Bug Week 2024 is July 16-29 and we will be having in-person events as well as a photo contest.
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 860-486-9228.
Bug Week programs & activities you can participate are listed below with the registration form. We also have online opportunities available.
Insect Wonders at the Farm
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 3 pm - 6 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.
Bug Walks
Wednesday, July 17, 2024, from 10 AM - 1 PM
All-Ages Event | Middlesex County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT, 06438
This event is FREE and open to the public
The program will include bug hunts in the Extension gardens, displays of live insect identification, 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.
Dazzling Diversity of Treehoppers
Thursday, July 18, 2023 from 6 PM - 9PM
Downtown Willimantic’s Third Thursday Street Festival
All-Ages Event |
This event is FREE and open to the public
The CSMNH will be there with coloring activities focused on the ways treehopper helmets mimic their surroundings or warn away predators. There will also be a display about the mutual relationship between ants and some groups of treehoppers and giveaways of “honeydew” honey sticks from Sugar Maple Farms.
If you can’t attend the Third Thursday event in Willimantic, visit the “Natural Selection is Amazing! Exploring the Dazzling Diversity of Treehoppers” exhibit, on display in the Gant Science Complex at UConn Storrs. The exhibit is available to view during building hours between 8 am-6 pm. It is adjacent to the North Parking Garage.
Aquatic Insects
July 20, 2024 9 am - 4 pm
Join the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, UConn Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and the Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association in the Torrey Life Sciences
(TLS) building at UConn Storrs on Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Aquatic Insects of Connecticut Fly Tying Workshop. Learn about aquatic insects of CT and tie 3 flies of your own to take home and use to catch fish. Registration is required and costs $20 ($15 for CSMNH members). Visit https://csmnh.ticketleap.com/flytying2024/ to register.
Photo Contest
Details can be found on our Photo Contest page.
A photo contest is being offered, with two categories: junior and senior. One entry per person. All entries must be a photograph of a bug or insect in their natural environment. Winning photos are highlighted on the Photos Page of our website!
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.