Bugs and spiders in Indiana

What to watch for in Indiana

The brown recluse and the northern black widow are both established in Indiana, and both are recorded often. A black widow bite can cause spreading pain and cramps, and some recluse bites heal slowly. Get medical advice if you think you were bitten, or call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222). Southern black widow and brown widow records exist, but neither is known to live in the state, and those sightings are often hitchhikers or misidentified spiders.

Ticks matter here as well. The American dog tick leads, followed by the lone star tick and then the blacklegged tick. All three are established and each can carry disease. Remove an attached tick quickly and watch for fever or rash afterward. Lone star bites are linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy. The brown dog tick, a dog tick that can breed indoors, bites people less often.

Through the year

Spring

Eastern carpenter bees hover near wood, zebra jumping spiders come out on sunny days, and spotted lanternfly nymphs hatch from late April.

Summer

Greenhouse millipedes crawl in after heavy rain, dark fishing spiders are seen around the house, and spotted lanternfly adults appear from July.

Fall

Tan jumping spiders are commonly found indoors in late autumn, while Asian lady beetles, boxelder bugs and brown marmorated stink bugs move in.

Winter

Indianmeal moths and house centipedes are the usual indoor finds, with greenhouse camel crickets in damp basements and the odd lady beetle on a mild day.