(Assassin) Wheel Bug Bite Home Remedy

Yesterday, I was outside hanging clothes on the line. Jada and Ty were with me playing a few feet away.

I heard Jada laugh and say, “Hey Ty! Come here and look at this funny bug!” I glanced over to see them crouching down examining some small critter climbing on a blade of grass.

an assassin bug
a kissing (assassin) bug

It didn’t even cross my mind to see what it was they were looking at. I figured they’d seen all of the bugs we have around the house, and knew which ones not to mess with.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Titus pick up the bug. Jada screamed as he began to chase her with it, but within a split second I heard my little guy yell, “OWWW!” and then it was his own scream I was hearing.

I dropped what I was doing and rushed over to him in time to see him throw the bug down and try to stomp on it as he cried hysterically.

Now, Titus cries like any other four year old does, but he never screams and cries like he did. I immediately knew he was hurt bad. And when I saw the bug that had bitten him, I was extremely concerned, to say the least.

I thought I recognized what it was, but wasn’t absolutely positive, so I ran inside to get a jar and rushed back out to capture it before it scurried away. I knew I’d need it for positive identification if we had to head to the emergency room.

I picked Titus up and rushed him indoors. If this bug was what I thought it was, he was in some major pain.

Wheel Bug Bite First Aid

The first thing I did was what I always do when any of us gets a bite or a sting: I wiped his swelling thumb with an antiseptic wipe, got out the snake bite kit (The Extractor), and sucked the red mark hoping to remove some of the venom.

He continued to cry, and asked me through big tears, “Why did God make those bugs?!” To which Jada decided to answer, “He had to have had some reason for making it!” Which didn’t help Ty at the moment.

I washed his hand good with soap and water. He complained that it felt “like a sword was getting him”. Poor little thing!

I gave him a piece of ice to hold on the bite while I jumped on the phone and called my husband, who used to be in pest control.

“Hey! What are those bugs that we used to have at our old place, that curl up under leaves and have a terrible bite?” I asked him, trying to hide the concern in my voice.

“Oh, Assassin Bugs. They’re also called Wheel Bugs.” He replied knowledgeably.

“I think Titus just got bit by one.” I said.

Tension immediately flowed through the phone line as Jerry asked if I think I ought to take him to the emergency room. I told him I was gonna look it up online and make sure that’s what it was first.

A quick search brought up an image that matched the ugly insect in the jar before me. It was indeed an Assassin Bug. The Wheel Bug variety, one of the worst of the various types. I continued reading about what to do if bitten by one.

These Bugs Are Bad. Really Bad.

Their bite hurts 10x worse than a wasp or a hornet’s sting. And the pain can last for several weeks or even months. I read all kinds of horrible reactions he could have, including a swelling throat which would require an epinephrine shot within 15 minutes.

Now, before I can get into telling you how to treat a bite from one of these nasty creatures, I should probably give you some background information on what they are. If you live in the northern states, you’re lucky, because these bugs aren’t as common in the far north as they are down south.

That being said, they’re beginning to slow creep northwards as the average temperatures rise and they find new habitat in which to live.

These bugs are active in the early spring, and they’ll congregate inside your home seeking a refuge from colder winter weather. In some places, they can even live inside your home all year – gross!

They usually nest in wooded areas, but if you have an outdoor pet, you might see them closer to your home or any areas where your pet likes to hang out.

Since they are attracted to the light, like June bugs, they might hang around your porch light and try to find a way into your home.

Once they get inside the home, they might hang out in areas like mattress holes, furniture, cracks in the floor, and holes in the wall.

You can identify assassin bugs by their color, for the most part. They are usually a blackish brown to orange, and can often be a mixture of these shades, too.

These bugs have long, beak-like snouts that they actually fold back underneath their thorax. If you disturb one of these bugs, they’ll rub their beaks against their exoskeletons to make a chirping sound.

They feed on blood, and actually have several nicknames in addition to “wheel” and “assassin” – they are also known as kissing bugs. This is because they like to feed on humans, and are rumored to do so when we sleep. Um, even more gross!

That being said, most varieties of assassin bugs won’t bite humans. They prefer easier prey, such as small mammals or other insects. They usually prey on less desirable bugs, actually, making them a good creature to have around – they get rid of your pests for you!

