Assassin bugs are found all over the world. There are species of assassin bug in North, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. They have such a wide-spread presence that it’s no surprise that we need to know the best repellents to get rid of assassin bugs.
These bugs can be found in your home and outdoors in your garden or basically anywhere else there is a high population of other insects that they eat. It should be noted that assassin bugs are beneficial due to the insects they eat so you don’t necessarily want to get rid of them completely from your garden. But your home is a different matter, that’s for sure.
Here we will delve into the best repellents to get rid of assassin bugs, the best ways to treat assassin bug bites , the best repellents to kill assassin bugs and find out if there are any natural repellents to get rid of assassin bugs.
Table of Contents
The Best Repellents To Treat Assassin Bugs Bite
The goal with assassin bugs is, of course, not to get bitten in the first place. We need to know about repellents we can use to keep assassin bugs away from our skin.
Luckily, the only species of assassin bug that likes to bite you is the kissing bug. They are blood-suckers and will bite at night. You won’t feel the bite until it’s too late and the damage is done. It’s crucial to avoid bites from kissing bugs at all costs. They transmit the parasites that cause Chagas disease, which can ultimately cause heart and other serious problems. It can be fatal. It’s important to know that these parasites are not transmitted from the assassin bug’s bite alone. They are transferred by their feces and other fluids which can enter your body through the open wound of the bite.
Other assassin bugs, for the most part, will only bite if you press them to. They will generally not bother you if you don’t bother them. Never pick up or disturb an assassin bug and you should be ok.
To repel assassin bugs, you want a repellent that contains a relatively high concentration of DEET. Be warned though that using high concentrations of DEET on your skin for prolonged periods can be harmful. Some of the best assassin bug repellents containing DEET are:
Last update on 2021-07-01
1. Ben’s 100% DEET Insect Repellent
Last update on 2021-07-01
As mentioned, you will want to be careful how often you use this concentration of DEET, but this assassin bug repellent is very highly rated. It’s the first 100% DEET product to be registered in the United States by the EPA. It works wonders in deep woods, and people report that this is the only repellent that has worked for them after trying many.
This assassin bug repellent is oil-based, so you don’t want to get it on your clothes or furniture as it will not come out. It is not an aerosol, but rather a pump. You don’t waste product spraying it into the air. You can simply pump it into your hands and then rub it on your exposed skin.
This repellent will work for 10 or more hours so you will not have to be re-applying it constantly. Because of this, the bottle will also last longer.
2. OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent
Last update on 2021-07-01
OFF! Is a brand that most people already know. It is trusted and safe. This assassin bug repellent has a 25% concentration of DEET and because of this, it is safer for regular use. The nice thing is that although it most often comes in an aerosol, which can be annoying to apply and wasteful, you can also get the same insect repellent in other ways. You can buy the repellent in moist towels, a dry spray or a pump.
Due to the popularity of this product, it is also readily available. You can get some at pharmacies, grocery stores or outdoor stores as well as online.
3. Repel Sportsmen Max Insect Repellent
Last update on 2021-07-01
This is one of the best repellents again assassin bug bites since it is in the middle ground. It has a pump bottle for easier application and less waste and a 40% DEET concentration. Not too much, not too little.
People like the consistency of the Repel Sportsmen product – it’s not too oily. The scent is light and inoffensive compared to some other bug sprays. Users report that this assassin bug repellent is safe for use on clothes as well. That’s a really nice feature, so you don’t necessarily have to apply it to your skin.
Anyone of these three best repellents to get rid of assassin bugs will work to keep them away from you. As long as they have at least a 25 % concentration of DEET, you should be safe from them.
The Best Ways To Treat Assassin Bug Bites
If you are unlucky enough to get an assassin bug bite, it will be painful and usually leave a swollen, red mark at the bite site. They are itchy and altogether unpleasant. The best ways to treat an assassin bug bite is to use an itch-relieving cream and an antiseptic ointment. Here are the ones we recommend:
1. Cortisone 10 Maximum Strength
Last update on 2021-07-01
This cortisone cream relieves itches fast and reliably. The people who use it say that once you d, you’ll never be without it. This is a good cream to have on hand to treat the itching from any insect bite, including, of course, the assassin bug.
The consistency on this cream is good – not to heavy but not so light that it disappears from your skin quickly. It will provide hours of relief from the desire to scratch the bite and make it worse. The bite will be much easier to forget about if you use this cream.
2. Polysporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment
Last update on 2021-07-01
Assassin bugs carry bacteria in their mouths which can infect the skin at the bite site. After you wash the area, apply an antibiotic ointment to combat infection.
Polysporin is a trusted brand and readily available and it reasonably priced. This is another item that is helpful to have on hand at home for any minor cuts, scrapes or bites to help prevent infection.
Chemical Repellents To Kill Assassin Bugs
As we mentioned earlier, you don’t necessarily want to get rid of assassin bugs altogether when they’re in your garden. They will eat the insects that seek to destroy your plants thus keeping your garden safe. If you find assassin bugs in your home though, that’s a whole other thing. Here’s what we found to be the best chemical repellents to kill assassin bugs:
1. Syngenta Demon Max
Last update on 2021-07-01
Like with most things, you usually get what you pay for. Purchasing cheap chemicals will usually cost you more in the long run when it either doesn’t work or takes so much time to apply in huge quantities that it just doesn’t seem worth it.
The Syngenta Demon Max is a great chemical to apply around the perimeter of your house to stop assassin bugs from entering. It has a long residual effect due to its low water solubility. Although it is on the pricier side, it lasts a long time and people have nothing but good things to say about it.
This pesticide will also kill other insects around the exterior of your home like spiders and ants which is a nice added benefit.
