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That must be frustrating for both you and her! A few things to think of below Do you know when this fear started and if there was a specific trigger, for example did she have a bad experience with a bug in the past How do adults around her express fears, do you or her father or an older sibling have a similar reaction to things that scare you? You may just want to monitor your own/other adults' reactions around her as children pick up on everything How do you react when she screams? By modelling calm behavior you can teach her to manage her own emotions. I would also recommend that you label her emotions when she sees a bug, you can say something like "you get very upset/scared when you see a bug" Offering a lot of reassurance when she expresses her fear is also important " I am here, you are safe, I won't let them hurt you" Empower her by telling her she's strong and is able to defend herself against the little bugs. You can even do a funny "bug dance" with her so that you teach her to stomp her feet on them while dancing around- this also creates laughter which some psychologists believe is another great way to release fear. I would also recommend that you do some role plays with her, and you take on the role of being fearful of insects. Make this fun and interactive and have her take on the role of "mother" by offering some strategies of what to do around insects If her fears are intense I would recommend you seek the assistance of a professional so that they may design a plan where you can assist your daughter in tackling her fears in a gradual and very sensitive way.