Top 15 How To Dispose Of Stick Insect Eggs 455 People Liked This Answer

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You can hatch another generation but be aware a stick insect can lay several hundred eggs in a lifetime. If you do not want all of the eggs to hatch, we recommend putting the eggs in the freezer for a week to prevent them from hatching. You can then dispose of them in the normal household waste.The eggs will take around two months from laying to hatching, but some may hatch sooner, and some later. You could leave the eggs where they fall and let them hatch, or you could move them onto kitchen towel in a ‘baby cage’ and wait for them to hatch there.They may still hatch, survive and still become a problem. So you have to destroy the eggs first. You can do that in two ways: one, you crush the eggs killing the embryo inside them. If you don’t feel like doing that, you can also freeze them for 3 days to be certain to kill the embryo.

What do you do with Indian stick insect eggs?

The eggs will take around two months from laying to hatching, but some may hatch sooner, and some later. You could leave the eggs where they fall and let them hatch, or you could move them onto kitchen towel in a ‘baby cage’ and wait for them to hatch there.

Can you crush stick insect eggs?

They may still hatch, survive and still become a problem. So you have to destroy the eggs first. You can do that in two ways: one, you crush the eggs killing the embryo inside them. If you don’t feel like doing that, you can also freeze them for 3 days to be certain to kill the embryo.

How long do stick insect eggs last?

A stick insect that hatches can survive a few days before it has to eat. When and how should you discard unhatched eggs? Even eggs that are viable when laid can fail to develop and hatch. If after two years your eggs have not hatched then it is safe to discard them.

Where do you keep stick insect eggs?

Eggs should be kept in a shallow container with a secure lid to stop hatchlings wandering. Small holes in the lid will provide air to the eggs, however holes are not needed if the container is opened every second day.

Do stick insect eggs need water?

Taking care of the eggs is the hardest part of breeding stick insects. Eggs are vulnerable to adverse circumstances, like drought, extreme temperatures and fungi. Generally speaking, you need to keep the eggs a little bit more moist than the parents need to be kept.

How long does it take for stick insect eggs to hatch?

The incubation time before a stick insect egg hatch is usually around 3 to 5 months. However, how long it takes before your egg hatch depends on the species and is also influenced by temperature and humidity. It can even take up to 18 months for some species of stick insects.

Can I release my stick insects?

Never release your Indian Stick Insects into the wild. Although they have lived in Europe for over 200 years, they are still considered a non-native species and thus could be harm- ful to our ecosystem.

What do you do if you have too many stick insects?

The main message: if you have too many stick insects, find a victim to take them on as pets rather than releasing them into the wild.

How do you speed up stick insect eggs hatching?

To increase the hatching rate of stick insect eggs you need to provide a temperature between 25°C and 30°C, keep the humidity around 70%-85% and reduce disturbances. It is best is to place the eggs in a special hatchery container so better monitor and regulate climate conditions.

Why has my stick insect turned brown?

Lost Color – Stick insects lose their camouflage coloring when they die. You may see your insect showcasing faded coloring, usually grey going white. Not Moving – This isn’t a sign of death in and of itself. Stick insects typically don’t move much, a behavior which is exacerbated when the insect feints dead.

How do you take care of baby stick insects?

They should have plenty of room to climb out of their skins. The floor of their home should be lined with paper which should be changed once a week. When the home is being cleaned it is important to make sure that the stick insects are not thrown out with the old plants. Stick insects need a diet of fresh leaves.

How many eggs does a stick insect lay?

Eggs. Females should start laying eggs not more than about 8 weeks after becoming adult and should continue laying for several months. They lay roughly between 2 per week and 15 per night, depending on the species.

How many eggs does an Indian stick insect lay?

Eggs. Females should start laying eggs not more than about 8 weeks after becoming adult and should continue laying for several months. They lay roughly between 2 per week and 15 per night, depending on the species.

How do you hatch black beauty stick insect eggs?