They prefer to eat bugs like flies, caterpillars, and bees. To do so, they are first captured by the assassin bug’s mouthparts, which extend out and quickly inject an immobilizing, paralyzing toxin into the prey’s body.

Unfortunately, they can also use these mouthparts to bite humans, and the species that live in the American Southwest are the most likely to do this. The two varieties that are known to attack humans include the masked hunter and the western bloodsucking conenose (isn’t that a beautiful name!).

The masked hunter is aptly named, as it is dark brown in color and uses dust and debris to camouflage itself. This bug only eats other insects, but will bite in self-defense or if it accidentally lands on you.

It’s a little under an inch in length. It’s most likely that this was the type of bug that bit Titus, because its bite causes sharp pain, numbness, and swelling – much like a wasp sting. This is the type of assassin bug that people most often refer to as the wheel bug.

Why the Name, You Might Ask?

These bugs have a wheel-shaped marking on their backs that give them their trademark name. While these bugs may sound menacing they aren’t terribly dangerous outside of their ability to inflict a painful bite.

Wheel bugs usually feed on larger insects, as I mentioned, and will not bite humans unless they are picked up.

I couldn’t be sure, however, that it wasn’t the other alternative – the western bloodsucking conenose. These assassin bugs are even less pleasant than masked hunters. They live in the nests of small rodents, like rats, during the winter, and then leave in the summer in search of other hosts.

They very commonly end up in or near human homes, since they are attracted to carbon dioxide (which we emit as we breathe) and bright lights.

This type of assassin bug does directly feed on human blood. When it bites you, it injects an anesthetic into your skin, so you often don’t usually feel the bite at first. It also injects an anticoagulant before feeding on your head, arms, feet, or hands.

If you are bitten by this type of assassin bug, you will have swelling, blistering, and redness, but not as much pain. Some people suffer more severe reactions to the bug’s saliva, which can include severe itching, nausea, and a feeling of being out of breath.

This bug is the one that has the reputation of being the kissing bug, as it likes to feed near your mouth and you are not likely to even feel it until it has done its work.

To make matters worse, assassin bugs usually live in groups, meaning if you have one bug, you likely have hordes more. They will crawl under rocks and under cool, dark areas (such as beneath mulch) and wait to emerge until the sun goes away.

These bugs aren’t just dangerous because of the painful bite they can inflict. They are also known to transmit Chagas disease.

This nasty illness is responsible for over 20,000 deaths a year in the human population alone. It can also infect mammals like livestock, mice, and more.

The disease is caused by a parasite that is transmitted during the bite of insects like the assassin bug, and it’s a major problem in the United States.

When I read this I jumped on the phone to call my grandma who is allergic to bees. I wondered if she might have an epi pen on hand, but unfortunately she didn’t.

I was left to worry about how I’d get him to an emergency room in time to give him the shot, should he need one. (Note to self: Get an epi pen!)

I went back into the kitchen where he was sitting and told him to let me know if his throat started to feel funny.

He said, “It does.” I tried to soften my concerned expression as I said, “Now buddy, you have to be really serious ’cause if you tell me your throat feels weird I’m gonna take you to the hospital.”

To which he replied, “It does feel weird.” I asked him what it felt like. “Like a tree fell on my throat, and it’s bleeding,” he casually explained as he munched away on a cucumber. I figured he was fine since he was eating. And he was.

His thumb, on the other hand, was not fine. It was red and swelling. I decided to have him soak it in a bowl of warm water with Epsom Salt for several minutes. He said it felt a little better, but it still hurt.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Plantain!

I hurried outside to the garden where I knew of a big Plantain plant growing beside the tomato bed, and picked a large leaf off of it.

After bringing it inside and washing it off, I chewed it up a bit and placed it on Ty’s sore thumb. Then, holding the wet green glob directly on the bite, I wrapped it with gauze, and secured it with tape.

An hour and a half later Titus was back to his normal self, playing as if nothing had happened, and claiming to be pain free. I took the bandage off to find that the swelling was completely gone, and his thumb looked perfectly normal again! Only a red dot where the puncture had occurred remained.

I figured the pain would return after a while, but I am SO thankful to be able to say that it was gone for good. Praise the LORD for his healing herbs!

