Kissing bugs are small insects with oval-shaped black bodies that look similar to stink bugs, and they can even emit foul odors like stink bugs. Unlike stink bugs, however, kissing bugs feed on blood. They get their name from the bite marks they sometimes leave on people's faces when they feed on them at night.
If you have kissing bugs in your home, it's important to get rid of them as soon as you can. Kissing bugs can carry a parasite in their feces that can infect humans. People who are bitten by kissing bugs sometimes get infected by the parasite when they accidentally spread kissing bug feces into one of their bite wounds. The parasite causes Chagas disease, which can sometimes cause fatal heart problems. To learn how you can protect yourself and get rid of the kissing bugs in your house, read on.
1. Remove the Kissing Bugs and Their Eggs With a Vacuum
Kissing bugs are only active at night. During the day, they'll hide in small crevices near where you or your pets sleep at night. Use a flashlight to inspect the places where they like to hide during the day and vacuum up any kissing bugs and eggs that you see. Don't touch the bugs while you're vacuuming them up or disposing of them, as you may accidentally infect yourself with the parasite that they carry.
2. Get Rid of Other Pests the Kissing Bugs Can Use as Food
Kissing bugs like to nest close to a food source. If you have rodents living in your attic or crawlspace, for example, you'll attract more kissing bugs. Kissing bugs can feed on mammals, reptiles, and birds. If you have any pests living nearby that kissing bugs can use as a food source, you'll also have to get rid of those pests in order to avoid attracting any more kissing bugs to your home.
3. Seal off Entry Points to Your Home
You'll need to block off any entry points that kissing bugs can use to get inside your home. Kissing bugs are very small, especially before they're fully grown adults, so they can fit through tiny crevices. Caulk any openings in your home's exterior that kissing bugs can crawl through, like cracks in window frames and the small wall penetration where the refrigerant line from your air conditioner enters your home. You should also install weatherstripping around your doors to make sure they can't simply crawl underneath them.
If you keep seeing kissing bugs in your home after sealing it off or if you need help getting rid of other pests that are attracting kissing bugs to your home, call a pest control service in your area. A professional pest control service can help you get rid of rodents or birds in your home or yard that are luring in more kissing bugs, and they can also use commercial pesticides to kill the kissing bugs that are hiding inside your home. Kissing bugs can potentially be dangerous because of the parasite they sometimes carry, so it's a good idea to bring in professional help if you're not having success removing them on your own.
Reach out to pest control services near you to learn more.
Share13 July 2023
After marrying my sweet husband ten years ago, I moved into a fixer-upper. I immediately started making a list of remodeling projects I wold need to complete before the house would be comfortable to live in. For instance, I had to rip out the old linoleum flooring in the kitchen, mud room, and bathrooms. I also had to buy a complete set of new furniture. Only a few days after moving into this house, I also discovered my need to contact a reputable pest control specialist. The house contained huge, disgusting roaches. After a local pest control technician visiting my house, my home was free of potentially health damaging roaches. On this blog, you will discover the latest trends in the pest control industry for successfully removing roaches from a home.
