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Spring is here! The sun is finally shining in Seattle, and as temperatures rise, so do uninvited houseguests — ants patrolling the countertops, spiders setting up shop in forgotten corners, and mystery flies emerging from drains. 

We want to hear from you: Have you ever had a weird encounter with a stinkbug? Surrendered to an ant invasion? Woken up with mysterious bites?

Which springtime bug do you hate the most, and why?

A brown stink bug clings to what looks like a concrete wall. 

Yuck. A brown marmorated stinkbug. Photo: Wassilis Aswestopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Tell us what pest bugs you the most in this short poll and email us at seattle@axios.com with your most squeamish stories.

Your response could be featured in an upcoming story.

Share your Seattle bug horror stories

Share which pests you hate most and your wildest bug encounters.

A garden spider in the center of a web that fills the whole screen. 

Dew-draped web. Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

Spring is here! The sun is finally shining in Seattle, and as temperatures rise, so do uninvited houseguests — ants patrolling the countertops, spiders setting up shop in forgotten corners, and mystery flies emerging from drains. We want to hear from you: Have you ever had a weird encounter with a stinkbug? Surrendered to an ant invasion? Woken up with mysterious bites?

News

Even in the nature-loving Pacific Northwest, some bugs are public enemy No. 1.

Why it matters: As spring temperatures climb past about 55 degrees, cold-blooded insects emerge from winter hiding spots seemingly all at once, which is why it can suddenly feel like they're everywhere.

The good news? They're not a threat to people, Levi Zahn, an entomologist with Multnomah County Vector Control, told Axios.

But they're definitely a nuisance. We asked Seattle readers which pests they hate most, and a few select villains emerged.

Out of 194 responses, stink bugs (15%), mosquitoes (15%) and ants (12%) were the most despised.

Flies, spiders and ticks earned honorable mentions.

But stink bugs — flat-backed invasive brown insects that cluster on warm surfaces and slip indoors — drew the strongest reactions.

What you're saying: Peggy S. of Harstine Island told Axios she "absolutely hates" stink bugs — brown marmorated stink bugs (BMS) in particular — which have swarmed her home in recent years.

"Yesterday morning I reached to pick up my electric toothbrush from the charger and a BMS was perched (defiantly) on the bristles of the toothbrush," she said.

Steve A. said stink bugs kept flying into his office and landing on him — even during Zoom meetings — until he discovered an unlatched window and hundreds more on the sill.

"The only good stink bug is a dead stink bug. Actually, that's not true: Even dead stink bugs are bad."

Perhaps the most horrifying bug experience came from Axios Portland reader B.G.: "I woke up one night with a boxelder bug strolling into my nostril, apparently having entered my CPAP machine through an intake, and making its way down the tube."

Flashback: Like many long-haired people who grew up in the Midwest, Sarah Taylor Oden recalls "the trauma of a June bug spinning and vibrating madly in their hair … like a huge ball of vibrating Velcro."

"I welcome Seattle's bugs with less trepidation in comparison."

Yes, but: Even the most reviled bugs play an important role — from pollination to feeding other animals and breaking down organic matter.

"Their disappearance would trigger a collapse of global agriculture and the animal ecosystems that rely on them for waste decomposition and food," Chad Ruffin, a Seattle-based physician and insect enthusiast, told Axios.

Despite accounting for 90% of all animal biomass, flying insect populations have plummeted by 75% in less than three decades.

The bottom line: It's better to live with 'em than without 'em, Nicole Meyer, senior media officer for PETA, told Axios.

"Bugs are just trying to make their way in the world like we are, so the least I can do is give them a little grace."

Seattle's most hated spring bugs

With spring temperatures warming, it can feel like insects are suddenly everywhere all at once.

Illustration of a welcome mat but it says "Go Away." The "o" is a stink bug.

Even in the nature-loving Pacific Northwest, some bugs are public enemy No. 1.Why it matters: As spring temperatures climb past about 55 degrees, cold-blooded insects emerge from winter hiding spots seemingly all at once, which is why it can suddenly feel like they&#x27;re everywhere.

A disease-causing tapeworm that can infect dogs — and sometimes humans — has been found in more than a third of coyotes in the Puget Sound region.

Why it matters: In rare cases, this parasite can cause a serious, slow-growing disease in humans and dogs that forms tumor-like cysts in the liver and can be fatal if untreated.

Symptoms typically take years to appear, complicating diagnosis.

Treatment is possible but complex, often involving surgery and years of medication, even when caught early, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The risk is low, but the potential consequences are severe.

Driving the news: The tapeworm to watch, Echinococcus multilocularis, was found in 37 of 100 coyotes surveyed in the Puget Sound region, according to a University of Washington study published last month in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

The parasite has been spreading across North America for about 15 years. But this is the first detection of it in a wild host on the West Coast, according to the study.

Catch up quick: Coyotes are a routine part of Seattle's urban ecosystem, and this discovery adds a new public health risk just as spring pup season makes them more visible, territorial and prone to encounters with pets.

Chase Gunnell of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife tells Axios that more coyote sightings — and reports of them following people near dens while raising pups — are common from March through May.

What they're saying: "There have been numerous cases of dogs getting sick, and a handful of people have also picked up the tapeworm," said the study's lead author, Yasmine Hentati. 