I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved and grateful I was that he was okay and pain free. Especially knowing how bad it could have been. I kept checking on him through the night to make sure he was still okay. You know us moms, we always fear the worst!

Anyways, I thought I’d share what worked for us just in case anyone is doing their own emergency google search for what to do when bitten by one of these bugs – which, by the way, Titus has decided to rename “Dumb Bug”- which he’s not normally allowed to say but he totally earned the right to call it just about whatever he wants.

Here are some ways to prevent assassin bugs from entering your property. I’ll preface this by saying that I am adamantly opposed to pesticides, especially since I have children and don’t want nasty chemicals anywhere near my little ones.

Many people use things like Bifen granules to keep assassin bugs away, but that simply wasn’t an option for me.

Plus, assassin bugs can be really beneficial for your garden, and since I’ve never seen more than a few around the property anyway, I didn’t exactly see the use of exterminating them all.

If wheel bugs ever prove to be a major nuisance on my property, or if the kids are bit again, I will probably take some steps to repel them in a more natural way.

Best Wheel Bug Bites Remedies

One of the best home remedies is lemon eucalyptus. All you need is organic sunflower oil and lemon eucalyptus oil. You can add a few drops of lemon eucalyptus oil to about thirty drops of sunflower oil, and then put it into a spray bottle.

Spray it anywhere around your home that wheel bugs are found, just don’t let it get into the hands of your kids, as it can cause itching if used in excess.

If you’re bitten by a wheel bug, you will know it! You will be in intense pain, as Titus was, and need instant treatment.

Applying antiseptic is a good first step, but you might want to also take an oral analgesic, like ibuprofen, if you are in uncontrollable pain.

You usually don’t need to go to the doctor, as the most a doctor can do in a non- life-threating reaction is to prescribe a topical corticosteroid, which I wasn’t really interested in giving to Titus anyway. Applying ice is a good way to reduce any swelling or itching.

Before you administer anything, make sure you thoroughly wash the area with soap and water. These bugs come into contact with all manner of disgusting locales, bacteria, and other creatures, so you want to make sure you clean your wound first.

Ideally, as I already mentioned, you would also want to apply an antiseptic shortly after to remove any bacteria or disease-causing agents from your skin.

As your wound alleviates, you will want to make sure you continue to keep it clean. Covering the area with a bandage is a good idea to keep you from digging at it or introducing new diseases, but you should change it regularly and then clean the skin underneath.

There are several other unique home remedies you can use to control the itching and pain caused by a wheel bug bite. Interestingly, banana peels are a common treatment for these injuries.

Since they have calcium and potassium in them, rubbing them on the bite can help calm the angry skin and also help speed up healing.

Honey works in a similar way, offering antibacterial and antiseptic properties to prevent the skin from breaking as well as to prevent further infection.

Aloe vera is another well-known treatment for any kind of rash or sting. It has anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s good at calming red, angry skin and reducing the amount of pain that you are in.

Simply mash up several Aloe vera leaves to make a paste, and apply it to the wounded area.

Some homesteaders have also claimed that using a peach flower tincture can help prevent your body’s excessive immune response to a wheel bug sting. It can help draw out the venom and relieve the pain from a bite.

Turmeric is another good option. This can reduce swelling, and will also help increase the collagen in your skin, so the wound will heal faster.

Other popular remedies and home treatments for wheel bug bites include coconut oil, Indian lilac (aka neem), garlic, plantain (as I mentioned), lemon balm, green tea, tea tree oil, vinegar, and basil.

Experiment with one or all of these home remedies until you find the option that works best for you.

Since these are all-natural, you don’t have to worry about side effects or adverse reactions, but use them sparingly to prevent any skin sensitivity from occurring.

A reaction to a wheel bug bite can last for several days, at the very least hanging on for about forty-eight hours. While serious allergic reactions are rare, a normal reaction on its own is painful enough, so it’s important to take quick action to prevent excess suffering.

What’s really important is to determine which type of assassin bug you were bitten by, because if it was not a wheel bug and was instead a more dangerous variety of assassin bug, you do need to see a doctor.

He will need to rule out any symptoms of early Chagas disease, which can include symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, fever, or rash.

