Indian Stick Bugs as feeders

[ghettomike]

Has anybody used indian stick bugs as feeders? I bought two of them yesterday and read up about them, they are supposedly super easy to raise and they don't even need to mate to lay fertile eggs making them real easy to breed. I was just wondering if your chams like them or not? they are kind of pets for now and will eventually be a feeder once the eggs hatch and grow a bit.

 

[VeiledOwner87]

im pretty sure they are perfectly fine.. but um mike... where did you get these from?! SHIP ME!

 

[laurie]

Hey Mike I have just started trying to raise stick bugs. I only have 2 now but they seen to be doing well. Wish I could find more. Where in Canada are you? I would love to meet some of my fellow chameleon forum people in canada. I am coming to Medicine Hat again in Oct. Do you know anyone near there?

 

[ghettomike]

Laurie- From what I understand once they lay eggs you will have alot them so I think it is just a game of patience. I live in Ontario which is easily a couple days of driving away from Medicine Hat, I don't know anybody there but I saw a thread on here, I think it was called 'where are you from' or something like that, if you can find it you may be able to find a forum member in the area. Veiled owner- I will pm you.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

I have used sticks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH6ow9PSA-I

 

[canzoman]

There is a guy selling stick bugs this weekend at the NY Reptile Show.

I will probably get a pair also.

 

[AReptile]

There is a guy selling stick bugs this weekend at the NY Reptile Show.

I will probably get a pair also.

Where in NY is that being held?

 

[canzoman]

Where in NY is that being held?

In White Plains on Sunday from 10a-4p

 

[Jamelon]

Hey ghetto! we arent that far from eachother! lol im going to school at guelph university, would definetly love to get my hands on some stick insects where did you get them from? Oh! are you going to the breeders expo in about a week?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Has anybody used indian stick bugs as feeders? I bought two of them yesterday and read up about them, they are supposedly super easy to raise and they don't even need to mate to lay fertile eggs making them real easy to breed. I was just wondering if your chams like them or not? they are kind of pets for now and will eventually be a feeder once the eggs hatch and grow a bit.

Yes, they make an excellent addition to your list of prey. chameleons LOVE them. Yes they reproduce parthenogenically- so you will end up with thousands soon enough - be careful about disposing of the stick bug waste as the fertile eggs will be amonst the poop and you dont want to accidentally release into nature.

Check these two links for more info
http://www.amentsoc.org/insects/caresheets/stick-insects.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/indian-walking-sticks-20724/#post178062

 

[ghettomike]

thanks for the links Sandra and the heads up for waste disposal, I really would not want to be responsible for releasing non native insects into Canada. Im kinda excited to raise these bugs, I thought it was cool when my dubia colony started growing but these things are really cool.

 

[CNorton]

Remember, sticks are mostly nocturnal so don't expect them to be bee-boppin' around during the day. They like to sit very still all day and then when the sun sets they start crawling around and eating everything in sight.

If you do offer bramble (blackberry or raspberry vines) for them to eat, the newest green growth can have little hairs growing off the leaves. These are the growth you wanna DISCARD because the new growth WITH HAIRS is toxic to the sticks. I think this is mother nature's way of offering the newest growth a fighting chance at survival.


Check out this bad boy!

 

[ghettomike]

I was told by the place I got them that romaine lettuce was ok to use as a feeder as that is what they were using. Is this ok for now until I hunt down some bramble ( which is blueberry or raspberry vines/leaves?) I also read that rose leaves are ok too? Thanks CNorton for the heads up on the poisoness part.

 

[CNorton]

I was told by the place I got them that romaine lettuce was ok to use as a feeder as that is what they were using. Is this ok for now until I hunt down some bramble ( which is blueberry or raspberry vines/leaves?) I also read that rose leaves are ok too? Thanks CNorton for the heads up on the poisoness part.

I heard romaine can work temporarily but long-term they don't grow very much.

Yes, bramble works...blackberry and raspberry leaves. I don't know about blueberry...? Rose leaves do work, mine seem to prefer the reddish tender new shoots from the rose bushes.

 

[sandrachameleon]

They prefer blackberry leaves (which is good gutload) but if nothing else is available they will also eat rose leaves, raspberry leaves, marion berry leaves, oak tree leaves, dandelion, and romaine, as well as privot (but privot is not a good gutload). If you want them to thrive, ensure the bulk of their diet is blackberry bramble.

 

[AvanaChameleon]

I am in Ontario too. Where do you get stick bugs from? Would like to offer my chameleon as much variety as possible (don't know about roaches though)

 

[ghettomike]

Mychelle, I will pm you. As for the roaches they are not as bad as most think (well the dubia's anyway) they can't climb smooth surfaces, they don't stink (like crickets), they are rather slow and can't fly. Breeding them requires almost no effort and they require heat to reproduce so they cant even reproduce in Canada without their heating pad, but I still don't let them escape lol.