Dreaming of insects
Insects in a dream are often about small things piling up: worries, irritations or thoughts that keep itching. Cockroaches, lice or ants that are everywhere often feel like something you cannot get under control.
Interpret your own dreamWhy you dream about this
Few dreams give as uncomfortable a feeling as dreams about insects. Cockroaches coming out of a cupboard, lice in your hair, ants on your arm, worms in your food. You wake up and still feel the itch. Many people then immediately look up what it means.
Usually such dreams are about small things piling up. One worry is manageable, but ten small worries at once get under your skin. Insects then stand for irritations, anxious thoughts or tasks you cannot get under control. The more of them there are, the stronger that feeling often is.
What kind of insect it is makes a difference. Cockroaches are often associated with dirt and something that stays hidden. Lice with something that eats at you or drains your energy, or with shame. Ants with hard work and cooperation, but also with busyness. Worms with something gnawing from within. And insects you chase away or clean up show that you are regaining grip.
Traditions read insects surprisingly differently. In the Quran ants, bees and locusts appear, each with its own meaning. In the Bible insects belong to the plagues of Egypt. And in wicca small creatures are often read as messengers of what lives beneath the surface.
What it means in each tradition
The same dream. 3 traditions. 3 different ways of seeing it.
Islamic
The Quran names several insects, each with its own charge. The ant warns her people about Solomon's army, the bee receives inspiration from God, and locusts and lice belong to the plagues that strike Pharaoh. In classical dream interpretation the meaning therefore differs greatly per insect.
Read the full Islamic interpretation →Christian
In the Bible insects belong to the plagues of Egypt: gnats, flies and locusts. At the same time Proverbs praises the ant as an example of wisdom. In the Christian tradition an insect dream can therefore go two ways: something overwhelming you, or a lesson in diligence.
Read the full Christian interpretation →Wicca
In wicca and related nature spirituality small creatures are not seen as dirty, but as part of the web of life. They live close to the earth and beneath the surface. An insect dream is therefore often read as a glimpse of what crawls beneath the surface of your own life.
Read the full Wicca interpretation →These differences are not opinions about one another. Each tradition reads a dream from within its own worldview, and that worldview decides what an image carries.
Common dreams about insects
Cockroaches in the house
Something that stays hidden or that you would rather not see. Often simply a feeling of mess or unrest.
Lice in your hair
Something eating at you or draining energy, or a feeling of shame.
Ants everywhere
Busyness and many small tasks. Also: cooperation and perseverance.
Worms
Something gnawing from within, like an anxious thought that will not go away.
Chasing away or clearing insects
Regaining grip on what was piling up.
What does your dream mean?
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
What does dreaming of cockroaches mean?
Often something that stays hidden or that you would rather not see, or a feeling of unrest and mess.
What does dreaming of lice mean?
Usually something eating at you or draining energy, or shame. In classical Islamic interpretation sometimes also family or worries.
Why do I dream of insects?
Often because small worries or irritations are piling up and getting under your skin.