Conenose bugs are part of the bug family and as such, have piercing mouth parts used to extraact food. Instead of feeding on plants or other insects, conenose bugs feed on blood. For this reason they’re a huge problem around farm animals, pets and people.
CONENOSE BUG BIOLOGY
Conenose 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.
Conenose 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.
Connose 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.
Conenose 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 CONENOSE BUGS TRANSMIT DISEASE?
Conenose bugs 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 conenose. 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.
HOW TO TREAT A CONENOSE BUG INFESTATION
To control a local conenose bug infestations, you’ll need to use both granules and liquids in the yard and on the home.
The first step is to apply MAXXTHOR GRANULES аt the rate of 11 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 MAXXTHOR EC. One pint can cover up to 2 acres so its enough to treat the same amount of turf as 8 jugs of granules.
Spray once a month when they’re active using 1/4 oz of concentrate per 1,000 sq/ft of turf/mulch/flower beds. 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 for good and keep them away since both the granules and spray are highly repellent to conenose bugs.
Lastly, if you suspect they’ve been coming inside the home, treat with FS MP AEROSOL. It’s super strong and can both kill them on contact AND repel them from nest sites for weeks. Key areas to treat include WINDOWS and under the homes EXTERIOR SIDING.
Conenose bugs like to roost in groups and FS MP will both kill them all and keep them from returning.
Keep in mind FS MP does have a bit of an odor since its oil based (smells like WD-40) but in a few hours, the odor will be gone.
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 FS MP to kill them where they’re nesting and if they get bad on the walls, get the MULTIPURPOSE AEROSOL.
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