There are almost 3,000 species of stick insect in the world and while only a small percentage are available in the pet trade, many of those that are make ideal pets.

Generally speaking stick insects are cheap to buy, easy to care for, almost silent and have no unpleasant odour whatsoever. They can therefore make an ideal starter pet for any child, while some of the larger and more impressive specimens can make fascinating pets for even experienced pet owners.

In this article we’re going to examine how to look after stick insects as pets in the easiest way possible. You’ll find that caring for most stick insects is simplicity itself!

Housing Pet Stick Insects

The first step to success when it comes to keeping stick insects as pets is the cage they are kept in. Without the right housing stick insects can struggle to change their skins and grow. This means that incorrect housing can have a large effect on your success rate when keeping stick insects as pets.

In addition, with their slim proportions and uncanny ability to climb up vertical surfaces – or even to hand upside down from a horizontal surface – means they are accomplished escape artists. All too many times someone has used an unsuitable cage – accidentally left the lid ajar – only to find their pets make a break for freedom.

Firstly let’s talk about the most suitable dimensions of a cage. The cage should be tall – at least twice the height of your longest stick insect. This is because when changing its skin your pet will attach itself to a branch and then slowly slide out of the old skin. Without this height to the cage stick insects may die while moulting.

Most stick insect keepers opt to use some form of substrate on the floor of their cage, which makes cleaning easier. The easiest and cheapest solution is to line the base of the cage with kitchen towel. This can then just be screwed up and thrown away each week during the clean.

You will also likely want to maintain a container of water into which to place the stick insects food plants. Rather like cut flowers, if you just place the leaves themselves into a cage they will dry out and die within a day or two. In contrast, placing the stems into a jam jar of water will keep them fresh for up to a week.

Note that your stick insects themselves should not have access to this open water, in which they may drown. Instead aim to fill the jar with sprigs of food plant or plug any gaps with kitchen roll or cotton wool.

Lastly be aware that some air movement is a good thing. A stagnant cage where no air movement is possible can lead to the growth of mould, leading to an unhealthy environment. As a result you should either purchase a cage that includes suitable ventilation or if you are modifying another item to use as a cage ensure you puncture some air holes in it.

As you can see, the caging requirements of stick insects are minimal. An old aquarium, a large sweet jar or a specially purchased arboreal vivarium, lined with kitchen roll and with a suitable lid can all make a suitable enclosure for pet stick insects.

Feeding Stick Insects

Stick insects are herbivores and eat only plant matter. This helps to make them an ideal pet as feeding is so simple. In addition, if the food plant is placed into a container of water as described above then the food plant will likely only need to be changed once every week or so. This means that routine maintenance requirements are also minimal.

With so many stick insect species it should come as no wonder that stick insects will eat all manner of plant material. From oak leaves to those of roses, stick insects may eat a highly varied diet, and are normally smart enough not to eat anything that is toxic to them. As a result virtually any green plant can be tried though there are two staples that virtually any stick insect species will eat.

The first of these is privet. Many people have privet hedges around their garden so if you’re one of the lucky ones it can be easy to replenish your stick insect’s cage. The other is bramble which, whilst spiky and unpleasant to handle (hint: use gardening gloves!) will feed virtually any stick insect perfectly. Both of these plants are available right throughout the year though the quality of the leaves will obviously drop in winter.

The Perfect Environment for Stick Insects

The most common species of stick insect is known as the Indian Stick Insect or Laboratory Stick Insect. This is the classic green “stick-like” insect that many of us saw as kids. These are the easiest stick insects of all to keep. Not only will they regularly reproduce in captivity, meaning you may come across baby stick insects over time, but they also require no artificial heating whatsoever.

Simply feed them as recommended and spray their cage with a plant spray gun every couple of days. This will raise the humidity (making moulting easier) and will allow your stick insects to drink the droplets of water left on the food plant.

While the Indian Stick Insect is the easiest species to keep in captivity there are a range of other rather more “advanced” species – huge, chunky insects like the one in the image above. These are so “unusual” that even some very experienced pet keepers enjoy looking after them. The care of these insects is almost the same except that they require some form of artificial heating. Luckily, these heaters can be bought very cheaply from reptile shops and cost a few pennies per day to run.

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Housing

In general the more common species of stick insect can be kept together, though if you are breeding more difficult species then it pays to use separate cages to create individual requirements.

Most stick insects come from tropical or semi-tropical environments and are happiest between around 25°C, though the common Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) and some of its relatives are happy at normal home temperatures of 17°C+. Heating is best achieved by maintaining a whole room at the desired temperature, if this is not possible an electric light bulb can be used over small cages. It is important to make sure the stick insects can not reach the light bulb as they will burn themselves. A red bulb should be used during the hours of darkness as this disturbs the stick insects far less.

Most stick insects are long thin animals which hang down from their food plants to shed their skins. It is therefore most important that the cage has sufficient depth to allow this. As a general rule it should be three times as high as the adult length of the stick insects to be kept in it. It is also useful to have it so designed that you can easily replace the food plant material whenever it is required taking into consideration that this will mostly be brambles (i.e. spiny Rubus sp.).

