Wacky Pest Wednesday: Assassin Bugs

Another Wednesday and another edition of Wacky Pest Wednesday coming at you, Tri-County Pest Control fans!  This Wednesday, we invite you to join us as we cover a pretty interesting pest: the assassin bug!

Assassin bugs are a critter that has certainly earned its namesake.  These pests are very aggressive, and will go and hunt prey to satisfy their insatiable appetite.  That being said, they have no problem hunting down a spider in its own web, and uses a variety of tactics—such as jumping from above or sneaking up from behind—to accomplish its goal.

Now, how they eat their meal may very well make you sick to your stomach.  Once they catch their prey, they inject it with a paralyzing venom, leaving the poor critter stuck as a digestive enzyme from the assassin bug breaks down all of the prey’s internal organs into a sludge.  Then, using its long nose, the assassin bug slurps it all up, leaving the corpse behind. Oh, and if that isn’t freaky enough, the assassin bug will then use the corpse of the critter it just killed as camouflage, wearing it as the bug sneaks up on other potential meal.  How, how’s that for unsettling?

To make it worse, these guys can also be a vector for Chagas disease, which can have some pretty serious medical complications.  So, our advice to you is to avoid these critters as much as you can, and to give us a call if you see one. While they are known as solitary creatures, their presence can indicate another pest problem in your home.

Enjoy your Wednesday!