It's funny, I had a similar conversation with my mother many years ago because I wanted an ant and feeder cricket colony. She killed the idea fast and only ever allowed dried/dead insects into the house. Now that I own my own house, and my wife doesn't mind me having them, I have nearly 30 species of inverts. I even keep the "icky" pests like Periplaneta americana. I love keeping insects but I needed to respect the rules of the house I was in. I don't hate my mother for it either; she was understanding on most things. She even let me keep reptiles, amphibians, and fish. I wish I could have started the hobby earlier, but hey, thems the breaks. 