Stink Bug vs Kissing Bug: Which One Bites?

A stink bug is a shield-shaped plant feeder that does not bite. A kissing bug is a blood feeder with a cone-shaped head that can carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The body shape and the head settle the identification before you worry about the disease.

This page is for identification, not medical advice. If you think you were bitten or you have symptoms that worry you, contact a healthcare provider.

Stink bug vs kissing bug: the body test

Start with the outline.

• Stink bug: shield-shaped, almost as wide as it is long, about 5/8 inch (17 mm). The brown marmorated stink bug is mottled brown with coppery or bluish patches and light and dark bands on the last two antennal segments. Penn State Extension describes the shield shape and the banded antennae.
• Kissing bug: pear-shaped and more elongated, about 1/2 to 1 inch long. It has a cone-shaped head, prominent antennae and spindly, stick-like legs. Many species have 12 orange spots around the edge of the abdomen. Texas A&M AgriLife describes the cone-shaped head and the beak-like mouthparts held under the body.

The head is the clearest difference. A stink bug has a broad, short head on a wide shield. A kissing bug has a narrow, cone-shaped head on a longer body.

Where kissing bugs live

Kissing bugs are also called triatomine bugs. They live in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and South America. CDC says 11 species have been found in the southern United States, and Texas A&M reports records from 29 states. Texas, New Mexico and Arizona have the most species and the most findings.

Outdoors, they hide under porches, between rocks, under cement, in rock and wood piles, in rodent nests and animal burrows, in dog houses and kennels, and in chicken coops. They feed at night.

In the United States, kissing bugs rarely infest homes because houses are usually well sealed and have plastered walls. Finding one indoors is not automatically an infestation. Finding nymphs, which are wingless, or many adults indoors suggests a breeding population nearby.

What kissing bugs carry

Kissing bugs can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

The parasite is in the bug’s feces, not its saliva. CDC explains that a person can be infected when feces get into a bite wound, the eyes or the mouth, often by scratching or rubbing the bite. Chagas disease does not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu.

Chagas disease is most common in rural areas of Mexico, Central America and South America. CDC estimates that about 280,000 people in the United States have the disease, often without knowing it. Texas A&M researchers report that about half of the kissing bugs people send them carry the parasite, but infection rates vary by location.

Many people have no symptoms at first. CDC says about 20 to 30 percent of infected people later develop serious heart or digestive problems. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose Chagas disease, using a blood test. There is no vaccine, and treatment works best when it starts early.

Do stink bugs bite?

No. University of Maryland Extension states plainly that brown marmorated stink bugs do not bite, sting, suck blood or spread disease. They feed on plant leaves, buds and fruit, and they come indoors in fall looking for a warm place to spend the winter.

For most people, a stink bug is a nuisance, not a health threat. Penn State notes that crushing one against exposed skin can cause dermatitis in a small percentage of people, and that the bugs do not reproduce inside or damage structures.

What to do if you find one

If it is a stink bug: seal cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes and chimneys. Repair damaged screens. Vacuum or sweep the ones that get inside rather than crushing them. UMD and Penn State both advise against indoor sprays and say exterior sprays do not stop the invasion.

If it is a kissing bug: do not panic, and do not handle it bare-handed. A single adult indoors is not proof of an infestation. Photograph it and contact your extension office or local health department for help with identification. Seal gaps around doors and baseboards, repair window screens, remove wood and brush piles and animal nests, and turn off outside lights at night where it is safe to do so. If you find nymphs or many adults, contact a pest control professional.

If you use an insecticide, follow the product label; the label is the law. Do not spray a wall void or attic on your own.

If you were bitten: contact a healthcare provider if you have questions or symptoms. CDC says only a healthcare provider can diagnose Chagas disease.

For the stink bug profile, see brown marmorated stink bug. For the other household comparison, see stink bug vs boxelder bug. For other pairs, see look-alikes, and for insect profiles by category, see insects.