Adults kept in the correct environment will mate and the females will lay eggs. To hatch the eggs, keep them at around 20’C for between 6 and 9 months, depending on the species. It is a good idea to put some fresh leaves in the container when you estimate the young may hatch, so that they can feed immediately.

How many eggs can a stick insect lay?

Some stick insects drop one egg per day during their daily travels. These eggs are commonly small and resemble seeds.


How to care for STICK INSECT eggs!! (Ova) – My Top 3 Methods!
How to care for STICK INSECT eggs!! (Ova) – My Top 3 Methods!


Forbidden – Amateur Entomologists’ Society (AES)

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Stick Insect Eggs: 17 Helpful Things To Know! | Keeping Bugs

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#1 What should I do with my stick insect eggs

#2 Can you touch stick insect eggs

#3 Where do you incubate stick insect eggs

#4 How to dispose stick insect eggs

#5 How safely pack stick insect eggs for mailing

#6 How to care for stick insect eggs

#7 How long do stick insect eggs take to hatch

#8 How to tell if my stick insect eggs are good or not

#9 Why are my stick insect eggs not hatching

#10 Do stick insect eggs need (sun)light

#11 Is it best to start with stick insect eggs or nymphs

#12 How many eggs can a female stick insect lay

#13 How long do stick insects keep laying eggs

#14 Do stick insects die after laying eggs

#15 How long do stick insect eggs last

#16 What does a stick insect egg look like

#17 How do you tell the difference between stick insect eggs and poop

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how to dispose of stick insect eggs

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How to Dispose of Stick Insect Eggs – Just Exotic Pets

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What if Your Female Stick Insect Lays Eggs

Have You Considered Breeding Your Stick Insect

How to Take Care of Nymphs

Where to House Your Stick Insects

Considering Your Options

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Stick Insect Eggs: 17 Helpful Things To Know! | Keeping Bugs

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  • Table of Contents:

#1 What should I do with my stick insect eggs

#2 Can you touch stick insect eggs

#3 Where do you incubate stick insect eggs

#4 How to dispose stick insect eggs

#5 How safely pack stick insect eggs for mailing

#6 How to care for stick insect eggs

#7 How long do stick insect eggs take to hatch

#8 How to tell if my stick insect eggs are good or not

#9 Why are my stick insect eggs not hatching

#10 Do stick insect eggs need (sun)light

#11 Is it best to start with stick insect eggs or nymphs

#12 How many eggs can a female stick insect lay

#13 How long do stick insects keep laying eggs

#14 Do stick insects die after laying eggs

#15 How long do stick insect eggs last

#16 What does a stick insect egg look like

#17 How do you tell the difference between stick insect eggs and poop

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Stick insect eggs in The AnswerBank: Animals & Nature

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Stick insect advice please | Mumsnet

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Stick Insect Eggs: 17 Helpful Things To Know!

I frequently see many different questions about stick insect eggs here and on other platforms. Now, some are quite straightforward but are still helpful to know the answer. Others need a bit more explanation. When you have stick insects you almost certainly come across one point that you have stick insect eggs. In this article, I’ve summarized the most frequently asked questions that stick insect keepers have about stick insect eggs. I’m sure that some of them can also be helpful for you.

Don’t worry! If you have a question about stick insect eggs that is not answered in the list below, please send your question with the contact form so hopefully, I can help you find the answer.

Want to know more about breeding stick insects?

If you want more in-depth information about breeding stick insects you should check out the article I wrote about If you want more in-depth information about breeding stick insects you should check out the article I wrote about breeding stick insects and leaf insects . Here you can find the best methods and many practical tips for the breeding result with stick insects.

#1 What should I do with my stick insect eggs?

At some point in your stick insect keeping career, you will get eggs. Okay, but what should you do with those eggs? The answer to this question highly depends on what you want? If you have already enough stick insects you can get rid of them, or maybe you can sell them online to someone for some cash. If you incubate all eggs you have collected, you may soon have more stick insects than you can house properly.

