where are the kissing bugs located

Kissing bugs are primarily located in the Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America, extending as far south as southern Argentina. In the US, they have been found in 29 states, particularly in southern states such as Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, but have also been spotted as far north and west as Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. Kissing bugs prefer warm climates and are often found near animals they feed on, such as dogs, humans, birds, and reptiles. They commonly live outdoors in places like under porches, between rocks, under cement, in piles of rock, wood, or brush, beneath tree bark, inside animal burrows or rodent nests, and in chicken coops or doghouses. Inside homes, kissing bugs are usually found near where pets sleep, in areas where there are rodents, and around beds or bedroom furniture, often hiding in cracks and crevices in beds, floors, walls, or furniture. In Central and South America, kissing bugs often nest in cracks and holes of houses made from mud, straw, or palm thatch, while in the US, they are mostly prevented from entering homes by sealed entryways. However, they can enter homes through open windows or tears in screens. Overall, kissing bugs are associated with warm environments and are opportunistic blood feeders, both wild and domesticated animals as well as humans.