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Bugs in the living room

Living rooms get the bugs that come in through windows and doors: lady beetles, stink bugs, boxelder bugs, jumping spiders and flies. They gather where light and warmth are.

Found in the living room

51 kinds, most dangerous first. Tap one for photos, the danger rating and what to do.

American dog tickGet adviceArizona bark scorpionGet adviceBlacklegged tickGet adviceBrown dog tickGet adviceBrown widowGet adviceLone star tickGet adviceRocky Mountain wood tickGet adviceWestern black widowGet adviceWestern blacklegged tickGet adviceAgrarian sac spiderBe carefulAsian lady beetleBe carefulBed bugBe carefulBroad-faced sac spiderBe carefulBrown-banded cockroachBe carefulCarolina wolf spiderBe carefulCat fleaBe carefulDark fishing spiderBe carefulEastern carpenter beeBe carefulEastern yellowjacketBe carefulEuropean paper waspBe carefulFalse black widowBe carefulHouse centipedeBe carefulHouse flyBe carefulHouse mosquitoBe carefulPharaoh antBe carefulRed imported fire antBe carefulYellow fever mosquitoBe carefulArgentine antHarmlessBarn funnel weaverHarmlessBlack carpenter antHarmlessBlack carpet beetleHarmlessBold jumping spiderHarmlessBoxelder bugHarmlessBrown marmorated stink bugHarmlessCluster flyHarmlessCommon house spiderHarmlessDrugstore beetleHarmlessFirebratHarmlessGiant house spiderHarmlessGreenhouse millipedeHarmlessHouse cricketHarmlessLong-bodied cellar spiderHarmlessOdorous house antHarmlessRough sowbugHarmlessSouthern house spiderHarmlessSpotted lanternflyHarmlessSpotted orbweaverHarmlessTan jumping spiderHarmlessWebbing clothes mothHarmlessWestern conifer seed bugHarmlessZebra jumping spiderHarmless

Why bugs end up in the living room

Most living room bugs are outdoor insects that slipped in through a gap. In fall, Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink bugs, boxelder bugs and cluster flies look for a place to spend the winter and crowd onto warm, sunny walls. Some get inside the walls and wander out into the room on warm days.

Jumping spiders and cellar spiders follow the insects. They are harmless and catch many of the flies and small bugs that get in.

What you can do today

  • Vacuum up lady beetles and stink bugs instead of crushing them. Both leave a smell when squeezed, and lady beetles can stain fabric.
  • Repair torn window screens and add sweeps to the bottoms of exterior doors.
  • Seal gaps around window frames, siding, outlets and where cables enter the house before late summer, when fall invaders start moving.
  • Keep lamps near windows off when possible at night in summer, since light pulls flying insects to the glass.
  • Check firewood for spiders and insects before bringing it inside, and store it outdoors off the ground.

When it's more than a nuisance

Paper wasps and yellowjackets sometimes find their way in through gaps near a nest, and their stings are rated Be careful. Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or hives all over the body after a sting. Asian lady beetles can bite lightly and trigger allergies in some people.