If you want to breed with your stick insects you should keep them and make an effort to incubate them. With a little patience, you’ll soon have nymphs (little baby stick insects) walking around. If you wondering what the best way is where you should incubate your stick insect eggs, check out #3 Where do you incubate stick insect eggs?

#2 Can you touch stick insect eggs?

Stick insect eggshells are hard and they feel like little seeds. You can touch stick insect eggs without a problem and pick them up to collect them.

However, be careful. Although they feel strong and sturdy, they still can break when you squeeze them too hard. It is better to pick them up with your fingers than we a tool like tweezers. You have more feeling in your fingers than when using a tool. Using a tool increase the risk of breaking them, killing the embryo.

#3 Where do you incubate stick insect eggs?

Where you should incubate the stick insect eggs highly depend on the stick insect species, and more specifically how they lay their eggs.

When you have stick insects that drop the eggs on the tank floor, you get the highest hatching result by collecting the eggs and incubate them in a special container. Place them in a little cap or cotton bed (or as I do use some blue aquarium filter medium) and place a couple of eggs in it. Use some sort of substrate of cloth on the floor to regulate the humidity in your incubation container. However, you can also let the eggs just lay on the floor. Although you may have lower hatching results, some stick insect eggs will still hatch in the parent enclosure.

When stick insects bury their eggs, I like to let them in the parent enclosure so I don’t disturb the eggs when collecting them. It can be more tricky to replace them in an incubation container. If you collect them place them onto a little substrate with the lid cap pointing upwards and then cover it slightly with some more substrate.

With stick insects that pierce or glue their eggs onto leaves, I also like to let them in the enclosure. You can, however, carefully cut the piece of foliage out and place it in a separate container.

Related read: Basics of breeding stick insects and leaf insects

#4 How to dispose stick insect eggs?

Now there comes a point when keeping stick insects that you just have too many eggs for you to keep. If a larger part of them hatch, you can’t house them properly anymore. So you’ll need to get rid of them. One way is to sell your eggs to another enthusiast and some exotic pet stores are also happy to buy your stick insect eggs. But unfortunately, you probably need to dispose of some eggs someday. But, how to dispose of stick insect eggs?

You can’t release them in your garden or nature. It is even forbidden to do so. They can become invasive, destroying native plant species and compete with native animal species. So you need to throw them away.

Well, throwing them in the trash bin is not an option. They may still hatch, survive and still become a problem. So you have to destroy the eggs first. You can do that in two ways: one, you crush the eggs killing the embryo inside them. If you don’t feel like doing that, you can also freeze them for 3 days to be certain to kill the embryo. Although the first method is the most humane and quickest, not everyone is able to do so and freezing is a good alternative.

Dipping them in an alcohol solution will not always work (well, if you wait long enough… but it takes some time and you don’t want that). Heating them or baking them is also possible, but eggs can pop and can get messy. The best is to stick with the two options mentioned above.

#5 How safely pack stick insect eggs for mailing?

If you sell your eggs, you may have to mail the eggs. How can you safely pack eggs for mailing without damaging them? The method I like is to place the eggs in a little plastic tube or a very small deli cup and cover it with cotton wool as much so that the eggs will barely move. Don’t push in too much cotton wool, otherwise, the eggs can be crushed. Drill a little hole in it for some fresh air.

Now, if you need to mail a lot of eggs in one go, don’t place too many eggs in one tube or cup. It is better to distribute them over multiple tubes or cups. A good average is around 20 eggs per cup or little tube.

This little package can be placed inside a bubble foam envelope for mailing. You can also use a little box and stuff it up with old newspaper, but because of the size you probably need to pay more to send it.

#6 How to care for stick insect eggs?

Caring for stick insects mainly exists out of controlling the environment and have a lot of patience. Keeping the temperature and humidity stable is the main thing you can do. At which temperature and humidity you should keep the eggs depends on the species.

Temperature can be regulated with a light bulb or heating pad, although personally, I prefer a light bulb for a natural light cycle (see also #10 do stick insect eggs need (sun)light?). You can control the humidity by regularly mist spraying the incubation container. Don’t spray water directly on the eggs. Instead, spray on the walls and around the eggs or substrate to dampen it.

