We have rules and regulations on animal welfare when it comes to pets, and for most of us, it is a matter of fact that animals must be treated properly.
But what about the live feed insects !?
In the article, we look at how poorly insects are often treated and what can possibly be done.
There are strict requirements for the care and treatment of the animals, and that is good!
But insects are often not considered animals in the usual sense, and in a way, one must also have a certain realism in one’s considerations.
No matter where you step, there will be insects that can be harmed, and most of us will probably also reserve the right to grab the fly swatter if a fly becomes too annoying.
The definition of animal welfare is mostly that human responsibility takes effect to a special extent at the moment an animal can be said to be in our care.
“Custody” is actually a combination of “to take care of” – that is, to take care of the animal.
The moment we keep an animal in captivity for one reason or another – we also commit to taking good care of the animal and meeting its needs so that it can have a good life.
Fortunately, the vast majority of us bother with our hobby animals, familiarize ourselves with the nature and needs of the animal, and try to meet them to the best of our ability.
When it comes to feeding insects, unfortunately, things are different in many places.
There is not really any official regulation.
The problem starts already when the insects are dispatched from the breeder (where until then, they must be presumed to have had reasonable conditions).
Most often, the animals are bred abroad, and this means that they have to go on a long journey.
They are packed tightly together and are several days along the way.
As a rule, a little dry food is packed (probably mostly for the sake of sight) with the animals, but usually never liquid, and without liquid, the animals still stop eating.
The lining is typically granulated in beautiful green, yellow and red colours – in honour of the consumer.
The animals have no need for dyes, and yet they do not eat the feed without liquid.
A few days under such conditions, the insects can then more or less cope if they are unpacked immediately after arrival and given more space and hiding places and the opportunity to cover their fluid needs and recover.
But this is rarely the case.
The tightly packed insects instead come in stock in the small boxes they are shipped in and are still not given the opportunity to drink.
Many pet stores, both physical and online stores, even advertise that they get insects home every week or two – so there are always “fresh” insects in stock.
Unfortunately, it must be interpreted to mean that the poor animals, in other words, risk being left on the shelf for up to 2 weeks under these miserable conditions.
And unfortunately, it has fatal consequences.
Often, and not surprisingly, one finds that there are many dead animals when purchasing such a package.
And often, you also experience great mortality among the animals in the following days when you come home and unpack them.
There is an incredible number of examples that you can actually only feed with a fraction of the feed insects you have bought and paid for.
Until there is hopefully more official regulation in the area, it is up to you as a consumer to make demands on your supplier of live feed insects!
Supply and demand also rule here.
Ask for fresh insects, ask where they come from, how they are cared for, etc.
There are several reasons why this is an important focus area.
There are, firstly, animal-ethical reasons.
We owe the animals proper treatment when they are in human care.
We owe it to the animals to make demands on the supplier so that we do not indirectly encourage them to mistreat the animals.
Another and important reason is the consideration for our hobby animals.
They are what they eat, and their health ultimately depends on the health of the feed animals.
A malnourished feed insect is at best an empty indigestible shell of the exoskeleton with no special feed value.
And in the worst case, the insect is not just empty calories, but directly harmful to eating for the hobby animal.
A natural consequence of mishap is, of course, the flourishing of diseases, fungi and pests.
As a consumer, you naturally take over responsibility for the insects when you get them home.
Many people store – out of ignorance or convenience – the insects in the boxes they are bought in.
You should never do that.
The feed insects should preferably be transferred immediately to new and larger containers.
It’s still about both animal welfare and healthy insects for your hobby animal, but it’s also about finances because dead feed insects are money out the window.
In addition to space, the insects must also have something to hide in – egg trays, cardboard tubes or the like.
It is a natural instinct that must be taken into account, but it also helps to ensure that the animals do not attack and eat each other.
In addition, they must, of course, always have access to liquid and feed.
Ensure a certain level of hygiene.
At a minimum, dead animals must be removed regularly, both because they can cause odour nuisances but also because they promote bacteria, fungi and pests.
The degassing from dead insects can also be harmful to the remaining ones.
It is also important to make sure that there is plenty of fresh air for the animals.
It is seldom enough to punch small holes in the lid – rather, use large surfaces with metal mesh or tall containers without lids.
For example, moist, stagnant air is deadly dangerous to chickens and locusts – a few hours of exposure in such an environment can be a death sentence for such insects.
