Bugs.
In my experience, kids are either totally afraid of them or totally obsessed with them.
I have both versions in my house, so I know a thing or two about bugs. More specifically, as a young parent, I learned which Colorado bugs are completely harmless. I did this research, and taught my kids, for two reasons.
- If I knew which bugs were harmless, I could be confident that my bug lovers could spend time with those bugs without worrying about injury or unpleasantries.
- It gave my bug hater a little peace to know which bugs were friendly.
Both of those reasons made my life much easier.
Here are seven good-natured bugs that are found in Colorado.
American Bumble Bee
The iconic fuzzy, buzzing, yellow and black American Bumble Bee is a classic summertime friend doing tremendous amounts of good for plants and virtually no harm to people.
Common Pillbug
Also known as Roly Polies
Pillbugs are slow moving isopods that do not bite and cannot sting. When threatened or even lightly disturbed, they roll up into a tight ball, allowing their armor to protect their soft underbelly, head, and many legs, staying patiently in that position until they feel the threat has passed.
Giant Darner Dragonfly
Giant Darner Dragonflies are huge but harmless. The largest and longest dragonfly in the United States, these beautiful buzzing creatures help control the fly and mosquito populations.
House Cricket
These harmless brown chirpers are easier to hear than to see most of the time. They might disrespectfully jump in your direction, but they won't bite or sting you.
Miller Moth
Although months are, in my opinion, the most horrendous of all the bugs with absolutely no shame, they are harmless to humans. They might bonk you in the face (no shame, I tell ya), leave a powder or minor liquid residue behind, run in packs, and cause you to lose sleep over their presence, but they don't sting or bite. Take it from a survivor of the 1991 Miller Moth Invasion.
Painted Lady Butterfly
Millions of harmless, yet admired, Painted Ladies migrate each summer from the warm south to the cooler north, sometimes moving en masse, delighting onlookers.
Praying Mantis
Unless these large, sometimes scary looking insects are directly provoked, they are harmless to humans, and they are fascinating to observe. They are considered a gardner's best friend because they eat a large volume of pest insects and help remove infestations of wasps and beetles. (As a sidenote, even if they do bite, their bite is very minor and not venomous, so if your child gets a bit too aggressive they will very much survive. Ask me how I know this.)
Hopefully, both your bug lovers and haters will enjoy observing these fascinating bugs in Colorado.