And then the waiting game begins.

#7 How long do stick insect eggs take to hatch?

The incubation time for a stick insect egg hatched will take on average around three to five months. However, the incubation time varies for every species. Some stick insect eggs have a relatively short incubation time of around five weeks, others can take up to eighteen months.

The conditions in the incubation container also influence the incubation time. If you keep your stick insect eggs in the optimal temperature and humidity range will shorten the incubation. Suboptimal conditions may lengthen the incubation time.

Stick insects can lay fertile eggs without the need of a male, which is called parthenogenesis. These eggs seem to take longer to hatch compared to eggs from mated females.

Related read: How Long Does It Take To Hatch Stick Insect Eggs

#8 How to tell if my stick insect eggs are good or not?

The simple truth is: No, you can’t see from the outside if eggs are good or not. You can’t even see if they are fertile. You just have to be patient and wait to see if the eggs hatch.

Now of course, if you see cracks or the lid at the top of the egg is missing, you can also certainly say that egg will not hatch. Some eggs also tend to mould more quickly. Now mould does not have to be a problem. For example, the eggs of Extatosoma tiaratum tend more quickly to mould but it seems that it does not affect the hatching result.

#9 Why are my stick insect eggs not hatching?

That your stick insect eggs do not hatch can have multiple reasons. Reasonably is that the eggs may not be fertile. If the female did not mate and only reproduce sexually then you can wait a long time before the eggs hatch. But if you have more than one of every sex it is hard to believe that you have no fertile egg at all.

However, there are two main reasons why embryos die during incubation: temperature and humidity. More specific the wrong temperature and humidity.

For most species, the eggs should be incubated within the temperature range of 20°C and 25°C. Short periods of cooler temperature during the night is perfectly fine, but warmer temperatures are not good for the development of the embryos and above 30°C could kill the embryo. So keep track of the temperature in your incubation container.

The second reason is that the incubation container is kept too wet or too dry. You should keep the average humidity around 60 to 80%. If you do not spray your eggs can dry out, but be careful you don’t spray too often and too much, and don’t spray directly on the eggs. It is about a higher relative humidity in the air, not a wet container.

Other reasons that can cause your eggs stopping for hatching is using the wrong breeding method for your eggs, the growth of mould and bacteria, and too much disturbance and vibrations of the eggs.

Related read: Increase Stick Insect Eggs Hatching Success

#10 Do stick insect eggs need (sun)light?

There is more and more reason to believe that eggs need light and a natural light cycle to have better development and hatching rates. Now, there is no scientific evidence to back up this statement, but it would be good practice to provide a 12h:12h light cycle for your incubation container.

And what do you have to lose? If you use a LED light or very low wattage light bulb it can’t harm your eggs any way or raise the temperature too much (also, keep an eye on the humidity though).

And what about sunlight and UVB? Well, there is no research evidence that it is needed and the main drawback of direct sunlight is that it heats your incubation room rather quickly to temperatures that are lethal to the embryos. But, if you have a nice spot with indirect sunlight and not too close to a window with draft or temperature fluctuations, you could make use of sunlight too.

#11 Is it best to start with stick insect eggs or nymphs?

Now you can start a nice group of stick insects with both nymphs and eggs, so in the end, it should not matter that much. But there is one thing that I like you to understand. Nymphs are fragile and nymphs of some species have more difficulties acclimatizing to a new environment. So generally, especially when you are a beginner with stick insects, I recommend you to start with eggs.

You have to have more patience with eggs though because it can take at least 5 weeks (but for many species rather more like 8 to 10 weeks) before they hatch. However, the benefits of starting with eggs, which can endure and cope better with changing environments outweighs starting with nymphs. Another thing you should consider is that diseases are spread by nymphs and adults, and often not by eggs. So it is also safer to start with stick insect eggs.

Related read: Basics of breeding stick insects and leaf insects

A collection of seed-like stick insect eggs of many different species. Every species has its own distinctive shape, colour and sized eggs (photo from Wikimedia Commons).