A telltale sign of this disease is swelling of the eyelids. If you suspect a bite from a western bloodsucking conenose, even if it’s not presenting any symptoms or is not painful, get yourself to the doctor’s immediately.

And now he knows, never touch one of those things again! I hate that he had to learn the hardest way! Oh, and by the way, turns out God created the Wheel Bug to help with garden pests. It’s a very beneficial insect to have around. Just be sure not to pick one up!

Disclaimer

This article is for information purposes only. This article shall not be treated as advice. If you get bitten by an insect, seek out medical professional advice first.

updated 05/10/2021

60 thoughts on “(Assassin) Wheel Bug Bite Home Remedy”

  1. I was bitten on my shoulder twice was on my pjs when I laid down never have I had a pain like this felt like a knife sticking me. The skin swelled next day bruising and hard to touch still hurt now red and itching…took the bug to local farm and home center they told me what it was.

    Reply
  2. Kids *will* pick up animals. Try teaching them where the business-end is and how things may be picked up without affording the captive the opportunity of retaliating painfully. When I was a little kid like that I learned to capture wolf spiders by pressing my index finger on their cephalothorax carapace and to gather up the last two posterior legs gently with my thumb and “driving finger”. None of us was ever harmed in the making of that virtual MP4 you just played in your head. I successfully captured 100 ( or more ) honeybees by their wings without being stung once.

    Later in life I picked up scorpions by the 2nd-to-last segment of the false telson. I wasn’t stung, they weren’t harmed.

    We are the masters of the earth and it’s incumbent upon us to act our part. Teach your children to be humans, not mice. A self-assured individual with experience of successfully overcoming defensive attacks of other creatrues without malice or unreasoning hate/fear is far less likely to thrash around upon encountering defensively-equipped creatures and inciting a bite or sting.

    Of course there are the unavoidable accidents where poorly-conceived clothing may trap such a creature against the skin and then compress it against our skin. Let that be when you need your roots&herbs or your copper penny old wives tales.If you believe it will work it may very-well.

    Further note: many venomous creatures administer dry or nearly dry defense bites. This fact has saved many a careless cliff-climber a stay in a hospital. Older more experienced biters tend to know they want to conserve their venoms because they need them primarily to subdue ( and in some cases pre-digest ) prey for whom their bite is primarily intended. The “big uly bug” may be due more credit than the chewed-up weed-leaves in the final analysis.

    Reply
    • I just got bit by an assassin bug and she is right it hurts going to try plantain leaves now I’ll keep you posted

      Reply
      • My husband, 74 years old, was bitten yesterday at the senior lunch center. I carry with me coconut oil, colloidal silver, 10ppm, and several “old” real copper pennies in my purse at all times. As soon as he was bitten I applied a bit of coconut oil. By then the pain had traveled from his palm of his hand to his elbow. I then had him place the old penny on the bite sight and hold it there for about five minutes. Within the first minute, the copper began to reverse the poison and the pain began to recede. A good ole’ penny works for bee sting, wasps, hornets, mosquitos, and spider bites. The coconut oil is an anticepic, and antibiotic, anti-fungal and an antiviral. I use it on everything….. first. If the pain percists, tape the penny in place. A man in Arizoan was stung over one hundred times
        By killer bees. He taped pennies on each bee sting and suffered no negative results from the stings. God will supply your needs…just carry them in your purse or car and medicine cabinet.

        Reply
        • Hmmm… God will supply? Sounds as-if the Denver or Philidelphia mint supplied to me. Render unto Caeser that which is Caesar’s. As for the old-time solid copper penny I will happily assure you that the amount of copper being consumed in any claimed counteraction-of-venom action would be easily available from the copper layer on top of the zinc substrate of any modern penny. Of course if the relief is more borne of belief than chemistry then by all means, stick to your superstitions. It’s a free country.

          As for the advice by the author to not pick up wheel bugs I would suggest she amend it to “if you’re going to pick up a wheel bug make sure you do so in a manner that it cannot bite you”.

          When I was a little kid like hers I’d gotten stung by a honey-bee. I decided upon seeing that the stinger and venom sac were lost to the offending creature that I was going to institute a crusade to improve all bees so they did only good and no bad. I learned to capture them by their wings and use my fingernails to grab and extract the stingers and venom sac. The little girl next door who used to follow me around like a puppy quickly learned how even better than I and became my co-crusader.

