Bug Week 2025 is July 13-19 and we will be having in-person events as well as online activities.
UConn Extension’s Bug Week is right around the corner, and we have programs for the whole family.
If you have questions about any of our programs, please email us at bugweek@uconn.edu or call 203-207-8440.
Bug Week programs & activities you can participate are listed below with the registration form. We also have online opportunities available.
Bug Hunting & Raising for the Family
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (Yes, June is correct)
Adults (Youth 12+ may accompany registered adult) | New London County Extension Center 562 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT 06360
$50 for non Master Gardners, $40 for Master Gardners.
Want to see some fascinating insects in their natural environment? Want to learn which host plants they hang out on, and where they hide? Come on a bug hunt with Pamm Cooper on the New London Extension Center grounds in Norwich as she shows us how to find the hidden critters living amid our native and ornamental plants. Pamm will start the class with a PowerPoint presentation identifying some of the common insects we might see in the field, such as beetles, bees, and caterpillars. Then we will head out onto the grounds to “shake out” some of our friends from their cozy plant homes so we can take a closer look. Pamm, who is always on the lookout for insects in their native habitats, will also bring along some interesting live insect samples for the class to view.
Crunch Into the Future: Discover the Benefits of Edible Insects!
Monday, July 14, 2025, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
All-Ages Event | Windham County Extension Office 139 Wolf Den Road Brooklyn, CT
This event is FREE and open to the public
Are you ready to rethink your plate? Join us for a fascinating presentation on Edible Insects: The Sustainable Superfood of the Future.
Why Attend?
✔ Learn how insects can help combat world hunger
✔ Discover their environmental benefits
✔ Explore their surprising nutritional value
✔ Taste the future with samples of edible crickets and cricket chirp cookies.
(Individuals with seafood allergies should not participate in sampling.)
Also Featuring:
• A recap of the edible insect banquet served to University of Connecticut students
• Take-home recipes for the adventurous eater
• Resources on where to buy edible insects
• Additional reading materials to explore at home
Whether you're curious, skeptical, or hungry for change, this event will open your eyes—and maybe your mouth—to the incredible potential of edible insects.
Bugs are more than just a buzz—come find out why!
Insect Wonders at the Farm
Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
All-Ages Event | Spring Valley Student Farm, 104 Spring Manor Road, Storrs, CT
This event is FREE and open to the public
While at the Spring Valley Student Farm, you can play Bug Jeopardy, take a guided tour, learn about beekeeping, and see the vegetables we grow for the UConn Storrs campus. This is a FREE event.
Bugs at the Brookfield Library
Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm - Brookfield Library 182 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT 06804
Grades K-2 at 4:30 and grades 3-5 at 5:30 pm | This event is FREE. Pre registration is required
BUGS! BUGS! BUGS! IT’S BUGARAMA! Join Advanced Master Gardener Nicole Christensen as she introduces you to the fascinating, big, insect world right outside our homes! Find out who is in your yard while learning interesting and fun facts about the insects who many times get a bad rap. Learn to recognize good, beneficial insects, and get a good look at all sorts of creatures that call our backyards home.
What Bugs Live in the Stream?!
Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 9:30 am - 11:00 am - Pat Wall Field, Wallingford, CT
All ages welcome | This event is FREE.
Let's investigate what insects make streams their home! Come with your rain boots and be ready to get hands on with macroinvertebrate sampling in the stream! Once back on shore, you'll get to explore the insects you find and learn about how they can help us learn more about the ecosystem they live in.
Bug Week at 3rd Thursday with CSMNH & Friends
Thursday, July 17, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm – Willimantic 3rd Thursday Street Fest
All-Ages Event | This event is FREE and open to the public
The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History will be teaming up with The Last Green Valley and the Willimantic Public Library to offer educational displays and activities for all ages at Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday Street Fest! Visitors can learn about pollinators and the differences between moths and butterflies, make their own beetles and caterpillars, and watch live hornworm caterpillars on display.
Free parking at Jillson Square and the Walnut St. Parking Garage
Bug Out at the Monroe Farmers Market
Friday, July 18, 2025, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Monroe Farmers Market - 7 Fan Hill Road Monroe, CT
All-Ages Event | This event is FREE and open to the public
Celebrate Bug Week with us at the Monroe Farmers Market! Stop by the Fairfield County 4-H table for a fun and educational experience the whole family will enjoy. We'll have hands-on bug crafts, fascinating insect information, and exciting prizes for anyone who comes dressed like a bug!
Whether you're a budding entomologist or just curious about the insects in your backyard, there’s something for everyone. Learn about the important roles bugs play in our environment and discover how cool (and cute!) creepy crawlies can be.
Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
Friday, July 18, 2025, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL), 61 North Eagleville Rd., U-3089, Storrs, CT 06269-3089
All-Ages Event | This event is FREE and open to the public
While at the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at UConn, you visit with the experts to learn about ticks and other parasites, and have some hands on time with a dissection microscope! Samples in closed containers are welcome.
Pro Tip: It's within walking distance to the UConn Dairy Bar so you might want to plan on stopping by for a sweet treat!
Bug Walks
Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 10 AM - 1 PM - Middlesex County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT, 06438
All-Ages Event | This event is FREE and open to the public
The program will include bug hunts in the Extension gardens, displays of live insect identification kids activities, and giveaways. People of all ages are invited to explore the wonderful world of insects, and Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions. You are welcome to bring insects you'd like to have identified, but please bring them in an enclosed container.
Bug Week 2025 Fill in Picture
Give life to the pictures by adding color to celebrate Bug Week 2025! Click this link to download the file.
Bee Cake Pops Recipe
Celebrate our pollinators by creating cake pops and then eating them! Even better, learn about the importance of bees while you do it.
Click here for the recipe.
Close up with the Rainbow Scarab
Get a good look at, and learn more about the beneficial Rainbow Scarab. This dazzling dung beetle that can be found around our very own state of CT!
Visit the page by clicking here.
Online Insect Quiz
Whether you want to learn more about the amazing world of insects or brag to your friends about your insect knowledge this quiz will test your skills. Just like in nature, only the strong will survive.
Click here to play!
Sweet and Salty Beetle Cookies
Sweet and salty caramel, pretzel, and pecan cookies that look like they are about to crawl off of the tray. Learn facts about the most diverse group of animals on the planet while you chow down.
Click here for the recipe.
Strawberry Ladybugs
Ladybugs make everyone smile. Not only are these beetles cute, but they are valuable beneficial that protect our garden and are shrouded in myths and legends. Learn about what makes lady bugs so awesome before chomping into a strawberry version of one.
Click here for the recipe.
Up Close with the Luna Moth
Huge, green, and beautiful, the Luna Moth is a sight to behold. See this moth break out of its shell to face the world, all while learning what makes these animals so amazing.