Summertime means sunshine, long days, and time outdoors — but it also brings unwanted pests. While mosquitoes and ticks often get the most attention, another insect is quietly spreading: the kissing bug. Though less familiar to many people, kissing bugs can pose serious health risks, making awareness and prevention extremely important.
What Are Kissing Bugs?
Kissing bugs, scientifically known as triatomines, are nocturnal blood-feeding insects. They hide during the day in cracks, crevices, and animal nests, then come out at night to feed — usually when people are asleep. Because their saliva contains a numbing agent, most bites go unnoticed.
These insects are attracted to the carbon dioxide in human breath, which is why they often bite around the mouth or eyes. Their bites typically appear in small clusters on the face. Although they naturally live in wooded areas and in the nests of rodents or birds, they can easily enter homes through broken screens, gaps, or cracks in walls.
Kissing bugs are most widespread in South and Central America and Mexico, where they are strongly linked to Chagas disease. However, increasing cases in the southern United States are causing growing concern.