Housing Guidelines by Gareth Price 28th May, 2001 Overview

 print out | 28/05/01

Before acquiring your stick insects, it is important to consider their housing requirements and ensure that the necessary food and equipment are readily available. Although stick insects are relatively easy to keep and breed, problems can occur when they are housed in inadequate or improper conditions. As many people who have experience with these creatures will know, their prolific nature means that housing becomes a real issue, poor attention leading to cramped, confined enclosures that support the growth of mould and fungus.

A number of housing options are available, their suitability depending partly on the species concerned. If you wish to keep some of the larger species, such as the jungle nymph, you may need to provide very spacious surroundings. In contrast, if you are interested only in smaller species (such as dares, aretaon or carausius) a large sweets' jar will suffice. It is important to remember that stick insects need sufficient space if they are to moult and develop without difficulty. In practical terms, this means that they must be able to hang upside down easily, to manoeuvre themselves out of their old skin. As a rule of thumb, the height of their accommodation must therefore be at least twice as great as their length. Perhaps the most useful design is a tall, transparent container with ventilation holes in the top. In its simplest form, this can be a glass jar with a nylon mesh top held in place with a rubber band. Cages sold specifically for housing small insects, including caterpillars, are based on this simple design but come in a variety of sizes.

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