They're also called assassin bugs and are pretty common. If you treat around your house for bugs like ticks, fleas, ants and termites you're probably using an insecticide that will also control these things.
Yes I know ticks aren't bugs, but none of what I listed are true bugs.
Both kissing bugs and assassin bugs are both true bugs in the family Reduviidae, but they are not the same thing. Kissing bugs that can spread Chagas are not common outside the extreme southern portion of the US.
By the way, not only are ticks not bugs, they aren't even insects, they are arachnids. Many insecticides have no effect on them.
They're unfortunately becoming common in the upper regions of Texas. At least I can verify Austin, TX has had quite a few. Thankfully pesticides take care of these not so little critters.
Thanks for the peace of mind. I've seen many assassin bugs in my apartment in the Seattle area and sometimes worry that one of us might have been bitten by them and have Chagas. I guess we're safe in this area.
The kissing bug carries a unicellular organism called Trypanosoma cruzi [1], which is what causes the human disease. T. cruzi is transmitted by the kissing bug into the human host, where it can remain dormant for years while completing its life cycle. What is so nasty with this parasite is that it hides inside normal cells, proliferating slowly.
They seem not to be the same things, since the article specifically mentions assassin bugs as being falsely identified as kissing bugs. It seems they belong to the same family of insect, however.
It is possible all these sources are right. There are many species of this pest and while all can carry the Chagas disease worm apparently only 5 of prime concern as an infection vector for humans. It could be that none of those 5 are called assassin bugs.
Thanks. You would think an article about kissing bugs would have at least one clear image of the bug itself. I now know exactly what these are, thanks to the article you linked.
> Partially, it was for financial reasons. If he spent 100 hours participating in scientific research on his land, he could reduce his property taxes by more than half.
That's interesting. Anyone know offhand how that works?
I wonder if it is possible to use gene drive against this bugs? As the article says biting us is a "capital offense" and getting rid of mosquitos, ticks, tsetse and this horrible thing, would improve life of many people.
And in the reverse direction, it took me ages (and maybe a web search) before I figured out that "mono" was glandular fever.
What's going to be really interesting in the future is "regional" vernacular being split along online community lines more than geographic lines, so you'll get the same cultural confusion talking to your neighbour as you currently do talking to fellow internet posters.
They're also called assassin bugs and are pretty common. If you treat around your house for bugs like ticks, fleas, ants and termites you're probably using an insecticide that will also control these things.
Yes I know ticks aren't bugs, but none of what I listed are true bugs.
And now my skin is itchy.