Bugs and spiders in New Jersey

What to watch for in New Jersey

Three ticks are established and heavily recorded in New Jersey. The lone star tick is the most-recorded, followed by the American dog tick and the blacklegged tick, and the brown dog tick is listed too. The lone star tick can spread ehrlichiosis and is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy, while the blacklegged tick can spread Lyme disease. Remove ticks promptly, and watch for rash or fever after a bite.

The northern black widow is established here, and a bite from an adult female can cause spreading pain and cramps. Get medical advice right away for a suspected bite, and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 if you are worried. The southern black widow and the brown widow have records but are not known to live in New Jersey, and such sightings are often misidentifications or hitchhikers. Eastern yellowjackets, European paper wasps and house centipedes are the Be-careful species met most often.

Through the year

Spring

Lone star tick adults are most active in April through June, eastern carpenter bees drill around the house, and spotted lanternfly nymphs appear in late April.

Summer

Lanternfly adults arrive in July, lone star tick nymphs are out into August, and northern black widows are most seen from late spring into early fall.

Fall

Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink bugs, boxelder bugs and western conifer seed bugs move indoors, and spotted lanternfly egg masses begin to appear in September.

Winter

Greenhouse camel crickets and house centipedes are the common winter finds, with a few stink bugs and lady beetles stirring on mild days.