Kissing bugs, a blood-sucking insect very common tot he Tucson area, are also known by the common name conenose bug. The kissing bug is normally a resident of packrat dens, but in other habitats will use such hosts as opossums, armadillos and other assorted rodents, bats, etc..As long as the host is available, the kissing bug normally stays with the residents. Thus if homeowners try to eliminate packrat nests, but fail to then deal with the bugs, rest assured the bugs will find the next readily available blood meal, generally that homeowner. Complete cleanup of the nest site, removal of all plant materials, and a thorough inspection of the disturbed nest site to find and remove resident kissing bugs is imperative for management of the potential problem bugs.

The female kissing bug lays pearly white sub-conical eggs singly in a habitat near its food source. These eggs hatch in from 10-30 days into a small soft-bodied nymph that soon will be ready for a blood meal.

In Arizona, the activity period of adult kissing bugs is usually in May and June, coinciding with high nighttime temperatures in the 70's and low humidity. A second activity period may be noted in September when conditions again are similar to our early summer.