Wondering about wild grapes

Monday, March 30, 2015

Trip to Town and Kissing Bug.

Went to the bank to get some important stuff out of our lock box and stopped at Hastings and my wife got a magazine and then to the UPS store to make some copies that we needed.  Sounds like a lot of running around but all three are fairly close to each other so it wasn't so bad.

Yesterday I was out squirting water on the bees that were sucking my hummingbird feeder of its sweet contents and I looked down on my arm and there was a kissing beetle.  I flicked it off and it landed on the side of the house.  I got to it before it took off and now it is just a red splat!!  I didn't take a picture because I am sure you get the picture.  Well maybe some of you don't know what a kissing beetle is so I will post some pictures I found on the internet:
 
This was under the kissing bug pictures, but I am not so sure it is correct.  But of course I ain't going to kiss the thing to find out.

 
This next picture is the life cycle of the kissing bug.

The reason they are called kissing beetles or kissing bugs is that if they get in the house they will try to find a meal of blood.  When you are asleep, that is when they feed on you.  You never know it until you wake up with red, itchy welts like these:

We had a neighbor that got bit a few times on her leg and it swelled up so bad she couldn't walk on it.  I guess this just goes to show you that you can catch a lot of different things from kissing the wrong subject.  Now, be careful of who or what is kissing you and have a great day, you hear?

17 comments:

  1. That is a very dangerous bug. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triatominae

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is the page I got one of the pictures from.

      Delete
  2. I've never heard of this one... thought at first you might have been writing about the "love bugs"... those paired insects that seem to be everywhere at certain times of the year. But, geez... that kissing bug is anything but affectionate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe that they range from South and Central America up through Mexico and around the Rio Grand border and up the Gulf coast. So far the inland areas are safe from them.

      Delete
  3. Those are some nasty little bugs. They can make some people really sick. They are called Cone Nose out around Terlingua.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is correct, they have several names, but no matter what they are called, they are indeed nasty.

      Delete
  4. Wasn't there a country song years ago about the love bug getting you? I hope I never have a run-in with a kissing beetle though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Love Bug is nice but the Kissing Beetle is not. Yes, I believe you are right about that country song. Here is a link to all the lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/love-bug-lyrics-george-jones.html

      Delete
  5. Have heard nothing but bad things about those ugly bugs. They have a presence in Terlingua and have bitten quite a few people up there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, they seem to be spreading. I have seen them around here for as long as I can remember.

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Some kisses are just not worth the dangers involved, and this is one of them. . .

      Delete
  7. I have seen these things before, but just never knew anything about them. I'll avoid them now, though, at all costs! Thanks, Dizzy, for the education ~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The one I squashed left a big splat of blood on the house. I wonder if it was my blood??

      Delete