The bug has the habit of entering buildings at the onset of cold weather in the late summer or early fall as it seeks a protected site to spend the winter. Conifer seed bugs are a common fall and winter nuisance in Colorado homes. These bugs can be found across the country. While they do use a foul-smelling spray as a defense, they are not classified in the stink bug family Pentatomidae. To distinguish these insects from the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, look at the shaped and colors. They develop on seeds of various plants, particularly pines. Two species that are not stink bugs but may be found indoors during the winter are the Western Conifer Seed Bug and the Boxelder Bug. Western conifer seed bugs do no damage to your evergreens other than a few seeds. They will, however, give off a Kissing Bugs … Many of the conifer trees they eat from are also used by … It’s often misidentified as a Stink Bug, Cockroach or as the biting “Kissing Bug” due to its vaguely similar appearance. And since you probably do not have an evergreen seed plantation, that’s no problem. Despite their name, the western conifer seed bug does not live solely in the western part of the country. What are Kissing Bugs and how to get rid of them. It also gets blamed for being several different insects because of its body shape and coloration. The Western Conifer Seed Bug also seeks the warmth of your home to bunker down in for the winter. The Western conifer seed bug has become a nuisance pest in the Northeast. Dear Pat, This is a Western Conifer Seed Bug, NOT a Kissing Bug.. We have been getting regular requests from folks who are making the same mistake, due in large part to media coverage on Kissing Bugs with misidentifications that is leading to internet hysteria. They have a somewhat bizarre appearance and may produce a piney defensive odor when disturbed. What are Kissing Bugs Kissing Bugs are small insects which sucks blood from humans and warm blooded animals. However, you will not find Kissing Bugs in New England and Stink Bugs are not as common to the region either. The kissing bug is the member of the assassin bug family who preys on mammals, birds and even snakes, rather than other insects. The Western Conifer Seed Bug, like the one in your image, is the most frequent suspect, followed by the Wheel Bug.. This had led to a diminished seed supply in forests, meaning fewer conifer trees are sown that season and new tree growth decreases in that area. The western conifer-seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis) is an invasive, plant-eating pest that has arrived in South America in recent years.Due to its resemblance to kissing bugs and its propensity to overwinter in homes, entomologists in Chile have seen a rise in public alarm. The western conifer-seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), a plant-eating insect, has been documented to have bitten a human, though researchers consider the bite to have been a chance occurrence and not the result of the insect targeting the human. The seed contents are dissolved by their salivary enzymes and then sucked out. A western conifer-seed bug moves slowly, flies readily, is commonly seen during the day and has antennae that extend less than half the length of its body. We call them kissing bugs because when they bite humans, they usually do so around the face and mouth. These bugs do not bite or sting, nor do they cause damage to the home. The happy news in all of this is that the suspected brown marmorated stink bug is probably a western conifer seed bug.