Ethics

All of the specimens you see in the shop are sourced ethically and sustainably to the best of my ability. I breed some myself, rainbow stag beetles are my personal favourites! I source specimens from other local specialist breeders where I can. Some of the bees come from universities after they have been used in research and would otherwise be destroyed. Besides that, I work with reputable suppliers of dried insects who in turn source them from various insect farms across the globe and a portion is sustainably wild caught.

The collecting of insects provides an incentive to preserve their habitat for the people who live near these beautiful creatures. Habitat loss is sadly the biggest driver behind insect declines. People being able to provide for their families through these insects makes it profitable to protect the habitat they are found in. Not just well known critters benefit from this protection, but also those that are perhaps less charismatic and often overlooked.

If you're reading the ethics page of a shop that sells insect displays you probably already know this, but your home has the potential to be a little wildlife habitat. That could be by as little as not mowing the grass as often and avoiding pesticides, to hanging up a well-made insect hotel and growing some native plants.

Other shops might make you believe that buying an insect display is a purely beneficial transaction but they do have a cost of life attached. An insect specimen does not make it to old age in perfect condition; wings fray and tear, tarsi fall off and elytra get scratched. That is why as you might expect, the norm, especially in farmed butterflies, is that they are harvested soon after emerging from their chrysalis. 

That is not to say no insect that you see sold online will have died of old age. The shops that offer ‘old age’ specimens in perfect condition will have more than just nice words and vague promises to back up those claims (and are generally happy to talk to you about it!). 

These displays are a great way to get an up close look at insects you may never get to see in the wild nor even museums. You get to appreciate every little detail that make these insects so beautiful and eye catching. If taken care of properly, the wonder of these insects can be passed down for generations.