What Are Kissing Bugs? Do They Make You Sick?

Written by Lori M. King, PhD, Alicia Racelis, PhD
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on September 22, 2025
10 min read

Kissing bugs are a group of blood-feeding bugs that may bite (“kiss”) you on your face around your mouth, usually while you sleep. Although some aren't dangerous, some kissing bugs carry a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) which can cause Chagas disease.

The Southern and Western parts of the U.S. have almost a dozen species of kissing bugs. But they also live in Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. 

Texas A&M University takes bugs for identification at the Kissing Bugs & Chagas Disease in the U.S. Community Science Program. Their scientists get the most kissing bugs from three states which also have more species than other states: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

About half the kissing bugs in the U.S. are infected with a parasite, and in some areas up to 70 bugs out of 100 have it. The parasite lives in the gut of the kissing bug and can cause Chagas (pronounced CHAH-gus) disease, also called American trypanosomiasis. 

Chagas disease is endemic in the Western and Southern parts of the U.S. and infects about 300,000 people.

How does the kissing bug spread the parasite?

You might get infected with Trypanosoma cruzi when the bugs come out at night to feed on your blood. After they feed on your blood, they poop on you. 

It's gross to think about, but if you scratch or rub yourself while you sleep, you may get their poop in your:

  • Eyes
  • Nose
  • Mouth
  • The bite wound. 

This can infect you with the parasite. That's not the only way people get infected, but it's the most common way.

Adult kissing bugs can grow about 1/2 inch to 1 inches long, the size of a penny. They have straight, thin mouthparts tucked under their body.

Kissing bugs can also have:

  • Brown or black bodies
  • A striped band around the edge of their body that is red, orange, or yellow
  • Long, thin legs without thicker areas like some other bugs have

Kissing bugs can look like other bugs in the same insect family called reduviidae — assassin bugs. 

Some species in this bug family are called assassin bugs because they kill and eat other bugs. Even though kissing bugs are in this family, they aren't assassin bugs. 

Assassin bugs have:

  • Strong mouthparts to eat other bugs or suck out plant juice, but kissing bugs have tiny, thin mouthparts
  • A bite that can hurt, but kissing bug bites usually don't
  • No parasites, but kissing bugs can pass on the Chagas disease parasite

Two assassin bugs that look like kissing bugs are the wheel bug and the western corsair. 

Wheel bug

Adult wheel bugs are about 1 1/2 inches long, so it's a bit bigger than a kissing bug. Wheel bugs are dull gray, and they have a crest on their back that looks like a wheel or gear.

Western corsair

Adult western corsairs are about 0.6-0.8 inches long, so they're a similar size as the kissing bug. They have an orange-red body, and their front legs are a bit thicker than their back legs. 

They have a large yellow dot on each wing that looks like one dot when the wings close over each other. They live mostly in the western part of the U.S.

Leaf-footed bug

Another bug that may look like the kissing bug is the leaf-footed bug. Adults are about 0.75-1 inch long, so they are about the same size as a kissing bug. They have narrow brown bodies and thicker patches on their back legs that look like leaves. 

This may be the easiest way for you to tell the difference between a leaf-footed bug and a kissing bug: Kissing bugs don't have enlarged areas on their back legs. 

Leaf-footed bugs have strong mouthparts to suck juice out of the leaves, shoots, and fruit of plants. They probably won't bite you, but they may eat your tomato plants.

Kissing bugs live in the Southern U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as southern Argentina. They've been seen in most U.S. states. 

Doctors are reporting Chagas disease in states such as:

  • Texas
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • California

And kissing bugs have rarely been seen in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Where do kissing bugs live?

They usually live close to animals they can feed on, including:

In areas of Central and South America, the bugs often nest in the cracks and holes of houses made from:

  • Mud
  • Straw
  • Palm thatch

In the U.S., most houses have plastered walls and sealed entryways, so the bugs can't get inside. 

If you see kissing bugs inside, they'll most likely be near:

  • Your pet's bed, where they sleep
  • Areas where mice or rats nest
  • Your bed or the bedroom furniture

They're most likely found outside in places such as:

  • Under your porch
  • Between rocks
  • Under cement
  • In rock, wood, or brush piles or hiding underneath the bark on trees
  • In animal burrows or rodent (squirrels, mice, rats) nests
  • In doghouses or kennels
  • In chicken coops or houses

Like mosquitoes and ticks, kissing bugs eat blood. They usually suck it from animals, including dogs, but sometimes they bite people. 

If they get inside your house, they may hide during the day and come out at night to eat. You may see clusters of bites around your mouth or on your face. 

Kissing bug bites are usually painless, but you may have:

  • Swelling
  • Itching 
  • Tiny bloodstains on your sheets or pillow
  • A bug in your bed or around your pillow

The bite mark usually goes away after a week.

Kissing bug bite mark

It's usually not possible to tell what bit you just from the bite mark. 

You may not even notice you were bitten, but if you do, the best way to tell what bug bit you is to:

  • Have the bug identified by an expert
  • Send a photo to Texas A&M University, to see if they canidentify the bug
  • Take the bug to your local or state Department of Health Services to see if they can help
  • Ask your doctor if they can help you find out where to send the bug

Kissing bugs aren't usually dangerous if they bite you unless you have allergies or the bug is infected with the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. 

Allergic reaction

Some people may be allergic to the spit of a kissing bug and develop a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis (pronounced a-nuh-fuh-lak-suhs). 

Your doctor can prescribe medicine for you to keep nearby if you've had a reaction before, like an epinephrine auto-injector. The epi-pen helps prevent your allergic reaction, so keep it with you at all times in case you get a bug bite.

