Bugs and other icky stuff in Colorado? (Denver, Colorado Springs: neighborhood, scorpion)

[Rainbow2can]

I am from Arizona and we have lots of icky little critters here....scorpions, snakes, coyotes and javelinas...
I'm wondering if there's anything like that in Colorado, or any creepy bugs?!

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Rainbow2can

I am from Arizona and we have lots of icky little critters here....scorpions, snakes, coyotes and javelinas...
I'm wondering if there's anything like that in Colorado, or any creepy bugs?!

I've been here a little over a year...


I've seen one snake, on the tarmac at Centennial Airport.

I see coyotes semi-frequently, maybe one a month, and foxes a little more often.

I've seen deer a few times here in Metro Denver.

I see squirrels, rabbits and prairie dogs daily.

Canada Geese and their dung, hang out here quite often, mostly in winter.

As for bugs, mostly flies, ants, spiders, bees and mosquitoes.

[ryanek9freak]

I have seen the occasional scorpion here, but usually only down in Pueblo.

[bluescreen73]

Scorpions aren't common in Colorado, but they're there. The striped bark scorpion can be found throughout the state and I saw a couple of them in the 8 years I lived in Craig. They're no more harmful than a wasp unless you're hypersensitive and are prone to anaphylaxis.

The only Western Diamondback I've ever seen was smashed on the road.

You'll also run into the Western Black Widow state-wide.

One of the ugliest arthropods I've ever seen, the Jerusalem Cricket, is abundant in NW Colorado.

[Pilot1]

Not many bugs here in the arid Front Range, until you get up to Greeley or other areas that have a lot of irrigated agriculture. However you do see Coyotes and an occasional rattle snake, but no biggie.

[froggin4colorado]

Down in the Fountain area there are rattlers. I haven't seen a scorpion but I bet in Pueblo you'd see one. Pueblo reminds me of AZ. (I used to live in Kearny, AZ). There are small prickly cactus too. Depends on what part of the state you are in. I have also seen a few black widows.

[Sockeye]

We've got hantivirus from rodents, lyme disease, and tick fever, to name a few. Not exactly a disease free envrironment around here.

[jazzlover]

Not to mention West Nile virus from mosquitoes, although this year has been better than some previous. Black widow spiders are also found pretty much statewide, and the brown recluse spider--though not common--is also found here.

Rattlesnakes are actually fairly common, depending on locale. The Front Range and southern Colorado foothills are especially well-known for having significant rattler populations. Coyotes pretty much statewide.

The biggest and most dangerous pests, though, are the two-legged varieties. We could do with a lot less of them . . .

[zman0457]

When you live in Florida, one can find Colorado (Front Range at least) to be a virtual bug-free zone.

[COflower]

Originally Posted by zman0457

When you live in Florida, one can find Colorado (Front Range at least) to be a virtual bug-free zone.

You know what, that's a good statement. We get this question quite often and people don't get that compared to other areas, we have very few problems.

I will admit I have had the coyote run around here. We have foxes more often than coyotes but the coyotes will eat your kitties if you aren't smart.

I have more problems with flies around here than anything. I have spiders but scorpions aren't a problem around here. My brother got bit by what looked like a scorpion back in the late 70s but we determined it to be a sand spider. So it's not likely. Same with rattle snakes, they will let you know and there are specific areas around CO where they are. In fact in Colorado Springs, there is "Rattlesnake Hill" for good reason but most of Colorado is pretty free of bugs but I wouldn't go to the high country in summer without bug spray. I would also not go around that evening without checking for ticks.

The hair, the pubic area, arm pits, yeah, you need to look for ticks. Ever heard of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever? Never had it in my entire life but then again we used bug spray and never found a tick on me in all my life. That's something people need to do even if they aren't tromping around the Rocky Mountains. If you are in wooded areas you need to do a look over and make sure you and your loved ones aren't having a tick burrowing in your skin. I think that's the biggest threat.

Your threats by bugs or other such will vary from the different areas in the state.

BTW, a coyote will most likely not be a threat. Heck I have only seen two and that was on the same night they were together, I can only assume they were in my neighborhood looking for food as it was about 20° that night and they were near someone's garbage can. I live lived in CO for most of 40 years and that was a rare, very rare sight. It's not common to see coyotes and there's a reason why, they don't want to be in the same place as humans. They stay stealth for good reason but they will have cats for snacks though, and some little dogs too.