Moving to Middle Tennessee? The Pests Newcomers From These 10 States Don’t Expect

Welcome to Middle Tennessee. If you’re moving to Middle Tennessee, you’re far from alone: about 192,200 people moved to Tennessee from other states in 2024 alone (USAFacts, using U.S. Census Bureau data). Along with the music, the food, and the rolling hills, you’ll be meeting some new neighbors of the six-legged and eight-legged kind. Depending on where you’re moving from, some of Tennessee’s most common pests may be completely new to you.

Here’s where Tennessee’s newcomers are coming from, and what each group should know.

Where new Tennesseans are moving from

These were the top 10 states sending new residents to Tennessee in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by USAFacts:

Rank	Moved from	New Tennessee residents (2024)
1	California	19,700
2	Florida	18,500
3	Texas	12,800
4	North Carolina	11,700
5	Illinois	10,900
6	Georgia	10,800
7	Alabama	9,800
8	Kentucky	7,800
9	Virginia	7,600
10	New York	7,500

Newcomers from neighboring Southern states will recognize most of what they find here. The bigger surprises are for people coming from the West Coast, the North, and Florida.

Moving from California

California sends Tennessee more new residents than any other state, and Californians face the biggest pest learning curve. A few to know:

• Brown recluse spiders. Despite what many people believe, there are no brown recluse populations in California (UC Statewide IPM Program). In Tennessee, they’re established (Penn State Extension) and often live quietly in closets, attics, basements, and storage boxes. Learn to recognize them with our brown recluse guide.
• Lone star ticks. This tick is most common in southeastern and south-central states, and suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-related allergy to red meat, closely overlap its range (Washington State Department of Health). Tennessee is one of the states where lone star ticks are most numerous (Alpha-gal Information). Check yourself, your kids, and your pets after time outdoors, and see our Tennessee tick guide.
• Fire ants. Many Middle Tennessee counties, including Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Robertson, and Sumner, are under the state’s imported fire ant quarantine (Tennessee Department of Agriculture). Their mounds pop up in lawns and their stings hurt, so it pays to know what they look like with our fire ant guide.
• Fall home invaders. Every fall, stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, and kudzu bugs pile onto sunny, light-colored walls looking for a way inside to spend the winter. Kudzu bugs in particular are a Southeastern pest (University of Maryland Extension).

Moving from Florida or Texas

If you’re coming from Florida or Texas, fire ants, termites, and mosquitoes won’t be new. Two differences stand out. Texans already know the brown recluse, since it’s established there, but Floridians may not: Florida has only isolated occurrences of the spider (Penn State Extension). And Tennessee has real winters. When the first cold snaps arrive, mice move indoors looking for warmth, and fall invaders like stink bugs and lady beetles gather on homes before slipping into walls.

Moving from Illinois or New York

Newcomers from the North will find a longer, warmer pest season and a few Southern pests they may never have dealt with:

• Fire ants. These are a Southern pest, and much of Middle Tennessee is under fire ant quarantine (Tennessee Department of Agriculture). If you’re from up north, your first fire ant mound may come as a painful surprise.
• Brown recluse spiders. Illinoisans may already know them, since Illinois is one of the 16 states where they’re established. New York isn’t on that list (Penn State Extension), so New Yorkers are less likely to have seen one.
• More lone star ticks. Lone star ticks have expanded into the Northeast and Midwest in recent years, but they’re especially numerous in Tennessee (Alpha-gal Information). Most reported cases of alpha-gal syndrome come from people living in the South, East, and central U.S. (Indiana Department of Health).
• Kudzu bugs. These pea-sized bugs are a Southeastern newcomer and swarm light-colored houses in the fall. Here’s our guide to kudzu bugs.

Moving from North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, or Virginia

Good news: you’ll feel right at home. Tennessee’s neighbors share most of our pests, from lone star ticks to kudzu bugs. A couple of differences: brown recluse spiders are established in Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky, but North Carolina has only isolated occurrences and Virginia isn’t on the list of established states (Penn State Extension). Newcomers from the Carolinas and Virginia may see more of them here.

