why "deadinsect" ?

Well, they say that great brands are about stories. Here you can find out why this site is called deadinsect.

I bought it in the Shanghai pet market for about £3 including a little wooden cage.


(Hopefully the name of the site hasn't given away what's going to happen to it.)

I couldn’t bear to leave it in China, so I smuggled it home to the UK in my hand-luggage, and was stopped by immigration in China because I didn’t look like my passport. I was terrified that they’d search my backpack, but they didn’t.

I requested a seat right next to the engine, so that the noise would drown out the sounds of chirping.

Then I gambled with its life, and shut the cold-blooded insect in the freezing overhead baggage for the whole 13 hour flight. My reasoning was that the cold would drain it of any energy with which to chirp, and the additional sound insulation would help it stay undiscovered. I put a pea into its cage, hoping the energy from eating it would sustain him despite the cold.

As soon as I was off the plane at Heathrow, I found a quiet spot, opened up my backpack, and saw a static insect. I gently blew on it, and almost cried with relief as I saw antennae twitching with life (though it was pretty groggy).

Then they stopped me at customs. They popped open my suitcase, and saw the usual tourist acquisitions – a souvenir terracotta warrior head, some pirate DVDs, a mis-spelt designer t-shirt. Standing at customs making small talk is nerve racking when you have a domestic insect on your back. I mentioned that I missed eating egg and chips and they let me go without searching my hand-luggage.

It was a pretty good pet. It chirped loudly and ate peas, and climbed around. The best thing about it was the fact that it ate food using its forelegs like little hands to hold it.

If you want to know more about having a pet cricket, read this article.
http://www.shanghai-ed.com/tess/bundbeyond08.php

I was sad when it died (after 3 months of companionship), hence the name and antennae logo.