many of them can actually harm your pet. Pet owners should know which insects to watch out for and why!

Why Are Insects Important to Pet Owners?

There are a variety of reasons that make insects important to pet owners. Insects can be poisonous, either by being toxic when ingested or by a venomous bite or sting. Insects can also be vectors. Some insects can carry bacteria and viruses on their feet and transmit diseases from one pet to another. Other insects carry protists, worms, and other parasites that harm your beloved pets. Bloodsucking insects can cause anemia as well, while all biting insects certainly annoy your pet whether or not they are actually harmful. Not all insects are harmful, but there are several orders of insects that you should be on the lookout for.

Caddisflies

If you know any fly fishermen, they've probably heard of caddisflies and have used them for bait. These flies have four wings and consume nectar. While that doesn't sound like a particularly harmful insect, they have been known to carry Ehrlichia risticii which causes Potomac horse fever.

Cockroaches

No one likes to see cockroaches in their home. Unfortunately, cockroaches are drawn to stored pet foods such as dry dog food. Keep your food containers sealed to keep these pests away. While they are generally thought to be fairly clean, roaches can transfer bacteria and viruses on their feet bringing diseases from one pet to another.

Butterflies and Moths

While butterflies and moths are the beauties of the insect world, there are certainly some bad apples in the bunch. Some moths have become parasitic, drinking blood instead of nectar. Butterflies and moths can also transfer bacteria and viruses on their feet, although this is not common because most of these insects land on flowers rather than on animals.

Beetles

Most pet owners have at least some vague idea about what parasitic worms are. What you may not know however, is that beetles are often the intermediate hosts for parasitic worms. Inside the beetle the parasitic worm can develop to its infective stage, when it can then infect the vertebrate host (your pet). Some beetles are also dangerous on their own. Blister beetles are extremely toxic and their toxin is released when they are crushed. Blister beetles are usually crushed during the mowing and processing of alfalfa hay.

True Bugs

Contrary to popular belief, it is not proper to call all insects bugs. True bugs have two pairs of wings, a triangular shield, along with jointed antennae, and a segmented beak. If your mom ever told you not to let the bed bugs bite, she was giving you some sound advice. Bed bugs are nocturnal blood sucking parasites that you don't want hanging around. They generally live in areas where people and animals sleep (hence the name, bed bugs). Their bite is painless so that you'll sleep through it, but you don't really want insects sucking your blood or your pet's blood. To avoid bed bugs it is best to keep all bedding clean. While kissing bugs sound much friendlier, they're far worse. Kissing bugs also have a painless bite, but they can transmit the deadly Chagas' disease. Chagas' disease is caused by a hemoflagellate known as Trypanosoma cruzii. A hemoflagellate is basically a protozoan that swims around in your blood using flagella to propel itself. This is not exactly something that you want in your blood or your pet's blood.

Ants, Bees, and Wasps

If you live in areas known to have fire ants, their bites can be dangerous to your pets. Killer bees and even regular honey bees can also be dangerous, especially if your pet is allergic. If your pet is stung by a bee or wasp, watch for any signs of allergy such as swelling, discomfort while breathing, and any abnormal behavior. If your pet has had several stings you should probably see the vet just to be safe.

Lice

Generally when someone mentions lice, people cringe and start feeling itchy. The good news is, lice are generally species specific so if your kids have lice, your pets won't get them and vice versa. There are two different types of lice: sucking lice and chewing lice. Sucking lice only feed on mammals. Chewing lice feed on mammals and birds. Lice live their entire lifecycle out on the host (your pet). However, there is some more good news: lice are generally just a nuisance. Lice are unlikely to actually kill your pet unless you are keeping animals in very crowded conditions, are feeding a poor diet, or have animals that are already very unhealthy. It would take a very large population of lice to actually kill an animal. If you have a hairless pet, you shouldn't have to worry about sucking lice at all as they really need some hair to hold onto. Sucking lice take blood meals from your pet, while chewing lice mostly annoy your pet and make meals of their skin and secretions. Generally you won't see the actual lice, but you'll notice nits (their eggs) on your pet (usually around the ears, sometimes on the legs). Lice aren't microscopic however, so you may actually be able to find some. If you do put them under a microscope, you'll be able to easily tell if you are dealing with chewing lice or sucking lice. If the head of the louse is narrow, you've got a sucking louse. If the head of the louse is wider than the thorax, then you are dealing with a chewing louse. Just remember to count the legs. Lice are insects and should have only six legs. If you are dealing with a creature with eight legs, you're probably looking at a mite, possibly a tick.

Fleas

Every pet owner has heard of fleas at some point or another. There are flea products advertised on television all the time. If your pet has fleas, you should treat them immediately. Fleas can bring all sorts of problems. Even if the fleas on your pet aren't carrying anything, they can drive a pet to insanity if the pet has an allergic reaction or hypersensitive skin. Fleas can also carry tapeworms, heartworms, feline parvovirus, and some fleas can even carry the plague (that's how the bubonic plague was spread, by rats carrying the Oriental Rat Flea, Xenopsylla cheopis). There are several types of fleas, but the most common by far is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. So even if your dog has fleas, it probably has cat fleas. There is also a dog flea, however. Really the main difference is in the definitive host. A cat flea needs a cat in order to complete its lifecycle (i.e., to reproduce) while a dog flea requires a dog to complete its lifecycle. Since fleas do not spend their entire lifecycle on your pet, it is not a problem for them to take their blood meals from species other than their definitive host.

Two Winged Flies

No one likes flies. Or at least, I haven't met anyone who does yet. At best, flies are annoying nuisances. At worst, flies are deadly parasites. Flies feed on blood, saliva, tears, mucus, and other disgusting fluids and such. Flies are generally periodic parasites, which means they make repeated visits for food rather than just staying on the host animal. In some types of flies, only the females need a blood meal (which is required to lay eggs). These types of flies include: biting gnats, horseflies, deerflies, and mosquitoes. In other types of flies, the male and female fly both require blood meals. These types of flies include the stable fly, horn fly, and the sheep ked (a rather interesting wingless fly). The face fly feeds on mucus, tears, and saliva of large animals. Flies transmit viruses and bacteria on their sticky feet, which brings diseases from one animal to another. For example, face flies can transmit pinkeye (conjunctivitis). Blood sucking flies can transmit bloodborne diseases. Mosquitoes can transmit nematodes, West Nile Virus, Equine Encephalitis, and malaria (a plasmodium). Black flies can transmit leucocytozoonosis, which is a hemosporidian disease of wild birds and poultry. Biting midges transmit African horse sickness. Blow flies and bot flies can be particularly troublesome because their larvae (often referred to as maggots or bots) can produce a condition known as myiasis. Basically, an open sore on your pet quickly becomes filled with maggots. It is not a pretty sight, nor is it fun to clean out. So if your pet has an open wound, it is best to keep your pet inside and away from flies. It is also advisable to always keep your pets feces cleaned up out in the yard, because otherwise flies will be attracted and your dog could suffer flystrike (where flies attack the ears to take blood meals, usually stable flies are the culprit here). So flies are certainly much more dangerous than most people realize and caution should be taken to keep flies out of your pet's area.

So now that you know what insects are capable of, you should be on the lookout for any dangerous insects and any insect related problems your pet might experience. Keeping your pets indoors greatly helps reduce the insects they'll come into contact with. However, don't be afraid to go outside. With a good insect repellant and some knowledge, you're well on your way to being a safe and insect savvy pet owner.