14 Terrifying Things In Pennsylvania That Can (And Just Might) Kill You

No one lives forever, not even hardy Pennsylvanians. You can certainly increase your lifespan, though, by avoiding these 14 things in our state that can kill you.

1. Hornets, Wasps and Bees

The Centers for Disease Control reports that stings from hornets, wasps and bees killed more Pennsylvanians than any other wild animal between 2001 and 2013.

2. Poison Hemlock

Poison Hemlock is rapidly spreading in parts of Pennsylvania, such as Lancaster County. It killed Socrates, and it can kill you if you ingest it.

3. Dog Attacks

Surprisingly, 11 Pennsylvanians died from injuries sustained during dog attacks between 1999 and 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

4. Poison Ivy

Steer clear of poison ivy this summer. Penn State Extension reports that people have actually died due to their reaction to the poisonous plant.

5. Car Accidents

Accidents are the third most common cause of death in Pennsylvania.

6. Cigarettes

Lung disease is the 5th highest cause of death in Pennsylvania. If you’re not afraid of cigarettes, you probably should be.

7. Scrapple

No! Not our beloved scrapple...While scrapple itself won’t kill you, heart disease will. It’s the number one cause of death in Pennsylvania. Fried food is not your friend.

8. Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes case more than a million deaths worldwide every year, due to infectious diseases such as malaria and West Nile Virus. Several Pennsylvanians succumb to these illnesses every year, too.

9. Deer

At dawn and dusk, deer crossing the road can be deadly. The Deer Vehicle Crash Information Clearinghouse reports that 11 people from Pennsylvania were killed due to auto/deer collisions between 1995 and 2013. Of course, the deer didn’t fare well, either.

10. Rabies

197 cases of rabies were reported in Pennsylvania in 2014. The most common carrier? Raccoons. Other animals that carry rabies include bats, skunks, fox, cats and groundhogs.

11. Depression

Pennsylvania has a slightly higher-than-average rate of suicide. Help your friends and family members to seek help for depression.

12. Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

As rattlesnakes go, it’s one of the smaller species...but its venom is still deadly. The copperhead and the timber rattlesnake are the other two species of venomous snakes in our state.

13. Poison Mushrooms

Don’t eat any mushroom you find in the wild unless you can positively identify it as non-poisonous.

14. Ticks

Ticks carry Lyme Disease, which can be deadly. Pennsylvania is first in the nation for the number of confirmed Lyme Disease cases. Check yourself after hiking and walking through brush and overgrown areas.

What did I miss? What do you think is a terrifying, deadly thing in Pennsylvania?