OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma woman is voicing her concerns after her backyard paradise was taken over by bugs.
Wanda Delaney says she is worried they are kissing bugs that can carry a disease called Chagas.
The kissing bug is named after its behavior, where it tends to bite the face, specifically around the mouth.
Delaney says she doesn’t know exactly what the bugs are, but believes they could be kissing bugs.
“This morning I probably saw 20 of them while the sun was kind of coming up,” said Delaney.
She says they are everywhere.
“I started seeing a few at night, mostly. They’d come out in the evening when the sun would go down,” said Delaney.
She describes them as tiny drones.
“They follow you, they land wherever, and they’re just all over. They’re really creepy. Really creepy,” said Delaney.
The affiliate KFOR consulted with experts at Oklahoma State University, where Dr. Jonathan Cammack, an assistant professor and state extension specialist, immediately identified what Wanda found in her backyard after viewing a photograph.
“That’s a leaf-footed bug,” said Dr. Cammack.”We typically see leaf-footed bugs in garden situations. So like on tomato plants and other things.”
But Dr. Cammack says it’s easy to confuse other bugs with the kissing bug.
“Numerous insect species closely resemble kissing bugs and share a similar appearance. Most of them exhibit a black and red patterning,” explained Dr. Cammack.
He is talking about the lines seen in the photo of the bug.
Dr. Cammack says he can see how they got mixed up, adding, If you are unsure, collect it and send it in.
“Reach out to your local extension office to get some of those specimens collected so that we can get a positive identification,” said Dr. Camamck.
Dr. Cammack says there are two types of kissing bugs in Oklahoma across several counties.
While they can carry a disease, there have been no confirmed human infections in Oklahoma.
