Kissing bugs can fly, but they can also crawl and get inside that way. Homeowners can get rid of kissing bugs using liquid residual pesticides, baits or dusts.
Kissing bugs are found throughout the Americas. In the US, kissing bugs are established in 28 states. A total of 11 different species of kissing bugs have been documented in the US, with the highest diversity and density in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Like mosquitoes and ticks, kissing bugs need blood to live. They usually suck it from animals, including dogs, but sometimes they bite people. They hide during the day and come out at night to eat.
Kissing bugs are found in warm southern states of the U.S. and in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Kissing bugs can hide in cracks and holes in beds, floors, walls, and furniture. They are most likely to be found: Near places where a pet, such as a dog or cat, spends time.
You can:
- Wash the bites with soap to lower the chance of infection.
- Use calamine lotion or an anti-itch cream to stop the itching. You can also hold an oatmeal-soaked washcloth on the itchy area for 15 minutes.
- Use an ice pack to stop the swelling.
- See your doctor if you think the bite may be infected.
Stink bugs tend to be about half an inch long, while kissing bugs sometimes reach an inch in length (just bigger than a penny). Then, of course, there's the biggest difference: stink bugs won't bite you, while kissing bugs do. Kissing bugs' mouth-parts extend well beyond their heads.
Their saliva contains a compound that numbs the area they bite, so the person is often unaware of the bite at all. These bugs get their name from the fact that they are attracted to the carbon dioxide that humans exhale. This is why they seem to bite people on the face, near the mouth and around the eyes.
Associated risks. The main risk of sustaining a bite from the kissing bug is contracting Chagas disease. Chagas disease is the common name for an infection from the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. Not all triatomines have the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, but it is very common.
Treatment. To kill the parasite, Chagas disease can be treated with benznidazole and also nifurtimox. Both medicines are almost 100% effective in curing the disease if given soon after infection at the onset of the acute phase including the cases of congenital transmission.
VIRGINIA — The deadly "kissing bug" — a nocturnal, bloodsucking parasite that carries an inflammatory infectious disease — has been confirmed in dozens of U.S. states, including Virginia and the District of Columbia, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Kissing bugs are active from May to October. These bugs tend to come out at night and are attracted by lights. "Everyone, especially in Texas, should know what these insects look like, how to avoid them, and what to do if they happen to find one in or around their homes.
The first symptoms and signs, when present in the acute phase, may include some of the following:
- Swelling and/or redness at the skin infection site (termed chagoma)
- Skin rash.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Fever.
- Headaches and body aches.
- Fatigue.
- Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
- Abdominal discomfort or pain.
Chagas disease. Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the protist Trypanosoma cruzi. It is spread mostly by insects known as Triatominae, or "kissing bugs". The symptoms change over the course of the infection.
Kissing bugs rely on multiple sensory systems to locate hosts. Feeding by bugs in human domiciles usually takes place at night, with bugs hiding during the day in cracks and crevices away from the feeding areas. Much less is known about feeding times for sylvatic species.
During the acute phase of infection, parasites may be seen circulating in the blood. The diagnosis of Chagas disease can be made by observation of the parasite in a blood smear by microscopic examination. A thick and thin blood smear are made and stained for visualization of parasites.
While Chagas disease is common in Latin America and still relatively rare in the U.S., the CDC said kissing bugs have now been found in about 30 states, including Pennsylvania. The insects have also been found along the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, meaning they may be crossing into the Garden State.
Not every kissing bug carries the parasite. And even if you are bitten by an infected bug, odds are you still won't be infected. That's because the bite itself doesn't transmit the disease.
Some assassin bugs, most notably the wheel bug, will bite if picked up and handled carelessly. The bite of the wheel bug is immediately and intensely painful. Persons who are bitten should wash and apply antiseptic to the site of the bite. Oral analgesics, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may be useful to reduce the pain.
A Kissing Bug (Triatoma sanguisuga) , a larger cousin of the Bed Bug. Kissing bugs are a relative of bed bugs, and they both feed the same way – they stick a beaky straw into your skin and slurp up your blood. Kissing bugs poop after they feed, and if the bug is infected, it releases the parasite onto your skin.
Brown Recluse Spider Bites Need Immediate Medical Attention
Four to eight hours afterward, the bite may become more painful and look like a bruise or blister with a blue-purple area around it. Later, the bite becomes crusty and turns dark.Some people don't notice the insect and may not be aware of a bite or sting until one or more of the following symptoms emerge:
- swelling.
- redness or rash.
- pain in the affected area or in the muscles.
- itching.
- heat on and around the site of the bite or sting.
- numbness or tingling in the affected area.
Colorado does have kissing bugs. They are nesting bugs, typically associated with rodent nests. The most common species in our state is Triatoma protracta. Colorado's common kissing bug is capable of spreading Chagas disease but is not very good at it.
Adult stink bugs can fly fairly well. They keep their wings folded over their backs when they land. Their long legs extend from the sides of their body. As adult insects, a few species of stink bugs are brightly colored.
Kissing bugs can carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease. It's important to know that not all kissing bugs are infected with the parasite, and the likelihood of contracting Chagas disease is low.
At first sight wheel bugs appear to be a dangerous insect because of their size and weird appearance. But it is not aggressive and will try to avoid contact. However, if handled the wheel bug will try to bite. The author notes that the bite is painful, with the sensation lasting several minutes.
Chagas disease is transmitted through Kissing Bugs' feces, or in the case of pets, by eating the bug itself. Once infected, a person or pet may or may not show any outward symptoms, but the infection can be life-long and can eventually have ill-effects.
Yes, Assassin Bugs Do Bite
Importantly, these bugs bite. Assassin bugs like hanging out near their prey— mammals (including humans) with vertebrae—from which they can suck blood.The usual treatment is the use of an insecticide that kills the bugs. It is best to prevent bugs from getting into your house: Seal gaps around windows and doors. Fill in any holes or cracks in walls or screens that could let kissing bugs into your house.
This nasty little bugger could be the kiss of death. A biting insect prone to chomping on lips — unofficially dubbed the “kissing bug” — has become a terrifying menace after researchers revealed that up to 30 percent of its victims develop life-threatening health problems, including heart disease and sudden death.
Do insects even have hearts? Sure they do, but their hearts are somewhat different from human hearts. Whereas our blood is confined within blood vessels, insect blood, called hemolymph, flows freely throughout the body. Insects do, however, have a vessel along their dorsal side which moves this hemolymph.
