Ontario Invert Farm

Ontario Invert Farm EVERYTHING BUT CRICKETS! The Ontario Invert Farm is Canada's top pick for alt feeders and invert pets

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Visits to the facility are by appointment only and must be made and confirmed beforehand.

🌿 Drying More Mulberry for Silkworm Diet 🌿Not my ideal drying setup, but with so much mulberry to cut and dry before the...
09/09/2025

🌿 Drying More Mulberry for Silkworm Diet 🌿

Not my ideal drying setup, but with so much mulberry to cut and dry before the leaves change color, time is critical. That’s why part of this harvest is being dried outdoors.

What you see here isn’t the perfect outdoor method either—ideally, mulberry should be dried in the shade to preserve nutrients. Drying in direct sun works in a pinch, but it requires close attention. Over-drying can cause the leaves to brown, which reduces their nutritional value.

The branches shown here are perhaps less than 1/3 of what has been cut thus far. As shown in the blender post, it takes ...
09/08/2025

The branches shown here are perhaps less than 1/3 of what has been cut thus far. As shown in the blender post, it takes a LOT of leaves to make enough powder.

The mulberry leaves still haven't changed color, and so the harvest continues!
Put those mulberry shrubs on notice - I'm coming for 'em

Brutal reality of the drying and grinding process is that mulberry leaves are mostly comprised of water. Even after dryi...
09/06/2025

Brutal reality of the drying and grinding process is that mulberry leaves are mostly comprised of water. Even after drying out an enormous amount of fresh cut material, it translates to only a small fraction of dried leaves, and that's before grinding them...

Filled to the top, this blender holds 9 or 10 cups of dried leaf material. Even when they are already crumbled and crushed by hand to fill the blender as full as possible, a minute or two of blending yields only 2.5 to 3 cups of powder.

Wait though, not all of those 3 cups are usable. The powder still needs to be sifted to remove any twigs and hard stems that didn't break down during grinding.

It may seem tedious work, but getting high quality powder is vital. It is the foundation on which the entire diet is based. If you have inferior leaf powder you can expect inferior results.

08/30/2025

🦋✨ Painted Ladies in “Conversation”! ✨🦋

Ever notice these butterflies on the ground lifting and lowering their wings at each other? In Painted Ladies, this is usually a territorial or courtship display:

Males often use it to claim a sunny spot or warn rivals: “This is mine!”

Courtship can also involve wing movements to show off colors and pheromones to potential mates.

Nature’s subtle signals in action — all without leaving the ground! 🌞💛

Winner for our naming contest is !🎉🎊🎇 Our curly-hair is now named "Nyx," who in Greek mythology is the goddess and pers...
08/30/2025

Winner for our naming contest is !🎉🎊🎇

Our curly-hair is now named "Nyx," who in Greek mythology is the goddess and personification of the night. A great name and very fitting!

Thank you to all who participated!
The winner will be contacted with their prize in the coming days.

08/29/2025

🐝✨ Carpenter Bees on Sunchokes ✨🌻

These gentle giants might look intimidating, but carpenter bees are amazing pollinators — especially when they find a patch of sunchokes in full bloom! 🌼 Their size and strength let them access nectar that smaller bees can’t, making them an important part of a healthy garden ecosystem.

🌱 Planting pollinator-friendly plants like sunchokes helps keep these vital insects thriving.

🚀 New Project at Ontario Invert Farm! 🐛We’ve started creating our very own artificial silkworm diet—something that’s bee...
08/27/2025

🚀 New Project at Ontario Invert Farm! 🐛

We’ve started creating our very own artificial silkworm diet—something that’s been missing here in Canada for far too long.

The key ingredient? 🌿 Mulberry leaf powder.
And let us tell you… it takes a LOT of leaves to make enough! Until the season changes, our mission is simple: cut, dry, and prepare as much mulberry as we can.

This is just the beginning of making silkworm food domestically — stay tuned as the project unfolds!

08/22/2025

📦🕷️ Office Move in Progress! 🕷️📦

Big changes at the Ontario Invert Farm—we’re moving our office! That means it’s time for a teardown of the habitats of our tarantulas and placing specimens in individual containers for the move. That includes our stunning Blue Baboons featured in this clip. 💙🐾

Moving critters safely takes careful planning, and we’re making sure all our eight-legged friends are secure and comfortable during the transition. It’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse at life at OIF—sometimes it’s not just about caring for insects, but keeping our tarantula family safe too!

🪲 New Beetle Alert!Our Dark Mealworms (Tenebrio obscurus) have arrived, joining our Tenebrionidae lineup. They won’t be ...
08/19/2025

🪲 New Beetle Alert!

Our Dark Mealworms (Tenebrio obscurus) have arrived, joining our Tenebrionidae lineup. They won’t be available until 2026… but they’re just the first of several new beetle species we’ll be revealing in the next couple of weeks. 👀

Any guesses what’s coming next?

🌟 Now Available – Cecropia Moth Cocoons! 🌟We’re excited to announce that the Ontario Invert Farm now has Cecropia moth c...
08/15/2025

🌟 Now Available – Cecropia Moth Cocoons! 🌟

We’re excited to announce that the Ontario Invert Farm now has Cecropia moth cocoons available for sale! 🦋

These impressive North American silk moths are the largest in Canada, and raising them is a truly magical experience. The cocoons you get now will overwinter naturally and emerge in late May to early June 2026, revealing the breathtaking adults in all their glory.

Perfect for nature lovers, educators, or anyone looking to witness one of the most stunning transformations in the insect world.

📦 Limited quantity – once they’re gone, they’re gone!
📍 Local pickup & shipping available (where permitted).

Message us to reserve yours today!

"Currently accepting leaf donations. 🌿💚"These polyphemus cats are now nearly ready to spin their cocoons and are going t...
08/12/2025

"Currently accepting leaf donations. 🌿💚"

These polyphemus cats are now nearly ready to spin their cocoons and are going through a tremendous amount of leaves! They do so in one final push to amass as much energy as possible. This is because as adults they do not eat and strictly rely on the energy stores that they gained during their larval stage

🪲 Why Keep Invertebrates? 🕷️Keeping insects and other live invertebrates in captivity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a window i...
08/08/2025

🪲 Why Keep Invertebrates? 🕷️

Keeping insects and other live invertebrates in captivity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a window into a world of fascinating behavior, unique feeding habits, and natural marvels that often go unnoticed.

From beetles that clean their environment, to moths with silk-spinning larvae, to stick insects that disappear before your eyes—these creatures are full of surprises.

Captive rearing also plays a real role in conservation and education. By breeding and studying native and exotic species, we help take pressure off wild populations and inspire a deeper respect for biodiversity.

At Ontario Invert Farm, we’re proud to help more people experience the little lives that make a big difference.

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Grimsby, ON

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