#12 How many eggs can a female stick insect lay?

Stick insect females, although it differs between species, can lay several hundred eggs on average. The stick insects that just simply drop the eggs tend to lay more eggs than females that are more careful burying, glueing or stitching their eggs.

So that means stick insects lay roughly between 2 eggs a week up to 15 eggs in one night. So with some species, like for example Extatosoma tiaratum, lay a heck of a lot of eggs.

#13 How long do stick insects keep laying eggs?

Stick insect females will start laying eggs around two weeks when they reached adulthood until they die of old age. Generally, that means that females will lay eggs for a couple of months. You will see that most eggs are laid when they are young adults, and when they become older the amount of eggs decreases.

Healthy and well-fed females, that are kept in the ideal environment, are generally laying more eggs. Now that doesn’t mean you should feed them less when you want fewer eggs, though. Always try to provide the best care for your animals. Read about how to dispose of the eggs if you have too many, or try to sell some to other people who like to keep stick insects.

#14 Do stick insects die after laying eggs?

Eventually, yes. But it is not that females die after their first clutch as some other insect species do. Now, laying eggs demands lots from the females and it is important to feed them well and plenty, and keep them in the optimal environment.

#15 How long do stick insect eggs last?

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how long stick insects last and it will definitely differ between species, but on average eggs will last at least for 1 or 2 weeks in suboptimal conditions before the embryos will start to have it difficult.

So, when you mail them in a good envelope they will be fine in normal weather conditions. With extreme cold weather in winter, it is best to pack them in an isolating box (styrofoam box for example) and add a long-lasting heating pack for transport.

Don’t worry if they lay in the parents’ enclosure for a long time. Stick insect eggs can perfectly hatch in this enclosure as well. But many keepers prefer to incubate them separately to have more control over the climate and have a better survival rate of nymphs (they are fragile and can be damaged by adults, or don’t get any space to feed on the leaves).

#16 What does a stick insect egg look like?

Stick insect eggs look just like seeds. Every stick insect species has its own shape and egg size. Every stick insect has a hard shell, but some have little hairy-like appendages as some plant seeds have too. They may stick in the hair or feather of animals and being distributed over larger distances.

Stick insect eggs sizes range from a tiny 3 mm up to 16 mm. Although most eggs are round, some are long and have a thin spine-like shape.

Most eggs have a sort of lid on them, where normally plant seeds will sprout. It is a cap that breaks open when the embryo is ready to hatch.

Eggs look so much like seeds that if you walk around in their natural habitat you probably will not find any eggs.

#17 How do you tell the difference between stick insect eggs and poop?

Poop of stick insects looks like brown to dark green spots of digested leaves. Nymphs have very small dots or specks that are the remains of their eating leaves. However, sometimes it can be rather difficult to differentiate poop from eggs.

Now there are two ways to easily tell what are eggs and what is poop. First, poop is soft and without any effort crumbles between your fingers. Eggs have a hard shell and you immediately feel the difference. Secondly, poop will immediately fall apart when it comes in contact with water, where stick insect eggs will keep their shape.

If you take some time and look closely, you definitely see the difference between the two.

More questions?

If you have any question left unanswered, please send me a message with you question using the contact form. Although I get a lot of emails and messages and it can take a couple of days to answer your question, I like to hear from you nonetheless (try to make some clear expectations if the answer takes a little longer).

Much more to learn!

There is much more to learn about stick insects. For example, There is much more to learn about stick insects. For example, do stick insects need a substrate ? You can find more articles about stick insects with plenty of practical tips to better understand and enjoy the keeping of stick insects as a pet.

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Care of Stick Insects

Diversity

There are estimated to be approximately 200 species of phasmids in Australia with a total worldwide number of 3000 with new species being discovered by scientists regularly.

