Did you find an assassin bug in your house? Here’s a complete guide on how to get rid of assassin bugs in your home through both organic ways and pesticides.
While it’s good to have assassin bugs in your garden, one cannot say the same about letting these bugs stay in your home.
Not only do these insects bite humans their bite is also quite painful and can cause many unwanted symptoms.
These bugs have grown more common in North America in recent times, with more than 160 species found here.
In case you start finding these bugs regularly in your home, you’ll have to take the necessary steps to get rid of them.
Let’s explore more on this topic and see how you can control and repel assassin bugs.
Are Assassin Bugs Dangerous?
Unfortunately, the assassin bug is a rather dangerous insect infamous for its bite. Among the different assassin bug species, the kissing bug is especially notorious for biting humans on the face!
The kissing bug is a blood-sucking insect whose bit, besides being very painful, also causes itching, swelling, and red bite marks.
You can also contract Chagas disease from the fecal matter of this bug which it leaves behind on the bite wound.
Apart from the fact that the Chagas disease can be life-threatening, there’s no known cure for it either.
This disease impacts the heart and intestinal system in humans. Symptoms of the Chagas disease include body aches, fever, and fatigue.
How To Identify Which Bug You Are Dealing With?
All assassin bugs have a narrow head and elongated mouthparts similar to a sharp beak, using which they stab their prey and feed on their juices.
There are more than 7,000 different assassin bug species in the world. The bug might be gray, black, tan, or brightly colored, depending on the species.
Below, we will show you how to identify the most common outdoor and indoor assassin bugs.
- Wheel bugs: Growing up to 1.5 inches long, these are the biggest assassin bugs. The wheel bug has a spiky cog-wheel-shaped structure on its back, which explains its name. You’ll mostly find wheel bugs outdoors, such as in your garden.
- Ambush bugs: This is another outdoor assassin bug species, known for laying patiently in wait for its prey and ambushing them. The front legs of the ambush bug are similar to that of the praying mantis, while the head is shorter than most other assassin bugs.
- Kissing bugs: As mentioned earlier, the kissing bug is particularly notorious for its bites. This indoor assassin bug grows up to an inch in length. It has a gray body with bright orange spots around the edges.
- Milkweed bugs: The milkweed assassin bug tends to overwinter in homes and has a brightly colored body. This type of assassin bug is relatively small and grows up to less than an inch.
Other species of assassin bugs include the spined assassin bug, bee killers, masked hunters, black corsairs, etc.
How To Prevent Them From Entering Homes?
These bugs have become quite common in South America and Central America and might easily end up in your home. Follow the steps below to prevent them from entering.
- Install screens on your windows and doors.
- Use caulk to seal cracks and crevices on the exterior walls.
- Leave no gaps under your exterior doors.
- You may use pyrethroid sprays to prevent assassin bug infestations.
- Swap your regular light bulbs for bug-safe ones, as these bugs get attracted to bright lights at night.
Besides these, try to keep the perimeter of your home clean and burn any rodent nests to make your property less attractive to assassin bugs.
Organic Control
It’s always a good idea to try out organic pest control methods before you decide to use chemical pesticides.
If you are trying to repel or eliminate assassin bugs, pesticides can be quite unsafe because they will also affect other beneficial insects.
Organic ways to control assassin bug populations include:
- Diatomaceous earth: Diatomaceous earth is a strong, naturally occurring compound effective at killing various pests. Just sprinkle this powdery substance over places frequented by the bugs or near entry points. It will dehydrate and kill the bugs upon contact.
- Vacuuming: One of the simplest and quickest home pest control measures, vacuuming can help you easily deal with assassin bug infestations. Run your vacuum cleaner over cracks and crevices where they might be hiding.
- Fewer lights: If possible, reduce the number of outdoor lights on your property, as bright lights and the pests flying around them attract assassin bugs at night.