          And then someone had to go and tell us that every bee we’d “improved” crawled off and died…

          You can pick up anything without getting bitten or stung by it if you think you really need to. I’ve reached into a container seething with little scorpions and picked them up by their second-to-last tail segment without being stung.

          The two things I think I’d most-recommend not trying to pick up under any circumstances might be a mojave green rattlesnake and a textile cone snail. That’s advice for us here. There are plenty of other creatures where the risk is just far too great.

          Learning to pick up certain creatures despite their natural defenses is as valuable a skill as knowing which are dangerous. Just don’t screw with things when you’re “in your cups”. That’s what’s usually going on when most venomous snake bites occur.

          Here’s an example of why it’s good to know the countermeasures with these creatures. If one flies in your car window while you’re busy driving and insists on being too friendly then having the calming knowledge there is a way to deal with it effectively without being stung or bitten can save you from having a car wreck insprired by an entirely unavoidable close-encounter.

          First rule: try to remain calm. Knowledge is power. Power helps us remain calm.

          Reply
      • I was stung by one an hour ago. I don’t have any of the items mentioned in these comments. My husband took tobacco from his cigarette, used his saliva to wet it, and put it directly on the wound, securing it with a bandage. I know that sounds gross, but a few minutes later the pain and swelling was/is gone. Thankful for the first time (and last) that my husband smokes.

        Reply
  3. I was bitten by one of thes, the yellow butted one! I thought s was a hornet at the time, because it flew into my nightie on the back porch… Extremely painful! I couldn’t believe how painful it was… Apparently they can be attracted to bright lights as well…

    Thankyou for sharing this… I’m glad you Ottley boy is all good again…

    Reply
  4. Thank you so much for this post! My 1-year-old granddaughter was down this weekend. This morning while sitting in the back yard, she was stung on her thumb by the Wheel Bug. Came across this while Googling what to do, and immediately soaked her red and swelling thumb in Epsom salts while I gathered plantain from the back yard, applied and bandaged. After a couple hours the redness and swelling were completely gone, and no indication of pain. Once again, Plantain to the rescue!

    Reply
  5. My two year old was bitten by one of these today inside the house! I had never seen one before and had to Google what it was. Poor kiddo. I knew it hurt because he was playing and suddenly started screaming “Ow, Ow, Owwwwww!” He doesn’t really react much to pain, so I’m worried that it still hurts and he’s just ignoring it. He busted his head open a few weeks ago and barely made a peep, even through the stitches.

    Reply
  6. I just wanted to let you know that you should never attempt to suck out venom from any type of bite or sting. It does not work under any circumstances and worse, it most often makes the bite/sting worse by irritating it and causing infection (human mouths are quite dirty). This particularly applies to snake bites. Also, if you or your children are ever bitten by a venomous snake, do not attempt to capture or kill the snake for identification. By doing so, you increase your chances of being bitten again dramatically and it doesn’t do any good. Hospitals carry anti-venom that works for all species of venomous snakes found in that locale.

    That being said, I’m really glad your boy was fine and pain-free relatively quickly!

    Reply
    • I understand it is VERY important to KNOW the species of snake as the anti venom for one species is dangerous for the bite of another. The Copperhead & Cottonmouth pit vipers of the SE USA in particular because they sometimes look similar. Still an additional bite, lost time or victims activity are not good things. Never cut on a snake bite or apply your mouth, plus a suction device can work in undesired unintended ways. Only use such devices / methods if medical care is impossible. Be safe, don’t put yourself into professional survivalist situations, they actually don’t very often. Keep a SAT phone for the boonies or stay home.

      Reply
  7. Thanks for your post! I just got stung by one today while I was holding my baby. I was in my house, holding him and underneath my shirt I felt an instant stabbing pain! I started screaming which caused my baby to cry. Then that honking huge bug fell out of my shirt. EW! I kept thanking the Lord that it got me and not my son! I think it only half stung me though because I don’t have a mark. But it still hurt bad. I’m glad your son was OK. I read through this to see if there were any negative effects after the bite and it looks like all was well!

    Reply
    • Tiffani,
      I’m sorry you got stung, but I’m so glad it wasn’t the baby!! My son has actually been stung by them twice now, with no lasting effects after treatment. Poor guy. I hope your pain goes away quickly!

