Wonderfully Weird Pets: How to Keep Stick Insects as Pets

MAKE MY FIRST PETS THEIR FIRST CHOICE:
Ask a young kid if they want a pet and chances are they will immediately opt for a fluffy kitten or a doe-eyed puppy. And nothing wrong with that, right? I mean, they’re both adorable, loving and playful.

But here’s the thing. Both of these pets are actually quite high maintenance and require regular feeding, exercise, attention and training.

And whilst kids might have all the good intentions and love in the world, they lack the focus and maturity to provide the high levels of care these animals require.

And that’s why Kazoo have launched our range of ‘My First Pets.’ A selection of weird and wonderful critters that are friendly and engaging, yet require minimal care and easy upkeep.

Kids can choose from:

Insectimo: a range of bizarrely beautiful stick insects that, despite their alien appearance, actually make for pawfect pets.

Krabooz: Our ever-popular range of adorable little hermit crabs, full of insatiable enthusiasm and curiosity.

Fish Tank TV: A wonderful, t.v shaped fish tank that offers hours of quality entertainment and fun.

All of these offer an ideal ‘first pet’ experience, but today we’re going to be getting up close and pawsonal with the wonderfully odd yet strangely loveable stick insects.

We’ll tell you a bit about them, take you through their life cycle and give you a detailed breakdown on how to care for these wonderfully engaging insects.

So, if you’re ready, then let’s get stuck in!

INSPECT THE INSECT:

Aussie stick insects come in two very distinct species.

Spiny Leaf Insect
First up, there’s this cute little fella from the northeast of Australia. The Spiny Leaf insect. No prizes for guessing how he got his name.

In the wild, they use this resemblance to a dead leaf to camouflage themselves from predators.

Despite their somewhat fearsome appearance, however, they are actually as gentle as lambs and will happily clamber about on your hands. But make sure to handle them carefully as they are very fragile and could snap like a twig.

Crown Stick Insect
In the wild, these spindly critters make their home in the rainforests of North Queensland.

However, unlike their spiny leaf cousins, these Crownies prefer to disguise themselves as sticks in a bid to deter hungry birds and bats.

And they really commit to the role, even going so far as to sway from side to side when threatened, to look as though they are swaying in the wind.

They are also extremely friendly, but once again, please be extremely careful when you handle them.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE WONDERFULLY WEIRD:

We’ve already mentioned the somewhat peculiar appearance of stick insects. But believe us, the weirdness doesn’t stop there.

For starters, they can happily reproduce without the need for a mate.

And if they lose a leg in a struggle with a predator, they can just grow another one back. How handy, or rather leggy, is that?

But things just keep getting weirder. In a shockingly bizarre act of auto-cannibalism, stick insects will happily eat their old skin after shedding.

Oh, and should a predator see through the twig/leaf disguise, they can emit a foul-smelling ooze as a final desperate deterrent. (But don’t worry, they won’t do that to you.)

So, yeah, safe to say that these little guys make for interesting and intriguing housemates.

A LITTLE BIT MORE ON MOULTING:

If you see your stick insect climbing out of its skin, don’t jump out of yours. It’s perfectly natural.

Moulting is just how stick insects grow. A new skin forms under the old one, and when the old one gets stretched to capacity, it splits along the back and the stick insect then carefully climbs out of it.

To facilitate this, the insect will hang from a branch, and, once the process is complete, the old skin will fall to the bottom of the enclosure. (Unless, of course, the insect is hungry and fancies a quick bite of itself.)

It is important that the stick insect is not handled or interfered with during the moulting process. This can last anywhere from 10 mins to half an hour.

Also, be aware that the new skin is soft and will take a few days to harden. So be extra careful with any handling during this time.

REPRODUCTION AND HATCHING:

Reproduction can occur either with or without the male. After which, your stick insect will start laying eggs. A lot of eggs. But at first glance you might not realise as they look exactly like little seeds.