Pesticidal Control
Generally, it’s advisable to leave pesticidal control as your last option in case organic means of pest control fail to get rid of the bugs.
Indoor pesticidal treatment is risky, especially if you have children or pets who might accidentally ingest the pesticides.
The same goes for outdoor spaces like your lawn – you’ll have to be careful not to let anyone into treated areas until the pesticide has dried out. Using pesticides in your garden can also kill various beneficial insects.
However, let’s check out what pesticides you can use against assassin bugs if organic methods don’t deliver satisfactory results.
In the garden
Having assassin bugs in your garden isn’t entirely a bad thing since they prey on pests that damage crops and plants.
You can leave them be if it’s one of the non-biting assassin bug species. However, if your garden has a major infestation, especially of the assassin bugs that bite, you can try the following pesticidal treatments:
Bifen granules
This granular insecticide is very effective against a variety of lawn insects, including assassin bugs.
You can apply Bifen granules over your yard or garden using a push spreader, a hand spreader, or a broadcaster.
Around 2.3 pounds of Bifen granules is enough per 1000 sq. ft. Two treatments a month apart from each other should usually wipe out the assassin bug infestation.
PT-Phantom
If you are dealing with a large infestation and can’t find their hiding places, the PT-Phantom is a perfect pesticide to use.
As this pesticide is odorless and doesn’t contain any repellants, assassin bugs would easily get exposed to it by walking over it.
They’ll later end up spreading the pesticide to others inside their nest, thus helping destroy the infestation.
On the perimeter of the house
Perimeter treatment is a great way to prevent infestations. For assassin bugs, bifenthrin-based broad-spectrum residual insecticides are a good choice.
Supreme IT
This pesticide uses bifenthrin as its active element and is great at eliminating assassin bugs. One ounce of the pesticide per gallon of water should be enough.
You can use a hose-end sprayer to spray it around your yard and perimeter. However, make sure no one (including pets) enters the treated area for two to four hours.
Inside the house
This is a bit tricky since you have to use a pesticide that won’t endanger the inhabitants, especially kids and pets.
Fipro Aerosol
This Fipronil-based pesticide is safe for indoor use and works well against assassin bugs. The foaming nature of Fipro Aerosol makes it particularly effective for treating cracks and crevices.
Once you apply the aerosol, the foam will spread inside the crevice and reach bugs hiding deep inside.
[sc name=”bugquiz” ][/sc]Frequently asked questions
Should you kill assassin bugs?
This depends on whether the bugs pose a threat or nuisance. You should certainly get rid of indoor assassin bugs to save yourself from their painful bites.
As for the ones in your garden, you can let them live as they would help control aphids, mealworms, and other harmful pests.
Why are assassin bugs in my house?
Assassin bugs prefer to live in dark and secluded places during the day, which they often find indoors.
Kissing bugs are also attracted to the bright lights at night, which draws them into houses. You might also find these bugs at home if your house has plenty of insects for them to hunt.
Where do assassin bugs lay their eggs?
Assassin bugs usually lay eggs outdoors, on stems and leaves of trees.
You may also find rows and clusters of assassin bug eggs in sheltered and secluded places, such as under rocks and inside cracks in your home.
Like other bugs of their species, assassin bugs go through an incomplete metamorphosis (egg -> larva -> adult), where they go through several molting stages. They only create one generation in a year.
How long do assassin bugs live?
The length of the assassin bug’s life cycle varies on the stage it is in. Eggs take about two weeks to hatch. Their wingless nymphs emerge and take 6-9 weeks to molt in various stages.
Once they turn into full-grown adults, they can live up to six to ten months. In captivity, these bugs can live up to two years.
Wrapping up
If you live in the United States, especially in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, or New Mexico, there’s always a chance that you might find assassin bugs in your home and garden.
Try to identify the species and the scale of infestation before you take up pest control measures. We hope you will use the information above to keep your family and gardens safe. Thank you for reading!