Bugs and spiders in Massachusetts

What to watch for in Massachusetts

Start with ticks. The blacklegged tick can spread Lyme disease and several other serious infections, the American dog tick can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, and the lone star tick can spread ehrlichiosis and is linked to alpha-gal syndrome. The brown dog tick is listed as established too, though it mainly feeds on dogs. Take a tick off promptly, and watch for rash or fever in the weeks after.

The northern black widow is established in Massachusetts. Medical advice is the right call for a suspected bite, because a bite from an adult female can cause spreading pain and cramps, and Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 can talk you through a worrying one. The southern black widow has only a handful of records and is not known to live here. Eastern yellowjackets, European paper wasps, and house centipedes are the Be-careful species people run into most, along with American and German cockroaches indoors.

Through the year

Spring

Rough sowbugs and pill bugs turn up after wet spells, carpenter bees begin their drilling, and American dog ticks reach their peak in late spring.

Summer

Blacklegged tick nymphs, the stage most linked to Lyme disease, peak in early summer, and spotted lanternfly adults appear from July.

Fall

Asian lady beetles arrive in October and November, with western conifer seed bugs and brown marmorated stink bugs coming in from late September.

Winter

Warm days bring lady beetles and stink bugs out at windows, and Indianmeal moths are most often noticed indoors in these months.