Triatomine
bugs, also known as kissing bugs, reduviid bugs and cone-nose bugs, are almost
an inch long with elongated cone-shaped heads.
The body is grayish-brown with a wide abdomen that has flattened
sides. The flattened sides of the
abdomen stick out beyond the wing margins and are marked with red, orange or
yellow stripes. Nymphs (immatures) look
similar to adults, but lack fully developed wings.
There are other insects in Texas that look similar and can be mistaken for kissing bugs. Many of these insects do NOT bite and do NOT transmit disease organisms. You can find some common insects that are mistaken for kissing bugs here.
Adults are capable of flying and are attracted
to lights at night. The insects can be
drawn towards the house by leaving outside lights on at night. Once inside, they will find a host and feed
at night. After engorging themselves,
they move away from the host to hide in cracks and crevices during the
day. Outside, the bugs can be found in
animal bedding or nests such as doghouses, chicken coops or rodent nests.
Some Triatomine bugs carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which can cause Chagas
disease in humans, dogs and other small mammals. T.
cruzi, a protozoan, is transmitted via the insect’s feces when it is
scratched into a wound or rubbed into a mucous membrane. Immediate (acute) symptoms of Chagas may be
swelling of the face (especially the area around the eye), swelling of other
areas of the body, moderate to high fever, but sometimes acute symptoms never occur. Treatment is available during the acute phase, so see a physician as
soon as possible if you suspect Chagas.
To reduce the
chance of Triatomine bugs entering the home, work on excluding them. Some of the following may help to seal the
home to keep the bugs outside.
- Prune trees and shrubs so they do not touch or
overhang the house
- Do not stack firewood or other items against the
house
- Install weather stripping around loose fitting doors
and windows- if you can see daylight around a door during the day, then
the weather stripping should be replaced
- Block weep holes in brick or stone façade homes with
copper mesh
- Use stainless steel mesh wire to block access points
in the attic (i.e. vents)
- Keep window screens in good repair
- Turn off outside lights at night. If that is not possible, use “bug bulbs”
that have a wavelength less attractive to insects
You can find more detailed information on kissing bugs, Chagas, and where to submit samples on this TAMU website.
Also, media outlets in Dallas recently ran a story on Kissing bugs and Chagas. You can find footage of that here.
