Killing Insects

Entire vet/bio degrees? Holy shizzzzz I admire that tenacity.

As for my experience with 'killing insects', we have done a ridiculous amount of studies involving Drosophila flies for a 1st year genetics subject. I can't recall the exact details, although I remember they were 'drugged' at the beginning to slow the insects down, and eventually gassed with a (ethanol?/acetate? maybe) solution at the end of the practical. It was very stringent and supervised. The demonstrators were very keen on covering their own asses by making sure that students gassed the flies correctly.

I'm studying Environmental Science (Wildlife and Conservation Biology) at Deakin Uni Burwood and when doing water analysis we were asked to get insects and put them in ethanol for preserving. Hated it. And in retrospect shouldn't have done it. If I remember right, the Uni Ethics allow insect sampling (as don't have a backbone). May also be around their perceptions of insects feeling pain. I want to look into this further.

I was provided with an alternative for a cane toad dissection. I also asked my biology prac leaders where preserved animals in jars had came from. They said they naturally died. I find it unacceptable that information isn't provided in out uni guides about animal ethics and where animals are sourced.

It is frustrating and as you may have experienced-  I was not understood or was my curiosity respected.

I'll probably be required to look at animal cells this year. And as usual, I will get quizzical looks when I ask (where did these come from).

Huf.
However one good resource is www.humaneresearch.org.au
They are a not for profit based in Melbourne but have great online resources. They do have software dissection alternatives that you can use, however unfortunately in my opinion they are out of date.

Talking to your uni chair is a good idea, my advice is to also have an email trail so if you want to take it further (i.e.: risk to failing).

Good Luck

Sarah

I love insects and other arthropods and I fully agree that they value their life just as much as vertebrates do. This is just like dissection-Inhumane teaching and I think you should tell you professor that.

I dont really understand why would choose this subject if you knew you had to kill insects and would be opposed to it. Seems pretty silly to me.

I did a Ba Bio Science and had to do these type of assessments with fruit fly at La Trobe Wodonga, if you wan to pass you just have to do it.

That's terrible I would not be able to bring myself to do that.

state you're vegan, there is no debate, discrimination in schools means schools teach nothing, so. ?~?  just draw pictures of insects with pins in them,what's the difference. are they testing your ability to collect insects.  Ape or Bird congratulations, A+ student.

Human.... not so much