What a fantastic stop! We couldn’t believe how old this place is and you won’t either once you see the photos!
This stop was not part of our tour. There are times when we do have extra time to add stops before we are expected at our next campsite. Zoom Zoom and I chose to stop here on our way to Gander, NL. We were so happy we did. We spoke with the owners for quite a while. It turns out that it was a passion project on the husband’s part and the wife supported his passion. The husband already collected insects and wanted a place to display them. I’m guessing their house wasn’t a viable option after the 10th bug or so. 🙂 They purchased an old barn 22 years ago and began renovations right away. First, they had to gut the barn and decide on a configuration for the displays, flow of traffic and how the building would function. Attached to the Insectarium is a butterfly garden that houses several species of butterflies. Again, configuring this, too, so butterflies don’t escape or get transported on the customers’ clothing was job number one. So, yes, this place is 22 years old! It looks brand new.
Once we paid our entry fee we decided to head to the 3rd floor and work our way down to the main floor. Then we would go out to the butterfly pavilion.
The 3rd floor housed some sickening tarantulas! There were ones we’d never seen before and I’m ok with never seeing them again!
Western Desert Spider 
Western Desert Spider 
Mexican Red Knee Tarantula 
Goliath Bird-Eating Spider 
Goliath Bird-Eating Spider 
Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula 
Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula 
African Giant Baboon Spider 
African Giant Baboon Spider
The second floor housed the main collection. It included several professionally mounted species of insects and bugs, live insects that could be touched and held, a full sized honey bee hive, and a leaf cutter home like we had never seen before! Leaf cutters are fascinating little guys to study. They don’t give up cutting their chunks of leaves and transporting them back to the nest where the leaves can decompose and mold.
A view from above…
Paper Wasp Nest 
Asian Black Scorpion 
Emperor Scorpions 
Honey Bee Hive with the “Super Highway” to the outside.
Queen Bee has a yellow dot on her. 
See the queen? 
The highway to outside. 
Leaf Cutter habitat. They travel through the acrylic tube to the tree part that has leaves (collected daily) to cut their part up for the ant colony. When they go back to the colony they take the leaf down to the “Grocery Store” where it can mold. The ants eat the mold.
Working on cutting their leaves. 
New food. Some like it. 
Almost there! 
One more bite! 
Aren’t they cute! 
In the tube on the way “home.” 
Their home with all the tunnels.
The employee was handling some of the insects and offered to let us hold them. Zoom Zoom didn’t want to be shown up by a girl!
Macleay’s Spectre 
Baby 
Macleay’s Spectre -Momma 
Momma 
Momma 
They don’t sting – they use the tail to flick their poop and their eggs. 
More! Another kind of stick bug.
Stick bug 
What a sweet face.
I’d hate to be that tarantula!
Butterfly Nursery with some moth’s in here too. Fact: Butterflies make a chrysalis and moth’s make a cocoon.
The first floor housed a butterfly nursery, the gift shop, restrooms, an ice cream shop, and the butterfly garden.
Time to head out to the Butterfly Garden. I can’t wait!
If you have time to stop here – it is well worth the time.
