BUG SHOP

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Step-by-step guide to getting your invertebrate pet!

Thinking about keeping a pet bug but not sure where to start? You have come to the right place! Minibeast Wildlife is here to help you with the process. 

We have developed plenty of resources to help you take good care of your minibeast pet, whichever species you choose. From picking the ideal invertebrate pet to best suit you, through to placing and receiving your order and post-purchase bug keeper support, everything is explained below.

 

get started

BECOME A BUG KEEPER

Having a minibeast pet is a lot of fun! It is educational and entertaining.  Bug pets don’t take up much space and they require less time and effort than most other pets. But wait… there are a lot of bug pets for sale here. Which one should you get? 

 

Before you order, it’s best to research the animal you want as a pet. You can do this by looking at our Minibeast Wildlife Bug Shop. This is where you can see our available collection of  sustainably captive-bred Australian invertebrates. In the product description for each species, there is a link to the Care Guide for that species. Have a read through to make sure you have everything you need, and that you have access to the food the animal needs.

 

There is a lot to choose from,  but the more you research, the more answers you will find. Reading through our free resources can help you develop an appreciation for certain species and gather the knowledge you need. Alternatively, you can browse our Bug Blog and our articles on invertebrates and bug keeping. We have also videos on keeping invertebrates in our Minibeast TV.

 

You have explored your options, gone through our resources and have chosen the perfect invertebrate pet for you. 

Head to the Bug Shop and add it to your cart, along with any equipment you may need to keep your new pet healthy and comfy. We offer a range of accessories going from an enclosure to a misting bottle, coco peat and more… all to help you offer the best environment for your new pet.

You can then place your order and go through to the checkout. There we will ask a few details about you, such as your name, email address, phone number and postal address. Please make sure the email address you use is currently active, as this is where all your order notifications will be sent to. 

At this stage, you can create an account or checkout as a guest. We recommend that you create an account so all your details and purchase history will be saved for you to consult anytime.  

You may also want to subscribe to our newsletter, so you will be the first to know when we have new species available, or new article posts. No spamming here, we only send a newsletter once every two months and when we have special offers. Also, most of our special offers are only sent to our subscribers. 

Our payment methods include credit/debit card, PayPal and Zip Pay, with no additional fee other than the shipping fee.

We are so happy you have joined the bug keepers’ community! Thank you for choosing Minibeast Wildlife.

Once we have received your order and your payment, you will receive a confirmation email. All orders are shipped from our north Queensland office each Monday. Your order will be packed by our friendly staff on Monday morning. Please note that any orders received after 12pm on a Monday will be shipped the following Monday. 

 

Once your order has shipped, we will send you a shipping notification email, and an email stating the tracking number on your parcel. You can use the Australia Post website to track your parcel.

 

Delivery times for Express Post parcels take around 3-4 business days. If your parcel has not arrived within this time, there are a few things to do :

 

  • Use the Australia Post website to check your tracking number.
  • If the parcel is marked as delivered but you don’t have it, check that the parcel has not been left somewhere on your property or left with someone else.
  • If you can’t find the parcel and no one else on the property or office has received the parcel, please contact us.
  • If the parcel is listed as ‘’Due for delivery today’’,  you should receive it later in the day.
  • If the parcel is listed as ‘’In transit’’, then please contact us.
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It is best if someone is home to receive the parcel when it arrives. This way you can get it out of its travel container and set it up in its new home. Your new invertebrate pet will need some water as soon as possible after arriving. This can be given using a misting bottle. For the leaf eating insects (stick and leaf insects, katydids etc), giving fresh food is important as soon as your new pet arrives. The predatory animals (spiders, mantids, scorpions)  may need a day or so to settle in before you offer food.

Now it’s time to enjoy your new pet! 

Minibeast Wildlife offers lifetime support for each animal, so if you have any questions about your pet’s health, behaviour, reproduction or anything that you don’t find in our resources, or if you want some advice on anything regarding your new bug pet, its enclosure or feeding habits, then please get in touch.

FAQ about keeping invertebrates

Keeping invertebrates is growing in popularity in Australia! We get a lot of questions from people who are interested in getting into keeping insects, spiders and other invertebrates. 

 

Here are the most frequently asked questions about minibeasts and pet bug keeping in general. 