Phasmids are found in a range of habitats and have adapted to both resemble and feed on a variety of plant species. Some, such as the Goliath Stick Insect are found in the forested areas of eastern Australia, there are also species which occur in arid, coastal and monsoonal environments. Most phasmids feed on either or both Eucalyptus (gum trees) and Acacia (wattles) however some are specialists such as the Peppermint Stick Insect, Megacrania batesi, which only eats the leaves of the Screw pine, Pandanus tectorius, and receives its name from the peppermint-like smelling secretion it produces when alarmed.

Australian stick Insects range in size from a few centimetres long to the longest species; the Titan Stick Insect, Acrophylla titan, which can grow up to 250mm from head to tail, and often appear longer when the front legs are stretched forward.

Relatives

Phasmids are related to other groups of insects including mantids, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and cockroaches. These insect groups share a common trait in having young that are similar in shape to the adult form and do not have a life-cycle that includes a larval stage like most other insect groups such as bees, wasps, flies, ants, moths, butterflies and beetles.

Phasmids are often confused with mantids because they are both experts at blending in. The two groups are remarkably different in ecology and how they feed themselves. Phasmids are herbivores, whereas mantids eat other animals. The differences become clearer once you start to look a little closer; the eyes of mantids are large and prominent, and are situated at the ends of a triangular-shaped head, providing mantids with excellent vision and the ability to judge distance. The front legs of mantids are folded forward, giving the impression that they are praying, which is why these insects are often called ‘praying mantis.’ These front legs have sharp barbs and can spring forward quickly . These are great adaptations for detecting and grabbing fast moving prey, which usually includes insects, even phasmids.

Defence

One of the reasons why mantids are confused with phasmids is because both groups of insects are superb examples of using camouflage for survival. While mantids use their skill of blending in to avoid predators as well as remaining undetected by their potential prey, phasmids only use camouflage as a defence against being seen by predators and therefore becoming a meal. Phasmids have the general features of the leaves and sticks of the plant that they hang from and feed on.

Once a phasmid believes that it has been seen there are a few tactics that they employ to avoid being eaten. Males can fly away when stressed, but females cannot escape predators so easily and so will attempt to try to blend in to the background of twigs and leaves by swaying in a regular motion which may help the animal blend in with its surroundings. Although female phasmids cannot fly few are wingless and will use a sudden flickering of the wings to startle potential predators, many species also achieve this by having a concealed colourful stripe under the wings which is only visible during defensive displays.

Some species have spikes on the hind limbs, which can be used to physically deter a predator from eating them through inflicting sharp painful ‘kicks’. This occurs only in the longer and heavier species and can be found in both Australian and overseas species.

Life Cycle

All phasmids begin life as an egg which is dropped from the end of the females abdomen and falls to the ground at the base of the tree or shrub. Thousands of eggs are laid during the females life. The eggs of the Spiny Leaf Insect, Extatosoma tiaratum, have a knob, called a capitulum, which is attractive to ants. Ants carry the eggs back to their underground nests, eat only the knob, and leave the rest of the egg in the nest, protected from other animals that might eat it. The young phasmids (also known as nymphs) hatch after one to three years underground and look and behave like red-headed black ants. They emerge from the ant nest and climb rapidly upwards, looking for soft green leaves.

Many female phasmids do not need to mate in order to produce fertile eggs. This form of reproduction is called parthenogenesis and all the eggs produced will hatch into females. If the females do mate with a male before producing eggs, the nymphs (babies) may be male or female.

Once the young phasmid have reached the leaves of a food tree, they moult into a green or brown, slow-moving leaf mimic. Moulting involves a new skin forming under the old skin, which will split along the back, while hanging from a branch the young stick insect needs to carefully pull it’s body and legs out of the old skin. Once free of the old skin, the new skin will be soft and over a period of time will expand and harden Most females live for about 18 months, while the males are only short-lived, surviving for around 6-8 months.

How to Dispose of Stick Insect Eggs – Just Exotic Pets

The humane way to dispose of stick insect eggs is to place them in a freezer before throwing them out. The reduction in temperature slows down the growing nymphs’ metabolism until it eventually stops altogether, and death occurs.

