The Bug Hunt for ‘Bugs in My Backyard Week’

There’s an entire world of tiny wildlife living right under our noses.

Our backyards, balconies, gardens and local bushland are teeming with life – from bees, butterflies and beetles to spiders, snails, worms and thousands of other invertebrates.

And paying attention to what’s out there can help protect it.

Every extra set of eyes helps us understand our native wildlife – and can help spot invasive species early, before they have the chance to spread and cause serious damage to nature.

That’s why I’m buzzing to share a fantastic citizen science program: Bug Hunt’s Bugs in My Backyard Week is back for another year, running from 16–22 November!

Bug Hunt is run by the Invasive Species Council in partnership with Invertebrates Australia, with support from Australian Geographic and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

This November, we’re encouraging people right across Australia to help create a springtime snapshot of Australia’s bugs.

All you have to do to join the Bug Hunt is head into your backyard, balcony, schoolyard or local park, snap photos of the spiders, snails, worms, ants, bees, moths and butterflies you see, and upload your observations to the Bugs in My Backyard Week 2026 iNaturalist project.

Whether you’re 5 or 95, everyone can be a bug detective! Every photo uploaded to iNaturalist helps experts better understand Australia’s native invertebrates and could even help spot an invasive species before it has the chance to establish and spread.

Last year, we were blown away by the response to our first-ever Bugs in My Backyard Week. In just seven days:

• More than 5,000 people submitted over 40,000 observations.
• 3,083 different species were recorded.
• 137 non-native and invasive species were recorded.

But this year, we’re going bigger and better than ever!

And that’s where you come in.

We’re teaming up with schools, libraries, councils, botanic gardens and Landcare groups across the country to get even more people outside and bug-hunting. There’ll be competitions and prizes throughout the week, activities for the kids, and plenty of ways for you to get involved.