These eggs need to be carried carefully ((Insectimo inspector and tweezers are perfect for this) to a small container/foil tray with a layer of damp paper towel or substrate on it.

Make sure the container has a lid with holes poked in it, so the little guys can breathe.

Phasmid eggs will hatch at room temperature in 3- 9 months. But just so you know, not all of them are gonna survive. So don’t beat yourself up if a few fail to hatch.

The babies, (or hatchlings as they prefer to be called) need to be fed on tender young Eucalyptus leaves.

Please remember to cover the jar holding the eucalyptus branches with cling-film (just leaving the leaves sticking out) to stop the hatchlings falling into the water and drowning.

INSECTIMO:

Insectimo might sound like some sort of dark insect overlord intent on global domination, but it’s actually just the custom-made POD designed specifically to house your stick insects.

It’s big enough for up to 5 stick insects and tall enough to put in some generously sized branches.

Your ‘stickies’ are heat-loving creatures, so always place the enclosure in a spot where it gets a bit of sunlight each day. But make sure they don’t overheat.

During the winter months, when there is precious little heat and not much more daylight, you might want to use the Insectimo light capsule. This gives off light and a gentle heat.

FEEDING AND THE MIST-ERY OF HOW STICK INSECTS DRINK:

Stick insects will occasionally eat their own skins, but for the rest of the time, they’re more than happy with fresh eucalyptus leaves. Or, if you feel like changing up their diet, Acacia (wattle,) Cadagi and Guava.

Make sure the leaves you pick are fresh and healthy, and that they are not allowed to dry out.

Stick insects don’t drink in the same way as you or I do. Instead, they absorb water from the leaves. So, make sure they are moistened daily with your Insectimo demister.

The leaves can keep for 3-5 days in the branch jar with water, but any longer than that and they lose their freshness and nutritive value.

STICK TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE:

Your stickies are from Northeast Australia where it’s kinda balmy and tropical, and they don’t do well when the weather gets nippy.

So, make sure you keep the temperature at a constant 22- 26° C and the humidity above 50% at all times.

The Insectimo heat lamp can be used to help you maintain a steady temperature during winter months, and you can keep the air humid and moist with a few squirts of the demister every day.

To ensure conditions remain optimal at all times, we recommend using the Insectimo hygrometer.

IT’S A CRAP JOB BUT SOMEONE’S GOTTA DO IT:

O.k, you’ve got to admit that there’s nothing too arduous so far. A few leaves, a steady temp, and a squirt with a demister and your stickies will be right as rain.

But we’ve saved the hardest job till last. Although, come to think of it,  it’s actually super easy as well.

Despite looking like an extra-terrestrial, your stick insect poops just like we do. And this will need to be cleaned up every once in a while. 

Whilst cleaning the enclosure, take your stick insects out and place them in an open plastic container.

 Make sure you regularly remove all droppings and any old leaves. Rinse out the Branch Jar and fill it with fresh water to ensure the leaves stay at their best.

Finally, we recommend you replace the substrate in your Insectimo every two weeks and replace it with our bed-base substrate.

And that’s it. No walkies, twice a day feeds, new toys, constant treats, training or trips to the vet.

Just an incredibly low maintenance but highly entertaining pet that will ignite your children’s sense of wonder and responsibility and start a love affair with animals that will hopefully last them a lifetime.

So, if your kids are looking to take the first step in their pet journey, then start them off with ‘my first pet’ from Kazoo.

STICK INSECT FAST FACTS:

• Spiny leaf insects can grow to 20cm. But usually they max out somewhere around 11cm.
• Female crowned stick insects can grow to 12 cm although males are smaller and thinner.
• Stick insects live from 12-18 months.
• They moult 6-9 times before reaching maturity.
• Female stick insects lay between 100-1300 eggs.
• Their limbs can grow back to size after just 3 moults.
• Female stick insects have wings but generally can’t fly as they are too weak.
• Recently some species have regained the ability to fly after aeons of being flightless.