      Reply
  8. So glad I found this! My husband got bit by one of these bugs today and he was really complaining and he’s never one to do so. Plantains have invaded my yard this year and I’m very thankful for that now! He’s currently got a mashed up leaf on the bite as I write this. Apparently, these bugs carry a disease so hopefully we don’t run into that. Thank you!

    Reply
  9. I was bitten by an Assassin bug yesterday, and after reading some of these experiences,am glad to know that I was not exaggerating the pain. Someone said, “like slamming your hand in a car door” I mean really, really bad pain. Like slamming your hand in the door over and over again! As I live alone, I started getting a little concerned when my thumb started swelling, and after 2 hours, the pain had not abated. I didn’t see the bug. I was just pulling fallen leaves from my large planter, so didn’t know what had bitten me. Maybe a Black Widow or Brown Recluse spider? I finally went to my doctor neighbor and he reassured me that I was not going to die! The intense, throbbing pain lasted for hours through the night. I’ve never heard of Plantain either, but would like to know about it, and if I can get it at the pharmacy. That bug is Still in the box!

    Reply
  10. Oh, the irony. R was just stung, and while we know that it’s a wheel bug with a painful sting, B rushed inside to google treatments, and up pops this post. Thankfully, he’s fine, but a little sore. Thanks again!

    Reply
  11. My wife was just bitten by a red and black nymph wheel bug and I’ve never heard her curse before. It left a serious welt on her arm. She said it felt like a needle going in, not until alcohol swab and calamine lotion did it get better. Also, good to know about the plantain weed. I’m going to check if we have any nearby tomorrow. My 4 & 5 year old boys now know to stay away from these critters, me too!

    Thanks for the info.

    Reply
  12. Got stung by a wheel bug when i was a kid, i was holding it while it stabbed its proboscis under my fingernail. Dont pick these up!!!

    Reply
  13. I would like to know if anyone has had a prolonged experience with a Wheel bug bite? I was bitten more than 15 years ago but have had a severe itching at the bite site. Usually only when I get to hot, but lately it has been occuring more and more and now is a daily thing. Anyone else?

    Reply
  14. My young boys and I like critters, so when one of them brought home an interesting and docile bug last week, we held it a bit and kept it in a jar for a few days. It was only after we let it go that I even thought to find out what it was: a wheel bug. Needless to say I’m in shock that we were holding such a sinister lil’ creature! Luckily we were spared its wrath, and we’ve learned a lesson.

    Reply
  15. Thank you so much for the Assassin bug bite remedy! I was just bitten this afternoon and like your description of pain, I experienced it, too. When I found the bug, I ran inside and googled it and remedies. I found plantain and it seemed to have taken the sting and swelling down. Thank you so much and God Bless you for sharing this. So glad your son is fine!

    Reply
  16. I remember when i was 6 years old now i am 28 i saw a bug with red and white markings on its legs up in kirkland lake ontario i used to love bugs when i was a kid i thought it was a beetle but i thought wrong it was an assassin bug when i picked it up i felt it bite me it felt like a bee sting that was the first time i was bit than when i was 8 i saw a bluish black bug i thought it was a beetle again and picked up and i got one of the most painful bites i felt it felt like i picked up a hot coal with my bare hand again it was an assassin bug and just last year i live in sault ste marie ontario now i saw an assassin bug it was grey and orange in color and i did not pick it up because now i know how nasty there bite is instead i used a stick and put the bug in a dish and i put it in my grandpas garden because i know these bugs are benifitial to gardens and i now like to look at the assassin bugs and respect them

    Reply
  17. I think it’s a beautiful bug; I hope you released it to live the life the Lord gave it. I’m sorry it bit your son, but I’m very impressed how well you reacted.

    Reply
  18. I admire your resourcefulness, but allergic reactions can sometimes get deadly very quickly. I would never hesitate to get my son to the ER if he complained of any kind of throat difficulty following a bug bite.

