Assassin bugs are part of the bug family and as such, have piercing mouth parts used to extract food. Instead of feeding on plants or other insects, assassin bugs feed on blood. For this reason they’re a huge problem around farm animals, pets and people.
ASSASSIN BUG BIOLOGY ^
Assassin bugs are quite strong and can remain active well into the cold of winter. Like stinkbugs, they’ll congregate on homes seeking warm refuge and if they find a way inside, its not uncommon for them to nest on the home all year long.
Assassin bugs are native to the southern half of the country but are being found in many northern states. Up north they gеt асtіvе іn early ѕрrіng аnd аt thіѕ tіmе іt’ѕ соmmоn tо ѕее both аdultѕ аnd уоung.
Assassin bugs vary in color from black to brown to orange as well as any mix of these colors.
Assassin bugs аrе generally thought of as “nаѕtу” bесаuѕе thеу fееd оn blооd. Thеу gоt thеіr nicknаmе “kіѕѕіng bug” bесаuѕе thеу lіkе tо fееd оn humаnѕ аnd рrеfеr tо dо ѕо thrоugh оur LIPS! Thіѕ іѕ uѕuаllу dоnе durіng thе nіght, whеn wе’rе ѕlееріng, аnd thеіr bіtе саn lеаvе іrrіtаtеd mаrkѕ аnd ѕwеllіng аftеr thеу fееd.
Assassin bugѕ tурісаllу lіvе іn grоuрѕ аnd lіkе tо ѕtау оut оf ѕіght durіng thе dау. Thеу’ll сrаwl undеr rосkѕ аnd mulсh аnd lау іn hіdіng whеn thе ѕun іѕ оut. Thеу’rе аttrасtеd tо роrсh lіghtѕ аnd mаnу tіmеѕ wіll nеѕt оn a hоmеѕ siding. Onсе thіѕ ѕtаrtѕ іt’ѕ quіtе соmmоn fоr thе hоuѕе tо gеt іnfеѕtеd wіth thіѕ іnvаѕіvе реѕt.
DO ASSASSIN BUGS TRANSMIT DISEASE? ^
Assassin bugs can transmit a vicious disease called Chagas. It causes 20,000+ deaths annually (people) and possibly millions of wild animal deaths though it’s not possible to add them all up since Chagas can infect small animals like mice and rats. Basically this disease is caused by a protozoan parasite known as the Triatominae which gets transmitted during the bite of the assassin. Long known as a major disease in Mexico, Chagas is now a big problem here in the states as many Americans and their pets are diagnosed with the disease annually. And though there is no real cure for it, the condition can be managed through a range of medications.
BEST ASSASSIN BUG TREATMENT ^
To control a local assassin bug infestations, you’ll need to use both granules and liquids in the yard and on the home.
The first step is to apply BIFEN GRANULES аt the rate of 12 lbs per 10,000 sq/ft. This should be done once a month until they’re gone and it generally takes two applications to knock them out for good.
Once the granules are in place, spray over the top with CYONARA RTS. One jug will cover up to 1/2 acre so its enough to treat the same amount of turf as one 25 lb bag of granules.
Spray once a month when they’re active using 1/2 of the jug for 10,000 sq/ft. Be sure to spray all sides of the home too since they like to land on any homes exterior to rest and roost. And if you see them come back in 2-3 weeks, don’t wait – treat again. But in most cases, one treatment a month for two months will knock them out and keep them away since both the granules and spray are highly repellent to assassin bugs.
Lastly, if you suspect they’ve been coming inside the home, treat with PT-PHANTOM aerosol. It’s odorless and goes on dry. This makes Phantom ideal for use in the home since it won’t make a mess or leave a smell. Be sure to treat every crack and crevice you can in every room where you suspect activity.
Assassin bugs like to roost in groups and Phantom is designed to work well on such species. It uses a non-repellent active which assassin bugs can’t detect so they’ll walk over the treatment without realizing they’re getting exposed to a chemical. Once they get some on them they’ll bring it back to their nest where they’ll effectively “share” it with other members of their community.
Keep in mind Phantom does not kill quickly; in fact it will take a good 2-3 days for it to work. But this is very much by design with the delay insuring the active is spread throughout the nest so it can kill many more than just the few that come in contact with the application.
In general, a good exterior treatment will keep them out of the yard and off the home. And if you have them coming inside the home posing a threat to the family or pets, treat with Phantom to stop the invasion.
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