Kissing Bug Home
Basic facts
Allergies
Chagas Disease
Got kissing bugs?
Avoiding
Current research
Outreach
In The News
Collaborators
References
Contact
Informative Flyer
ARLDN Home

How can I avoid kissing bugs?

While there is no sure-proof way to avoid kissing bugs from entering your house, you can reduce the occurrence of bugs in your home by proper maintenance. Be sure to check around inside or just outside your house in the evening to see if any kissing bugs have entered. Also check small, dark places during the day for any bugs that may be hiding. Be sure that all your doors and windows have proper screens that fit snuggly. Keep any outside lighting to a minimum, perhaps using dimly lit solar lights. Keep your blinds or curtains closed at night to reduce the light from your house. Be sure to check your bedding before going to sleep at night. The few extra minutes a day you spend of these avoidance steps, the better your chance at a kissing bug-free night.

Some of this avoidance tips are taking from Carl A. Olson’s 1996 article entitled “Kissing Bugs” (http://www.arose.net/triatoma/olson.htm).

Additional website with avoidance information:

California Poison Control System

News Wise, "Allergists Provide Tips to Prevent Bug Bites"

Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences,
The University of Arizona