Bugs and spiders in Connecticut

What to watch for in Connecticut

Four ticks are established in Connecticut: the blacklegged tick, the American dog tick, the lone star tick and the brown dog tick. The blacklegged tick can spread Lyme disease and other serious infections, and the American dog tick can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. The lone star tick can spread ehrlichiosis and is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy. Pull a tick off promptly and watch for rash or fever. The brown dog tick mainly feeds on dogs and can breed indoors.

The northern black widow is also established here. A bite from an adult female can cause spreading pain and muscle cramps, so get medical advice right away if you think you were bitten, and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 if you are worried. Among the Be-careful species, the ones most often met are eastern yellowjackets, European paper wasps, eastern carpenter bees, dark fishing spiders, yellow garden spiders and house centipedes. Give stinging insects room, especially near nests.

Through the year

Spring

Eastern carpenter bees hover and drill around the house in spring, American dog ticks become active by about April, and black carpenter ants indoors this early can point to a nest inside the walls.

Summer

Spotted lanternfly nymphs give way to adults in July, and yellowjacket nests keep growing near food and trash as the season goes on.

Fall

Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink bugs and western conifer seed bugs move in during September, October and November, while yellow garden spiders and spotted orbweavers are at their most noticeable.

Winter

Winter finds are mostly stragglers, such as stink bugs and lady beetles stirring on warm days near windows, plus house centipedes, which are seen indoors all year.