Invertebrates make fantastic pets for kids and adults alike! They don’t take up much space, they are not noisy, they don’t make a lot of mess and are generally quite easy to care for. They make for very educational pets, and can be kept as pets at home or in a classroom setting. Minibeast Wildlife breeds a large number of Australian invertebrates to keep as pets, including stick and leaf insects, praying mantids, katydids, spiders, scorpions and more! Check out our Minibeast Wildlife Bug Shop for what we have available. 

 

Some states in Australia will require permits to have the animals sent into the state, and some states require invertebrate owners to have permits for spiders and scorpions. It’s best to check with your local Department of Parks and Wildlife, or Department of Environment to see if there are any regulations in your state.

 

Some invertebrates are venomous and are better suited to more experienced keepers. If you are unsure, give us a call and we are happy to advise you.

Yes, you can. Some invertebrates like spiders and scorpions are tricky to breed, and can take some work to encourage your pets to mate, and some invertebrates (like stick insects) are very easy to breed, and breeding will occur naturally, even without a male present in some cases. For more information, contact us at info@minibeastwildlife.com.au 

If you have purchased a bug pet from Minibeast Wildlife, or from anywhere else, then it is best not to release it into the wild. The reasons behind this are varied, but there are issues with releasing a species that is not usually found in your area, which could cause problems for your local ecosystem. Even if the species you have is found in your area, if the animal has been bred in captivity, it may not have the same resistance to threats and diseases in the wild and may not survive long anyway. If you can’t keep your invertebrate pet anymore, the best option is to try to rehome it. You can ask friends or family, or even a local school or kindergarden. If you are stuck, then contact us here at Minibeast Wildlife, and we may be able to help you out. 

Some states in Australia will require permits to have the animals sent into the state. Most don’t require a permit to keep invertebrates, however QLD residents do need to have a permit for tarantulas and and Urodacus species scorpions.  As regulations can change it’s best to check with your local Department of Parks and Wildlife, or Department of Environment to see what applies to you.

Queensland animal keeping permits
FAQ about shipping invertebrates

Sending bugs through the post is not something you hear about everyday, although it is part of our daily life here at Minibeast Wildlife. Here are the most frequently asked questions about the shipment of invertebrates in Australia.

WE SHIP LIVE ANIMALS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS ONLY

Minibeast Wildlife animal orders are shipped each Monday via Express Post, and delivery takes between 3-4 business days. Sometimes delivery times may be extended for a few days, but the animals are packed safely and securely, and are able to cope with extended shipping times. Our breeding facility is located in far north Queensland. 

If you order non-living items only, your order will be shipped on Mondays and will take 3-7  business days to arrive.

For more information, see our shipping page.

Each bug is packed according to their requirements while in transit. Leaf-eating animals such as stick insects, leaf insects and katydids are packed in ventilated containers with moist paper towel and food to eat while in transit. Spiders and scorpions are packed in ventilated containers with moist paper towel shaped in a ‘cave’ for the animal to stay protected and secure, with some additional sphagnum moss to keep the container moist. The containers are then packed within a cardboard box, padded out with packing paper and sent via Express Post. 

Once your order is shipped, you will receive an email with the shipping notification and tracking number on your parcel. 

We offer a 7 day guarantee on all animals purchased. This covers the time that they are in transit, and the first seven days after you receive your new pet. If your invertebrate pet arrives dead or injured, please contact us as soon as possible after receiving the parcel. This way we may be able to offer some advice if your pet is unwell. 

If there are issues with any of the non-living products we have, please let us know as soon as possible so we can send you a replacement. 

Yes, we can send some animals to Western Australia. Customers living in WA will require an import permit. This permit will cost $30. Click the link below to register with WA Parks and Wildlife and apply for an import permit.

Western Australian Import Permit Application

Yes, we can send some animals to Tasmania. Tasmanian customers may require a Special Authority for the importation of live animals into the state.

The animals that DO NOT require a Special Authority can be found at the following site:

Unrestricted animals

If you are ordering animals other than these, please check importation requirements with local authorities before making a purchase, then download the following form and send it to Biosecurity TAS. This may take up to 10 days for approval.

Tasmanian Special Authority Application Form