Bugs and spiders in Tennessee

What to watch for in Tennessee

The brown recluse is established in Tennessee and is the Get-advice species recorded most often. Southern black widow and northern black widow are established too. Shake out shoes, and use gloves in boxes, closets and the garage. The brown widow has a few records but is not known to live here, so those sightings are often hitchhikers or misidentified young black widows. Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 about a worrying bite.

The established ticks are the lone star, American dog, blacklegged and brown dog tick. The lone star tick is recorded most, and the American dog tick close behind. All can carry disease, and lone star bites are linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy. Eastern yellowjackets and dark fishing spiders are common, so be careful around nests in late summer.

Through the year

Spring

Eastern carpenter bees are busiest in April through June, lone star tick adults are most active about April through June, and Asian lady beetles try to get back outside through April.

Summer

Dark fishing spiders and European paper wasps are around the house, eastern yellowjacket nests grow, and greenhouse millipedes appear after heavy rain.

Fall

Boxelder bugs arrive in late August, stink bugs, lady beetles and western conifer seed bugs follow in September and October, and tan jumping spiders are commonly seen in late autumn.

Winter

Greenhouse camel crickets can breed in damp basements all year, house centipedes are noticed more indoors, and stink bugs and boxelder bugs stir on warm days.