    Reply
  19. Wish I had a plantain tree handy. I was on the phone last night on my porch (in Florida) (I now realize how dumb this can be). I heard something flying and I tensed up, of course it landed right on my neck. I went to get it off but it was too late. WOW! I later read that this thing literally has the worst bite… even more painful than snakes. The worse part is that it landed right on my jugular vein. I knew what it was when I threw it down and saw it. I live in a rural, agricultural area. Still, being bit on the jugular was a cause for concern. Even worse, 10 seconds later I began to feel woozy and cognitively impaired. I live so far out of town away from a hospital! My only option was to call poison control hotline to which they seed even a bite on the jugular isn’t cause for concern AS LONG AS allergic shock doesn’t occur. So I was fine, still VERY VERY sore and it scares me to think this pain can last up to six months! So very absurd!

    Reply
  20. I was just bitten twice by a small red butted wheel nymph. It somehow got into my shirt and when I put my arm down to my side it bit me. As I gasped in pain and lifted my shirt to see what happened it happened again a couple inches over. I asked my 19 year old daughter to see what it was and she said “Mom take your shirt off quick.” So I did and when I turned it inside out there was the assassin bug in all it’s glory. My grandson is 9 months old and when he saw Grammy take off her shirt and throw it on the floor he raced over to grab it thinking it was a game. Right as he grabbed for the shirt I kicked the shirt away from him. He almost grabbed the bug. My heart was racing so bad. I was in some pretty bad pain and after killing the bug I looked it up and found out it was a wheel nymph. I am still hurting. I have never been bitten by something that hurt so bad in my life. My husband went outside to kill the ones he could find because we can’t take any chances with our grandson living here. I took some benedryl in case of an allergic reaction and put some Prid salve on it to draw out the venom. I also have an Epi Pen on hand because I am severely allergic to mold. I hope the swelling goes down soon and I am going to look up plantain so I can get some relief. I am glad your son is ok and I sympathize with him because it hurts so bad. He is quite a little boy to react the way he did. I know I was crying and feel a little embarrassed that I reacted that way but it is a very painful experience. I hope no one else ever has to experience a bite from this bug. It is a horrible feeling. God bless you all.

    Reply
  21. Assassin bugs hurt. A lot. I’ve been stung by bees and wasps, and the first (and only.. I hope) time that I was ever stung by an Assassin bug was on a golf course. Nothing I have felt compares.

    It was mid-June, which is when their offspring begin to rise out of the ground. The same evening, the sprinklers for the course were on, so the ground was soggy and perfect for them to come out.

    Combine this with a golf cart and spotlight at night, the bugs were having a field day with us. A red and black assassin bug landed on my leg, and I blew it away, thinking nothing of it. Not five seconds later, I feel a TREMENDOUS pinch on my hand. I was floored by how bad this thing hurt. It feels like being poked with a burning hot needle, similar to having your hand slammed in a door.

    Your little tyke sure is a tough one for taking it like he did.

    In closing, Assassin bugs are aggressive, and the red version definitely are not scared of laying down the law with you.. proboscis style.

    Reply
  22. Sorry for the awful encounter but glad to hear he’s okay.

    Not sure if you researched the wheel bug at all bug you should. They’re actually quite interesting. I hadn’t heard of them before so I googled it. In spite of their bites, they’re actually a classified as a beneficial insect, eating garden pests like caterpillars, beetle larvae and adults, aphids, other soft-bodied insects.

    Reply
  23. We have a few of those around I had no idea they were that dangerous. I am sorry he got hurt, and glad he is better. Hmmmm maybe he learned not to chase his sister with bugs:) always have to look for some positive out of it lol. I am glad he is ok though.

    Reply
  24. Wow. I had a form of assassin bugs on our yard long beans a few years ago. Every evening, they flew in at sundown and left as the dew warmed up around 10 am the next day. They chattered alot whenever I tried to pick beans and scared me. I learned to harvest beans when they were gone in the daytime. Now I’m glad I was never bit. Now I’m really glad for their warning chatter.

    Reply
  25. Oh my! Never fun to see our little ones struggle with pain. I think we have those creatures that look prehistoric, which for me, that’s lethal enough. No need for up close examination from me, YUCK…. Sorry for your little ones mishap, he sounds like a tough little guy.

