Bugs and insects in Wyoming

[Froggie Legs]

ok.. creeping out now. My aunt's neigbour in Lander has black widow spiders that inhabit her basement frequently.

and I remember the numerous grasshoppers when I lived there.. my daughter had a pet duck which was well fed by those creepy-hoppers.

[HighlandLady]

The Widows are plentiful in Wyoming...watch for the dark places. My grandmum's place in Newcastle was infested and I received a bite during the time I was caring for her. Not something I'd wish onto anyone.
Around the center portion of the state, I'm not certain on other areas, the recluse can be found, not as common as the widow.

And there are the scorpions that can give a bit of a punch...especially in areas of shale.

[xLonexWolfx]

I live in Newcastle, WY and there is no shortage of strange insects and other creatures! I've lived here for 16 years and on avarage kills per years: 30-50 black widows, 10-20 rattlesnakes(mostly prairie rattlers & two diamond backs), 20-30 camel spiders, 10-15 jeruselem crickets, 10-50 scorpions (if hunting for them) 10-20 GIANT centepedes (aprox. 6-10 inches in length and 1/2 inch wide). The list goes on; every year it seems like more...watched a camel spider eat a mouse and now I don't think I can ever sleep again...I think I need to get National Geographic out here to document this...its insane!!! And not to mention the hundreds of red ant hills that keep popping up and if you get bit it feels like getting hit with a hammer. If you think this is an exaggeration try talking to a few of the folks who live here and then form your own opinion...or by all means come check it out for yourself...heck maybe I can start a safari tour.

[lititzman2003]

We'll be staying in Douglas in the end of July. What kind of insects would we be encountering? Seriously, my wife is a cancer surviver and my mother in law had heart surgery last year so any kind of insect bites could be an issue for them. Any types of repellants we should get?

[Darrow]

In Cody we have a lot of miller moths right now, not many mosquitos. Haven't noticed any flies. At our house we always have a couple of black widows in the same window well and usually we get cat face spiders under the eaves. We have field mice the cats always bringing to us, and a few water/garter snakes. We do get the occassional black bear, coyote and of course the deer are a major pain!

[Happy in Wyoming]

There are ticks all over the state. They do carry Lyme Disease as well as tick fever and can cause paralysis. This is more of a problem for dogs, so if you are bringing your dog or dogs, get Frontline. It's expensive, but it works. Do not bother with the cheap stuff. It does not work.

Also, get snake vaccinations for your dogs. You will probably never see a rattlesnake, but dogs stick their noses everyplace. We have the Prairie Rattlesnake, Cotalus v. viridis, in all counties east of the Continental Divide as well as Carbon County on the west side. It can be virid. The one snake I saw on my property had a beautiful green background color.

Heart Worm doesn't seem to occur here, but with all the tourists, many vets recommend treatment.

West Nile Virus is alive and well here. A few years ago Wyoming had the highest death rate of any state. Bring DEET.

We do have Black Widow Spiders, but they don't seem to be a problem. There are scorpions as well, but like Black Widows, there doesn't seem to be a problem.

The aforesaid does not prevent a safe visit. Bear in mind, plenty of people in all states of health live here, too, with no problems from animals.

Just use common sense and you'll be fine. Enjoy our deer, elk, antelope, and if you're lucky, perhaps you'll see a bear or otter.

Enjoy your visit.

[xLonexWolfx]

Grr...well I guess it just depends were you live in Wyoiming because I just sat down in front of my notebook and some bug was sitting on the keyboard hissing at me. It looked like a bee crossed with a giant ant; Maybe some kind of wasp but not like one I've seen, and I've never had one hiss at me. But, yeah the other parts of Wyoming you probaly rarely see some of these critters. Just take care in the more arraid regieons.

[ruggedindividual]

I encountered a bat in my house last night, so you can add those to your list. Although I imagine bats are common just about everywhere...this is the second time I've spotted one on my property and the first one inside my home. I don't consider them "pests" per se, because I much prefer the company of a bat versus the company of a few hundred mosquitoes. Now my wife, yeah...they're pretty much a pest as far as she's concerned.

[WyoNewk]

Whoa! I had a bat in my house about 30 years ago. It was a new house, and the builders didn't put a grate/screen over the chimney. I caught it with a fishing net.

My wife wasn't crazy about it either, and quickly nixed the idea of a new house pet.