Keep in mind that an allergic reaction to the spit of the kissing bug doesn't mean you have Chagas disease. That's because you can only get the parasite from kissing bug poop, not spit

Chagas disease

Although most people are fine, about a third of people develop Chagas disease --- serious heart or intestinal problems. The CDC says most people who have Chagas disease in the U.S. were likely infected while visiting or living in Central and South America. 

Although only few cases of Chagas disease have been recorded so far in the U.S., as more doctors report the disease, the number of cases may grow.

When should I call my doctor?

Allergic reactions to the kissing bug can cause a serious, anaphylaxis reaction. 

Get medical help right away if you get:

  • A stiff neck
  • Pain in your chest
  • A serious headache
  • Swelling
  • Serious diarrhea or vomiting
  • Dazed or confused

Chagas disease is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite found in kissing bug poop. The disease happens in two phases. 

The first phase lasts two weeks to a few months. Only some people develop the second phase of Chagas disease which can cause heart and gastrointestinal disease.

Chagas disease symptoms

Many people don't know they were bitten by a kissing bug because they may not have any symptoms. The parasite can infect you for months before symptoms show up. 

And if you do have symptoms at first, they're often a lot like other infections, such as:

  • Red, painful, and swollen bite
  • Fever
  • Tiredness
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Rash
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

How is Chagas disease diagnosed?

Thankfully, it’s easy to diagnose Trypanosoma cruzi infection with a blood test. 

Ask your doctor to be tested if you think you've been bitten by a bug and you:

  • Live where there's lots of kissing bugs: the Southern U.S., Mexico, Central and South America
  • Travel to an area with Chagas disease
  • Develop any symptoms of Chagas disease

Can medicines treat Chagas disease?

Yes. Treatments for Chagas disease are available. Because the disease can be life threatening if untreated, tell your doctor if you think you were bitten. Early treatment works better to prevent complications.

Chagas Disease can cause heart and stomach complications. You're at higher risk for complications if you:

  • Are really young, at risk for life threatening swelling in the heart or brain
  • Have a weakened immune system
  • Take chemotherapy
  • Have another infection such as HIV 

With Chagas-type heart problems, you can get:

  • An enlarged heart
  • Heart failure
  • Changes in heart rhythm
  • Sudden death from heart attack

Gastrointestinal problems from Chagas disease can cause:

Because it's hard to recognize that you're infected, you may not get treatment right away. This is why it's important to avoid kissing bugs to prevent an infection in the first place.

It can be hard to know where your bite came from, especially if the bug is gone when you wake up. Check in and around  your bed and bedroom furniture. 

Don't touch the bug with your bare hands. Instead:

  • Use a glove or plastic bag to catch the bug, don’t touch it directly. 
  • Keep the bug in the plastic bag or a small vial or container. 
  • Clean any areas with soap and water or a bleach solution. 
  • Don't put undiluted bleach on your skin. 

You can make a dilute bleach solution by mixing about a teaspoon of household bleach into 16 ounces of water to clean places the bug touched. 

Put the bug in the freezer to kill it and to preserve the DNA. The lab can test the bug forTrypanosoma cruzi infection. 

Write down some information such as:

  • The date and time of day you found the bug
  • If you've caught it indoors or outdoors
  • Jot down the names of any people or animals it may have bitten 

Then call your local health department or pest service to see if someone can help you figure out what kind of bug you have. A local college or university could help you, too.

Home remedies can help stop the itch and prevent a skin infection. But if you're younger, have a weakened immune system, or live in an area with Chagas disease, talk to your doctor about getting tested.

If the bite is itchy or uncomfortable, you can try to:

  • Wash the bite with soap and water and lower your skin infection risk.
  • Use calamine lotion or other anti-itch cream to help stop your itch.
  • Use a cold pack to bring down swelling.

If you’re in an area where there's Chagas disease and you get a kissing bug bite, ask a doctor to check your bite out.

Kissing bugs don’t usually infest houses, but an occasional bug might get inside.

If you’ve noticed them in or around your home or live in an area with Chagas disease, to keep them away you can:

  • Seal cracks and gaps in your home.
  • Put screens in your windows and patch any holes.
  • Keep chicken coops or other animal cages away from your home.
  • Move piles of leaves, firewood, and rocks out of your yard.
  • Turn off outdoor lights near the house at night so they won’t attract bugs.
  • Clean your indoor dog or cat beds regularly.
  • Wear protective clothing before applying insect repellent to exposed skin.
  • Use bed nets treated with long-duration insecticides.
  • Clean and cook your food thoroughly.

Chagas bugs, also called "kissing bugs," can cause allergic reactions and Chagas disease if infected with the parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi. Talk to your doctor about testing if you think you're infected or traveled to an area with Chagas disease. Get medical help right away if you have allergic reaction symptoms like stiffness, chest pain, swelling, confusion, or serious diarrhea or vomiting.

Do kissing bugs fly?

Yes, but only the adults. Kissing bugs grow through five juvenile (young) stages on their way to adulthood. In younger stages, they don't have wings. 

What attracts kissing bugs?

Kissing bugs may be attracted to:

  • Heat 
  • Smells from wild animal nests
  • Outdoor dog kennels

Don't give bugs a place to hide around your house: Clear away wild animal nests and keep outdoor animal kennels and enclosures clean. 

Can my dog get bitten by a kissing bug?

Kissing bugs may be attracted to:

  • The heat 
  • Smells from wild animal nests
  • Outdoor dog kennels

It can be hard to keep kissing bugs away from outdoor dog kennels and wild animal nests, but you can:

  • Clean out any areas around and under your house
  • Clear away wild animal nests
  • Keep outdoor animal kennels and enclosures clean