    Reply
  26. The whole time I was reading I was saying “PLAINTAIN, PLAINTAIN”!!! and then bammo, you stated “And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Plantain”!!! How cool is that!!! Any way, praise God Ty is OK, and praise God that you had Plantain growing in your yard!!!
    Here is a recipe for a salve to keep on hand for occasions such as yours:

    1 Large Mason Jar
    Fill 1/2 to 3/4 full with equal parts dried Plantain and Comfrey leaves
    Top off with extra virgin olive oil, sun flower oil, or any good oil of your choice.
    Place the jar in a water filled crock pot, low heat (Make sure there is a dish towel in the bottom of the crock pot!!
    “Cook” for THREE days, shaking occasionally
    After the three days, strain the mixture in cheese cloth, or an old t- shirt into a bowl.
    Now, you can either use the herb infused oil as a first aid oil, OR you can melt beeswax with the oil, add vitamin E oil, and place the mixture in tins. You should get about 5 4oz tins from a large mason jar. I can’t remember the exact amount of Bees wax, I will add that to a note later…
    This salve is to be applied EXTERNALLY ONLY!!! It will heal up cuts fast, and take the sting out of nasty bites in a flash!!!!
    : )

    Reply
  27. Plantain! Love it! We have used it for bee, wasp and yellow jacket stings, and even cuts!

    It is a great plant!

    Deanna

    Reply
  28. Wow that is one nasty looking bug…I thought all the crazy looking bugs were on our farm. Glad your little boy is ok. My husband got stung by a wasp last year while dropping out little boy off at camp and one of the camp counselors taught us about the plantain my husband said it was amazing how it worked so well. Good thing you had some right there.

    Reply
    • Making a thick paste out of water and baking soda and applying a think coat of it to a bite or sting neutralizes the venom and helps with pain and swelling. Allow the paste to sit for 15 min (you can cover w/ a bandage if needed) and then wash off and repeat if needed.
      We live in PA, and my 7 year old (who btw has an unusally high pain tolerance), was bitten by one of these assassin bugs over the weekend- on the side of his neck, right below his ear. I had asked him to water a little memorial tree we have out in the middle of our yard, and literally seconds after starting, I hear him start screaming as he’s running towards me (looking terrified) and crying- yelling “SOMETHING’S STINGING ME!! HELP! ITS STILL ON ME!!! ITS STILL STINGING ME!!!”
      As he was running to me I noticed a large creepy looking bug dangling from his neck, right by his ear- and as he ran I saw it fall from his neck to his shoulder, where it seemed to just be hanging on…. I quickly knocked it off him and stepped on it.
      I rushed him inside and noticed a circular bleeding hole behind his ear that was about the diameter of a small pencil eraser! Within a minute it started swelling up- kinda like a mosquito bite would, and there was also what looked like little red scratches on his shoulder where the bug had fallen and had been hanging on his shirt when he ran to me…
      I immediately cleaned his wound off with antiseptic, gave him childrens ibuprofen for pain and swelling, and then applied a thick coating of the baking soda and water paste I mentioned earlier, and gently covered it with a bandage. We let the mixture sit for 15 min and then washed the now dried up paste off with soap and warm water… and wow! What a difference! The swelling was completely gone and the hole was significantly smaller!
      (On a side note, I also collected the now dead bug- just in case I needed it for the doctor or hospital.) I continued to keep a close eye on him overnight and explained that he should let me know if he started feeling sick in any way…. He was back to his usual self within an hour and has seemed totally fine ever since…

      However, because of how similar in appearance the kissing bug and wheel bug look, and the fact that in my research I came across many articles online about how the kissing bugs are now being found as far north as where we are in Pennsylvania, and that they carry the deadly parasite that causes chagas disease- I do plan on putting a call in to his doctors office today just to be safe. I learned that the assassin bug/wheel bug and kissing bug are part of the same insect family, but not the same. And it sounds like even tho the kissing bug is more dangerous because can transmit that parasite- most people don’t even feel the bite. Whereas the assassin bug delivers a super painful bite that you definitely would feel/notice immediately. Also the kissing bug is nocturnal- the assassin bug is not. So since the bite happened in the middle of the day and the bug was hanging out on our small tree, I feel pretty confident that the culprit was most likely the wheel/assassin bug.

      I just wanted to add the baking soda & water mixture remedy for those of us further north who don’t have access to plantains in their yards! Thank you for your post, it was very informative!!

      Reply

Leave a Comment