Summer nights in Tennessee: the sounds (and lights) newcomers notice

For a lot of transplants, the first surprise of a Tennessee summer isn’t a bite. It’s the noise. On a warm night, the trees and yards come alive with sound, and it can be startling if you’ve never heard it before. The good news is that nearly all of it comes from harmless insects.

That loud, raspy “katy-did” from the trees

The loudest nighttime sound in a Middle Tennessee summer usually belongs to the common true katydid, a leaf-green insect that lives high in the treetops. It’s abundant in hardwood forests throughout the eastern United States, where its raucous calls fill the summer nights (Orthopterists’ Society). The rasping rhythm that sounds like “katy-did, katy-didn’t” is where the name comes from. You’ll almost never see one, but you’ll definitely hear them.

The steady chirping from the grass

Crickets add the softer, musical chirping closer to the ground. Their songs speed up as the temperature rises, and for some tree crickets, the chirp rate is regular enough to estimate the temperature (The Laurel of Asheville). Outside, crickets are harmless. If you hear chirping inside your house, that’s a different story, and our cricket guide can help.

The buzzing drone on hot afternoons

That loud, electric buzz from the trees on hot summer days is the annual dog-day cicada, which produces its screeching chorus in late summer (Tennessee State University Extension). Annual cicadas are active from July through September (UT Extension).

Every so often, Middle Tennessee gets something much bigger. In 2024, Brood XIX of the 13-year periodical cicadas emerged across Middle Tennessee, and its young won’t return until 2037 (UT Extension). A UT Extension entomologist estimated some areas could see up to a million cicadas per acre (WKRN). They’re loud, but they don’t bite or sting.

Scratching in the walls

Not every nighttime sound is outside. If you hear scratching or scurrying in the walls, ceiling, or attic after dark, especially once the weather turns cold, it’s likely mice. That’s the one sound worth acting on quickly. Here’s what to know about mice in the house.

And the lights: lightning bugs

Then there are the lightning bugs. On early summer evenings, Middle Tennessee yards twinkle with fireflies, which are actually beetles, not flies (Recreation.gov). For newcomers from the West Coast, this may be a first: most western firefly species don’t flash visibly (Farmers’ Almanac).

Watch for a firefly that flies upward while flashing a single long yellow light, often in the shape of the letter J. That’s Photinus pyralis, one of the species the National Park Service describes in the Smokies. And if you want to see something truly rare, the synchronous fireflies of Great Smoky Mountains National Park flash in unison for a couple of weeks each year, typically in late May or early June, with viewing by lottery (Recreation.gov). Lightning bugs are harmless and good for your yard, so turning off outdoor lights on summer evenings helps them put on a better show.

Moving to Middle Tennessee? Pests every new homeowner should know

• Subterranean termites. They live in the soil and can damage a home for years before anyone notices. If you’re buying a home, ask about termite protection and past treatments. See our termite guide.
• Moisture in crawl spaces. Many Middle Tennessee homes sit over crawl spaces, and a damp crawl space attracts termites and other pests. Learn about crawl space moisture control.
• Mosquitoes. Warm, humid summers mean a long mosquito season. See our mosquito guide.
• Ticks. Check for ticks after time in the yard, on trails, or at the lake, especially from spring through fall. Our tick guide explains which ones you’ll find here.
• Brown recluse spiders. They’re shy and rarely bite, but unpacking boxes and cleaning out storage areas are good times to keep an eye out. Our brown recluse guide shows how to identify them.

Start your new home off right

Moving into a new home is the best time to get ahead of pests, before boxes, garages, and attics fill up. U.S. Pest Protection has been helping Middle Tennessee families since 1985, and a free inspection is the easiest way to find out what’s already living in your new home and what to watch for. Your technician will check for termites, moisture, and entry points, and explain what’s normal for your area.

Ask about our monthly, every other month, and quarterly plans, all backed by our Whatever It Takes Guarantee. Call 615-590-1260 or schedule a free inspection.

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