Mtnlaurel
Member
Matt you are up awful early this Sunday morning! I hope the coffee is good!! ;-)
Next fun insect to raise??
- Thread starter Mtnlaurel
- Start date
Matt you are up awful early this Sunday morning! I hope the coffee is good!! ;-)
Mtnlaurel
Member
Okay, back to stick insects, since they can't fly, would they be a good feeder to free range on a large tree?? I've created a monster here by letting this guy out to free range. Now he tries to make a break for it whenever I open his cage for maintenance.i have a 12-14' ficus tree he now thinks should belong to him. Can't blame the guy. I'm looking at a major expansion but I am thinking crickets all over my house would NOT be good. Sticks and silkworms I think both would be good. 
Nadine83
New Member
I have terrible time with waxworms. I have no clue what I'm doing wrong with them. Just one of those bugs that will not work for me. I would like to raise some indoors. I had them in a container, they pupated and turned into moths, I put wheat germ in for bedding and placed honey with comb and some pollen (someone suggested) and kept temp at 80-82 degrees. I would end up having moths but no larva. Eventually all the moths will die and I have nothing else. Is there something I'm missing?
Matt Vanilla Gorilla
Chameleon Enthusiast
Have been up all night! Work nights! Lol. On my way home in a couple of hours!
Matt Vanilla Gorilla
Chameleon Enthusiast
Wax worms: big plastic/glas container. Lid needs to be hard plastic (they eat the soft stuff) cut hole in middle and hot glue from outside (they eat the hot glue, lol! Hungry mothers). Food mix I use: oat meal, wheat germ, bees wax (freeze and grated), Honey/corn syrup mix 50/50, bee pollen. Mix it all together using just enough honey to make it clumping but not runny (it needs to stick together loosely with lots of air pockets. Crumple up some wax paper (smallish balls) and dump on top. Dump wax worms in. Put on top of refrigerator or water heater (for heat). Watch the magic happen! Do not let moths escape! Clothes are yummy to them too! Lol
Hopes this helps.
Hopes this helps.
Matt Vanilla Gorilla
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have seen stick insects fly a little!
Nadine83
New Member
Thanks I will look into giving it a try again. The next time I place an order for waxworms. Corn syrup is safe to use? I did not know this. (I have an Amish shop where I live I can get tons of honey and corn syrup for cheap.) Is there anything that I should look for in the foods that may not be safe for them to eat. Harmful additives or harmful food in general? For container I was using a Small Sterilite Gasket box with holes drilled on top with mesh screen over the holes. Do they need humidity or anything or just dry?
Nadine83
New Member
Yeah I like the supplier I purchase crickets from currently. I had to change suppliers because the company I use to order from would continuously send me dead/ill crickets and other insects would show up with them (grain beetles/larva). So I went elsewhere. So far never had an issue. I still breed my own but fresh stock is always needed every now and again. Cleanliness is key for any animal/bug. I have to keep them as clean as possible. First- they are in my house, don't want my house to stink. Second- they are feeders. I don't want to risk harming the animals I'm feeding them to. I would like to have honey bees but my bf has a bee allergy so that's a no go. Luckily there are lots of bee keepers where I live so there is always honey available.
Mtnlaurel
Member
Nadine83
New Member
lol this is true ... With honeybees I believe the pay off is better to.. at least I get honey.
Mtnlaurel
Member
Ha! Nothing wrong with a little sugar on the side!!
Nadine83
New Member
Andee
Chameleon Enthusiast
To answer stick insects and flying issue, stick insects can fly in their adult form, but it depends hugely on what type of stick insects you get. Usually with most flying species only makes can fly well at all, because females are larger and have more weight to them. If you are thinking Indian sticks you won't get any males in captive populations. So I don't know if males can fly. Females are able to completely reproduce on their own.