2. Bayer Suspend SC Insecticide
Last update on 2019-11-16
This insecticide is safe for use indoors as long as you read and follow the application instructions. This is a good option if the assassin bugs have already made it into your home. One pint yields up to 64 gallons of pesticide you can spray. It’s a small container that won’t take up too much space.
Suspend SC is a broad-spectrum insecticide which is what you want to kill the assassin bugs. It has no odor and leaves no visible residue, which is good when you are spraying inside. It is also safe to apply in food preparation areas and does have a residual effect. This means that even once the chemical has been applied and is dry, if the assassin bug walks across an area that was sprayed, it will still kill them.
People love this product that, like the Syngenta Demon Max, also works on other crawling insects around your home like spiders, bedbugs, and beetles. They report seeing bugs scurrying to escape the chemical when they were applying the product.
3. Tempo Ultra SC Contact Insecticide
Last update on 2019-11-16
Another good chemical repellent to kill assassin bugs is Tempo. It boasts the same residual and contact kill of the other two chemicals we have discussed. It is safe for application in food areas and is used in places like schools and nursing homes. It is a popular chemical among pest control professionals.
This will also kill spiders, bedbugs and other insects and should be applied inside every few weeks to maintain a good barrier against the assassin bugs. This product can also be applied both indoors and outdoors so it is a perfect solution if you have problems inside and/or outside.
This product also comes in a small bottle that you dilute with water to the appropriate concentration. Some people may find having to mix the chemical themselves annoying but it’s worth it to be able to get the right mix. Only mix what you intend to use that day.
4. Riptide 0.5% Pyrethrin ULV
Last update on 2021-07-01
One more good option for a chemical repellent to kill assassin bugs is Riptide. This product will work both inside and out and will be applied in the same way as the others mentioned here. This one also requires mixing the batches yourself as most good pesticides do.
This product will control any flying or crawling insect so you can say goodbye to assassin bugs as well as mosquitoes, spiders, beetles, stored-product pests, etc. This stuff also has a residual effect so you won’t need to apply it every day.
Natural Repellents To Get Rid Of Assassin bugs.
Lastly, let’s explore some more natural repellents to get rid of assassin bugs. We’ve covered DEET and chemicals (insecticides/pesticides), but is there a way to keep the assassin bugs at bay naturally? The answer is yes. In each of the categories we have examined already, we can also have a natural alternative. Here are the best natural products we have found:
1. Natural Repellent – Bugs At Bay Insect Spray
Last update on 2021-07-01
One of the best natural assassin bug repellents is the Bugs At Bay brand. It keeps the bugs away and has a refreshing scent of lemon. People report this working very well for them with no adverse reaction like have had with high concentration DEET bug sprays.
This product comes in an attractive blue spray bottle that is easy to spray. It’s completely natural so you can spray it anywhere like on your clothes or furniture without worrying about damage or stains.
The only con is that it doesn’t have the same staying power as some of the less natural brands but the good news is that you can safely apply it as much as you want without any adverse effects. You can safely spray it on pets which will deter kissing bugs (they bite pets too), and it will also work to keep them free of fleas. Who wouldn’t like to have a dog that smells of lemons?
2. Natural Itch Relief – Badger After Bug Balm
Last update on 2021-07-01
This product is 100% natural and organic and uses the benefits of colloidal oatmeal to relives itching. It also uses menthol to provide a cooling sensation which is nice after any type of insect bite and especially one from an assassin bug.
It’s a balm rather than a cream and applies easily without getting it all over your fingers because it’s in stick form.
Killing Assassin Bugs Chemical-Free
Not everyone wants to apply chemicals to the exterior of their homes and even less to the interiors. Luckily there are a few natural options to kill assassin bugs that are chemical-free that work both inside and outside your home.
1. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Last update on 2021-07-01
Diatomaceous Earth is a widely used product for a variety of different things. It is used in beauty routines and to combat bugs. Who would have thought? It’s 100% natural and is made from the fossils of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms whose skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. This product can be used both inside and outside.
DE works to kill assassin bugs by dehydrating them. It is jagged and scratches their exoskeleton. Their exoskeleton stops the water they have inside them from evaporating. If there are holes in this exoskeleton, then the water will escape therefore dehydrating and killing them.
2. Bug Zappers
Last update on 2019-11-16
Another completely chemical-free way to get rid of assassin bugs is through the use of a bug zapper or light trap. The assassin bugs and other insects like mosquitoes and flies are attracted to the light. When they fly up and touch the light, they get electrocuted.
There are no chemicals, pesticides or anything unnatural involved in this method of killing assassin bugs. Once you get the light, install in an area that is in the same area as you but not directly beside you or super close. Since it attracts the bugs, you will be attracting the insects in your direction if the light is positioned close to you.
The assassin bugs are attracted to the light but they are also attracted to the other insects that will be drawn to the light too. They see them as dinner which shows even more why this will work against assassin bugs.
As we’ve said, assassin bugs are attracted to the light of the bug zapper, but they are also attracted to the outdoor lights you have on your house. Another easy way to combat them is to turn off your outdoor lights at night. Try also making sure your curtains are closed if you have the lights on inside. That way they are not attracted to your indoor lights either.
Someone has also thought about the issue of the outdoor lights being an attractant so you can also purchase special light bulbs that are less attractive to bugs. They use a special yellow light. You’ll still be able to see outside, but the bugs won’t bother you as much.
Now you have a complete buying guide for everything you need to use to repel assassin bugs from yourself, your garden and the inside of your home. Enjoy living without the worry of assassin bug infestation or bites, especially from the scary, bloodsuckers – the kissing bugs.