Invert events

[vyadha]

so there’s an insect festival coming up in my county.
I was asked to attend as an educator, so I’ll be getting a booth.
Wondering if there are any tips on having inverts available for the public to view and handle at an event like this. I really like sharing and educating but i don’t want to stress out my bugs.
I’m thinking of bringing the following:
1.0 D. tityus adult if it’s still alive.
1.0 S. white legs
0.3 S heros of various morphs
0.0.3 S polymorpha various morphs
5.5 G. portentosa
5.5 E. prosticus
3.3 P. paradoxa

A ton of springtails.

I’d love any tips you might have.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1001777569946262/?ti=icl

 

[Arthroverts]

You probably want to make sure everything is in large (preferably glass or really clear plastic for easy viewing), clean, and preferably natural enclosures. Large because you don't want your stuff "walking off" when your not looking, clean and natural for obvious reasons. I wouldn't suggest letting people handle stuff unless it is something that is really tough or that you don't mind losing if it gets dropped. Finally, keeping the enclosures from constantly getting bumped or with shadows passing over them should help reduce stress to a large degree. However, invertebrates are pretty hardy as it is, so unless your bringing something really sensitive, I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional disruption.

Hope this helps,

Arthroverts

 

[chanda]

Will this event be held indoors or outdoors? If it will be outdoors, you'll want to check the weather forecast and make sure it isn't too hot (or cold) for your pets, and also make sure you have an Easy-Up or something similar to provide shade for them so they don't cook from the direct sunlight hitting their enclosures.

Also, it is entirely likely that the centipedes - being nocturnal - will bury themselves in whatever substrate you give them, leaving you with basically a cage full of dirt for attendees to look at, unless you dig them out periodically (which stresses them). You can mitigate this by providing minimal substrate, rather than bringing them in their regular enclosures. It will still be a little stressful to them, but not as much so as being dug out every 15-20 minutes would be.

At any sort of public event, it is best if you leave the creatures secured in their enclosures. If you allow the general public to handle them, there is always the risk of one of your pets being killed or injured - or just dropped and escaping. If you really feel like handling must be a part of your presentation, then you should be the only one handling the animals. Also, that protects you from potential liability issues of one of your pets were to bite someone - or even if one of the roaches poked them with their leg spines, which people can misinterpret as a bite and freak out about. When it comes to bugs, people are not always rational. For example, if they later discover a cockroach infestation in the building, someone might think - "Wasn't there that person at the insect festival with all the roaches running around? Maybe some of theirs got loose!" - and then you're left trying to prove that your roaches were an entirely different species, to someone who things all cockroaches are the same.

It sounds like a lot of fun! Do you have a particular focus that you will be educating people about, or is it more of a "Come look at the cool arthropod zoo" sort of thing? Will it be attended primarily by children, by adults, or by families? If there will be a lot of children there, you can compensate for not allowing your pets to be handled by having some sort of activity or craft for them.

 

[Dry Desert]

so there’s an insect festival coming up in my county.
I was asked to attend as an educator, so I’ll be getting a booth.
Wondering if there are any tips on having inverts available for the public to view and handle at an event like this. I really like sharing and educating but i don’t want to stress out my bugs.
I’m thinking of bringing the following:
1.0 D. tityus adult if it’s still alive.
1.0 S. white legs
0.3 S heros of various morphs
0.0.3 S polymorpha various morphs
5.5 G. portentosa
5.5 E. prosticus
3.3 P. paradoxa

A ton of springtails.

I’d love any tips you might have.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1001777569946262/?ti=icl

Don't encourage handling of any inverts to the general public. If you feel the need to handle make sure you are the only one handling. Handling your own inverts in your own home setting could still have repercussions, encouraging strangers to handle not the best idea.
Good display enclosures with good quality photos and general information about the creature, next to each enclosure, will leave you free to talk to interested parties.