The stick Insect Bactrododema hecticum from South Africa.

Not all sticks insects share a common need for humidity. Some species such as Carausius morosus will be happy to live in a fairly open cage whereas others such as Epidares nolimetangere will require an almost if not totally enclosed cage with around 80% relative humidity. Regardless of this, all sticks insects need water and it is a good idea to thoroughly mist the inside of the cage including all the food plant material each evening.

Some stick insects such as Haaniella sp. need open water in a low bowl to drink. Don't be concerned if they leave their heads under water while drinking, remember that insects breathe through their thoracic and abdominal spiracles not through their mouth or nose like us. Note also that in some places tap water can harm some species so it doesn't hurt to use either rain water or to let the tap water stand for a day or two.

Feeding

Almost all stick insects eat the leaves of bramble/blackberry and its relatives of the genus Rubus. Many such as the Indian or Laboratory stick insect (Carausius morosus), the Australian or Giant Spiny stick insect (Extatosoma tiaratum), the Thorn Legged stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata), the Small Spiny stick insect (Aretaon asperrimus) and the Jungle Nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) will also enjoy plants like Oak (Quercus sp.) and Hawthorn (Crateagus monogyna). Some species, such as the Peruvian Fern Stick insect (Oreophoetes peruana, O. topoense etc), feed on bracken and other ferns.

It is important to make sure that your stick insects always have plenty of fresh food, and it is often wise to take from sites away from major road ways to avoid the poisoning effects of the traffic fumes. If this is unavoidable then the plant material should be washed before being offered to the stick insects.

Handling

Great care should be taken in handling stick insects at all times. Some species such as the Indian or Laboratory stick insect (Carausius morosus) and the Australian or Giant Spiny stick insect (Extatosoma tiaratum) are relatively sturdy and these should be used when allowing younger children or people who could be frightened to handle the stick insects.

Note that some species such as Pink Winged (Sipyloidea sipylus) tend to lose their legs very easily. Also it should be noted that some species such as the Australian or Giant Spiny stick insect (Extatosoma tiaratum), the Jungle Nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) and particularly the Thorn Legged stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata) can and will pinch (with their thorny limbs) and bite if not used to being handled.

Other species such as the American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha bupestroides), Peruvian black beauty (Peruphasma schultei) and, to a lesser extent, Pink Winged (Sipyloidea sipylus) and Peruvian Fern Stick insects (Oreophoetes peruana) have a defensive chemical spray which in the case of American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha bupestroides) can cause temporary blindness and considerable pain to an adult. It is very important you know the precise species of stick insect before you buy them.

Breeding

A number of species of stick insect, such as the Indian or Laboratory stick insect, are parthenogenic (i.e. the females lay unfertilised eggs which hatch into females which also lay unfertilised eggs). However, the majority of species require males and females.

All stick insects lay eggs, some just drop them onto the ground, some stick them under tree bark or into crevices and some bury them in the ground. If you keep the burying species such as the Thorn Legged stick insect or Epidares nolimetangere you will need to ensure the bottom of the cage has a container of damp peat-free compost (about 5cm deep) in it once the females are adult.

Stick insect eggs can take from between two months and a year to hatch depending on species. In general the larger species are the ones which take longest, though not always. You can either leave the eggs on the cage floor and let the stick insects hatch as they want, in this case it is useful to keep some common Woodlice such as Porcellio scaber in the cage to help keep down the fungus. Or you can collect the eggs each time you clean the cage and keep them in separate containers until they hatch. In this case the eggs of the burying species will need to be gently reburied about 1cm deep, and the rest will need to be kept on some absorbent material such as sand. All will need to be kept in a warm place and spraying with moisture occasionally will help. A careful/daily watch should be kept for moulds and mouldy ova/eggs removed, cleaned and then kept in a separate container.

The stick insect Eurycnema goliath from Australia.

Missing limbs

Stick insects can lose limbs for a number of reasons and you should be careful to avoid any situation which may cause your stick insects to lose limbs. Some of the common causes of lost limbs include:

• Overcrowding - the stick insects bite or knock off legs of other stick insects in their cage. Your stick insects should have plenty of room in their cage and this is especially important when they're moulting.

• Fungal infection - if you suspect your stick insects have a fungal infection, thoroughly clean their cage and, if necessary, quarantine infected individuals.

• Rough handling - stick insects are fragile and, like all animals, should be handled with care and respect.

Stick insects undergo incomplete metamorphosis. It is possible for a stick insect to regrow a lost limb but only when they moult again. This means that, if your stick insect is an adult, then it won't be able to regrow the lost limb.

Further information on Stick insects and Leaf insects.

Essential reading from the Amateur Entomologists' Society

• Rearing and Studying Stick and Leaf-insects (Vol. 22)

• The Amazing World of Stick and Leaf insects (Vol. 26)

Remember: it is important that you know the needs and requirements of your pet before you obtain the animal. You should never, ever obtain an animal before researching its needs and preparing the housing and conditions.