Bugs and spiders in Iowa

What to watch for in Iowa

Three ticks are established and well recorded in Iowa: the American dog tick, which is the most recorded by a wide margin, the lone star tick and the blacklegged tick. All can carry disease, so remove an attached tick promptly and watch for fever or a rash afterward. Lone star bites are also linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy. The brown dog tick is established too, but it lives mostly indoors on dogs.

The brown recluse is known here only from scattered southern sites, which makes it an unlikely match for a brown spider found in the north of the state. Northern black widow records exist, but it is not known to live in the state, and such sightings are often misidentifications or hitchhikers. After any worrying bite, get medical advice or call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222).

Through the year

Spring

Black carpenter ants send out winged swarmers from March through June, and eastern carpenter bees start hovering around wood in April.

Summer

European paper wasps work around the outside of the house, eastern yellowjacket nests keep growing, and greenhouse millipedes show up after heavy rain.

Fall

Boxelder bugs begin moving in during late August, brown marmorated stink bugs and western conifer seed bugs follow in September and October, and Asian lady beetles arrive in October and November.

Winter

House centipedes and Indianmeal moths can turn up at any time, and the beetles and bugs that moved in during fall wake on warm late-winter days.