"The fact that we found it here in one-third of our coyotes was surprising, because it wasn't found anywhere in the Pacific Northwest until earlier this year."

How it works: E. multilocularis lives in rodents and in canines like foxes, coyotes and domestic dogs, which spread it through their feces. If its eggs are ingested, it can cause alveolar echinococcosis — a rare disease that forms tumor-like cysts in the liver, per the CDC.

Humans or dogs and cats can be exposed through contaminated soil, food or surfaces.

Infection can lead to serious liver disease that can be fatal if untreated.

Reality check: Human infections are very rare in the U.S., and only a handful of dog cases have been reported in Washington and neighboring states in recent years, according to the UW study.

What to do: To prevent conflict and contact with potentially infected coyotes, keep dogs leashed in parks and greenbelts, the Department of Fish & Wildlife advises.

Prevent them from eating feces, rodents or carcasses.

Stay current on deworming and routine vet care.

The bottom line: Seattle's coyotes aren't new — but what they're carrying is, and it's a reason for smarter habits as encounters increase this spring.

Seattle coyotes carry parasite that infects dogs

Experts urge leashes and prevention after tapeworm is detected in local coyotes.

A brown coyote howls against a background green grass and wild plants.

Urban coyote alert. Photo: Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

A disease-causing tapeworm that can infect dogs — and sometimes humans — has been found in more than a third of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="coyotes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/11/19/coyote-sightings-rise-across-seattle-neighborhoods" data-vars-content-id="8b685421-0f83-435d-a343-55f08236673a" data-vars-headline="Seattle coyotes carry parasite that infects dogs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/11/19/coyote-sightings-rise-across-seattle-neighborhoods" target="_self">coyotes</a> in the Puget Sound region.Why it matters: In rare cases, this parasite can cause a serious, slow-growing disease in humans and dogs that forms tumor-like cysts in the liver and can be fatal if untreated.

Spring brings one of the easiest chances of the year to spot an otherworldly glow in the night sky.

The big picture: Right now is prime time in the Northern Hemisphere to see the zodiacal light — or "false dusk" — about an hour after sunset on the western horizon. 

Many people mistake it for distant city lights or lingering twilight, but it's actually sunlight reflecting off a vast cloud of dust spread through our solar system, according to EarthSky.

Scientists have long thought the dust comes from comets and asteroid collisions — but newer research suggests some of it may come from Mars, per NASA.

Why it matters: The zodiacal light is one of the most magical sights in the night sky — and one of the few cosmic phenomena you can see with the naked eye, if you know when and where to look, said Deborah Byrd of EarthSky. 

Pro tips: A good opportunity is coming up next week with the new moon on April 17.

Head to a dark rural area away from city lights.

Go on a clear night with little or no moonlight.

Watch for a faint triangular glow that's whitish, not pink like twilight, according to StarWalk.

What's next: The zodiacal light is also visible in the east before sunrise in the fall, when it's called "false dawn."

False dusk is lighting up the night sky right now

The zodiacal light can be seen with the naked eye in dark skies, especially around April's new moon.

The Zodiacal Light appears as a pyramid shape in the dawn sky. 

Dust-lit triangle. Photo: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Spring brings one of the easiest chances of the year to spot an otherworldly glow in the night sky.The big picture: Right now is prime time in the Northern Hemisphere to see the zodiacal light — or &quot;false dusk&quot; — about an hour after sunset on the western horizon.

Get out the sunscreen — Monday is expected to be Seattle's warmest day of the year so far.

Why it matters: Seattleites have been soaking up the sun and warm rays for the past three days, but cooler temperatures are on their way. 

Driving the news: Highs are forecast to brush up against 70 before dropping about 10-15 degrees Tuesday and settling back into the mid-50s to near 60 for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

What they're saying: "I think anyone who's been here a while knows to expect disappointment," said Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. "There's a reason people don't come here for spring break."

What's next: A weather system from the northwest is predicted to move in Monday night, knocking temperatures down, Guy said.

The rest of the week won't be a washout, though, with sun and blue skies in the forecast through Friday, according to NWS Seattle meteorologist Dana Felton.

Zoom out: Later sunsets are just around the corner. Seattle's will hit 8pm starting April 16, but more daylight doesn't always mean sunnier weather this time of year.

Locals joke that summer doesn't reliably start until July 5, after the fireworks and false starts of June — sometimes called "June-uary" for its stubborn stretch of chilly gray.

The bottom line: It might feel like spring has arrived, but don't get your hopes up too much. In Seattle, that feeling rarely sticks.

Seattle warms up near 70 — but it won't last

A brief warmup peaks today, then cooler — but still sunny — weather returns through the week.

Illustration of a sun listening to headphones and smiling. 

Get out the sunscreen — Monday is expected to be Seattle&#x27;s warmest day of the year so far.Why it matters: Seattleites have been soaking up the sun and warm rays for the past three days, but cooler temperatures are on their way.

Christine Clarridge

Featured stories

Seattle's most hated spring bugs

Why these spring bugs annoy Portlanders most

False dusk is lighting up the night sky right now

Seattle coyotes carry parasite that infects dogs

Share your Seattle bug horror stories