Kissing bugs feed on blood. At night, the kissing bug goes out in search of a blood meal, which in the home, usually means a sleeping pet or a sleeping human. It takes about 10 minutes for the bedbug to obtain a full meal. If disturbed, the kissing bug may have to bite several times to get the full meal. The bite is painless and generally occurs on the uncovered parts of the body.
Victims usually wake up with itching, swelling and they can have a rapid heart beat.
Depending on the victim's sensitivity, reactions to kissing bugs vary from mild to life threatening. A typical reaction is generally an intensely itchy, red-raised area that is more severe than a typical insect bite. It lasts about 1 to 2 days but may last as long as a week. There are 37 species of scorpions in California and toxicity varies with the species. Scorpions native to Arizona and Mexico are the most dangerous.