bugs for beginners

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:13 pm

KC asked for some bug recommendations so here goes I think that hissing roaches make excellent pets. They are docile (except for the hissing), cannot fly (walk on glass, though) and the setup they need is not complicated, no high humidity or something. The lid must be tight because the babies can squeeze through very small cracks (they are only woodlouse-sized).If you are careful around them, assassin bugs are absolutely low-maintenance. The only thing you really have to do is to gather the eggs out of the substrate every month or so because otherwise they take over the house. They can fly, but I have never seen it.Sun beetles are pretty, easy to breed and only need a thick layer of slightly moist substrate, sweet fruit, some twigs and a heat light to be happy. They do fly sometimes, but always give you a good warning before they do (they sort of rev up their wings).Woodlice are easy to get, cute and interesting to watch. They need high humidity, though. Phasmids are cool, but having to cut brambles at least once every week really got on my nerves I had Eurycantha calcarata, they reach an age of 1.5-2 years and, different from other phasmids, were really massive, with big bodies, pretty dangerous looking - but harmless. Well, unless you grabbed them by the abdomen, they have throns on their hind legs that can hurt you then.I have no experience with mantids, maybe breezeetew will write something

Pharfly1 · Post by **Pharfly1** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:44 am

I tried to breed crickets, they just ate all the eco earth I put in the kk!!! Just last month the cricket kk was crawling with tiny little bugs, I think they where some type of mites or something. So I bleached out the kk and bought more crickets. I'm breeding meal worms too, I have 2 kk's(1small and 1 mini) full of mealworms. I've been freeze drying the wormes(for my mice) just before becoming the beetle pupa(I think that what they become before sheding into beetles...) I feed them to my cichlids too.

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:04 am

Pharfly, I think I know what kind of mites you mean, they are very common in cricket, roach and fruit fly breeding colonies. They are more annoying than anything, though. Better than humpbacked flies. I never had any luck with breeding crickets until a few escpaed and settled into the crabitat. Now I have a very lively and loud breeding colony in there and cannot get rid of them There are some roaches species I wouldn't touch with a long stick, Shelfordella tartara (synonym for Blatta lateralis) for example - they will even breed in the fridge. Almost all Blatta species are pest insects. But hissing roaches can be handled fairly well and unless you keep your house very warm, they won't breed in the house.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:59 am

How about rhinoceros beetles? I remember when I was a kid, living in Japan, the Japanese pet stores sold them and crickets as pets, and you could get any sized KK to keep them in. Their food was sold in little gel cups. Probably those weren't proper habitats, though. I was always kind of freaked out by them, and never got one. I would only buy the KK to keep worms and grasshoppers in. But now I think they're cool. Does anyone know if they're available in the U.S.?

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:54 am

I like them, but what has kept me from getting one is that you need a hige enclosure for the larvae, wait for 1-2 years for it to build a cocoon and then the beetle lives less than six months. I would love a ground beetle, but they need huge enclosures.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:49 pm

We get common black ground beetles around here. I found one in the dragon tank this last spring. hehe. (I think that's what it was anyways) I just released it outside. Thanks for your suggestions, Jed. I've thought about the hissing roaches, even though common roaches skeeve me out just a bit. We used to get huge water bugs in the bathtubs in Texas and I wasn't a huge fan. I'd never kill one on purpose (I try not to kill anything. If I can catch and release, I do. Even those LOUD, annoying adult crickets. If I can catch 'em, out they go.) I really am considering a praying mantis. I'll have to look up how much room they like, and if I can even get my hands on one, but I have a terrarium that I think would work very well for one. I've also considered a tarantula. Any bug I get would probably be hands off, just looking for me. I don't need to touch to enjoy.

breezeetew · Post by **breezeetew** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:07 am

quote:I really am considering a praying mantis. I'll have to look up how much room they like, and if I can even get my hands on one, but I have a terrarium that I think would work very well for one. This is the time of year to start looking for them- there are places online to order cases as well, but that is a spring window.If you get the mantids, I can help with gender and care info. The wild ones are not that hard to "tame". They have no fear, except for birds, and will try to attack you at first, but that is really just more unnerving than anything. I have been bitten, and it is not painful at all. (okay wounded pride because a 4 inch bug tried to take me down, but no real pain)I just loved my mantid experience- even the 50+ babies at a time in fruit jars. It was so cool to be part of the circle of life like that. The worst part was the fruitflies, but you know about Ed's Flymeat, so you are set.*hoping everyone gets a chance to play with a praying mantis of their own this summer*Good Luck and enjoy the initiation into the bug lady club!