Michelle Gleeson
Director, Entomologist & Presenter, Bugs Ed.
Email: michelle@bugsed.com
ABN: 983 919 040 77
Blue Card Number: 337386/8
Expiry Date: 15th April 2026
Important Information
The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 is a legislation document that ensures a person in charge of an animal is responsible for the duty of care to that animal and provides for its basic welfare needs.
The insects and other Arthropods used by Bugs Ed. presenters are not subject to this legislation as they do not fall under the Act’s definition of an “animal”. According to the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 an animal is defined as any of the following:
- A live member of a vertebrate animal taxon (for example an amphibian; bird; fish; mammal, other than a human being; or a reptile)
- A live unborn or pre-hatched in the later stages of development such as a mammal or reptile foetus or a pre-hatched bird mammal or reptile
- Live marsupial young
- A live invertebrate from the Class Cephalopoda or Malacostraca (which includes octopi; squids; crabs; crayfish; lobsters and prawns)
Statement of Commitment
Although the Animal Care and Protection Act does not apply to Bugs Ed., we are committed to and passionate about the care, safety and wellbeing of the arthropods used in our educational activities. We strive to ensure that we provide proper care & humane treatment of our live specimens and conduct ourselves in accordance with the following management strategies. We will at all times:
- Ensure that our insects are provided with adequate food, water, shelter and any other factors required for their survival & well being (such as temperature, humidity & substrate)
- Ensure that all staff are trained in the proper handling & care of these creatures
- Ensure that the handling of insects by students is limited only to those species who are tolerant of this treatment and will not suffer any ill effects by being touched
- Ensure that insects being handled are continuously swapped, so that no one specimen is over handled to a point that it will disrupt its normal feeding or resting behaviour
- Ensure that students are properly supervised whilst handling the insects and that anyone who poses a risk to the well being of our insects will not be allowed to participat
If you would like to know more about Animal Ethics Guidelines within Australian Schools, please go to http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/A/AnimalCaPrA01.pdf for more information.
If you have any concerns or questions about our insect management strategy, please contact me at michelle@bugsed.com to discuss.
Michelle Gleeson
Director, Entomologist & Presenter
Bugs Ed.
Last updated January 2024.