Before we get into the specifics though, some new stick insect owners may not be aware of the capability of some species to lay eggs without a male counterpart (parthenogenesis). This can come as a surprise to many stick insect owners who believe that when purchasing a single female, they will not have to worry about nymphs appearing.

Certain species of stick insect, such as the Indian stick insect, are parthenogenic. This means that the females can lay unfertilised-by-males eggs. From these eggs, only female nymphs will hatch, and they can then lay their own eggs when they mature – and so the cycle can continue. Nevertheless, for the most part though, stick insects do require both males and females for reproduction.

For more advice and information on keeping and looking after stick insects, check out my ebook on Amazon click here (opens in a new tab).

What if Your Female Stick Insect Lays Eggs

If you have a parthenogenic stick insect that has started to lay eggs, it is important to act quickly if you want to ensure that you do not end up being overrun by female nymphs. While all stick insects lay eggs, the way in which they lay them will differ from one species to the next. For example, some female stick insects will simply drop the eggs onto the ground, whereas others will go to the bother of burying them. You will need to keep an eye on your stick insect and her environment to ensure that there are no buried eggs. If you do not want nymphs to hatch, it is important that you learn how to dispose of stick insect eggs humanely. So how can you do this?

Sunny Stick Insect Eggs (Sungaya inexpectata)

If you have never considered breeding your stick insect, you may be shocked to discover eggs in your insect enclosure. You could consider selling the eggs online or going to your nearest pet store to see if they would be interested in taking them off your hands.

If you have no luck with getting someone else to take on the eggs, the humane way to dispose of them is to first place the eggs in a freezer before getting rid of them. As stick insects are invertebrates, a reduction in temperature slows down their metabolism until it eventually stops altogether, and death occurs. As stick insect eggs and the enclosed embryos are so tiny, they freeze very quickly, and the supposition is that they are unlikely to feel anything during the process.

Although there are other methods, freezing is considered the most humane and easiest way to get rid of eggs that are not wanted.

Have You Considered Breeding Your Stick Insect?

Although you may not have considered breeding your stick insect before, you may change your mind upon finding eggs in the enclosure. Your first thought may have been how to dispose of stick insect eggs, but why not find out more about breeding the insect instead?

Breeding stick insects is actually fairly easy, and provided you have the right conditions, you will not have to do very much at all. If you want to increase your stick insect population, just obtain a male and female (as mentioned above, with some types of stick insect, you will not even need a male).

Under the right conditions, your adult stick insects will simply get on with the job with no intervention on your part. You will be pleased to know that the conditions required for breeding stick insects are the same as those required for keeping them. All your stick insects need is the right temperature and humidity and adequate ventilation.

Golden-Eyed Stick Insect Eggs (Peruphasma schultei)

To ensure the stick insect eggs hatch, make sure the ambient temperature is just right for your species. It is also important to have slightly more humidity/moisture in the enclosure than usual. Eggs can take between two and twelve months to hatch, with the average time being around three months.

As newly-hatched nymphs are tiny and prone to escaping, so it is crucial that the eggs are kept in small containers that have enough ventilation. You can use soil or tissue paper on the bottom of the container. What you use will usually depend on how the adult has laid the eggs. If she simply dropped the eggs onto the floor of the enclosure, then moist tissue paper will be sufficient. It is important to allow the tissue paper to dry naturally before spraying it again. This prevents mould and fungi growth, which can be harmful to the eggs.

If, on the other hand, the adult female buried the eggs, you will need to remove them and then place them in potting soil in a smaller container. It is important to ensure that the eggs do not dry out and that mould is not allowed to grow.

How to Take Care of Nymphs

After a few months, you are likely to see the newly-hatched nymphs walking around the container. Knowing what to do then is important.

It will be necessary to move the nymphs to a bigger container that has a food source. However, this container must not have gaps from which the nymphs could escape. And they will try to escape if they can. The last thing you want is a hoard of tiny stick insects roaming around your house!

Stick insects tend to eat, for the most part bramble, privet, oak, ivy, rose, or hawthorn leaves. To make it easier for the nymphs to feed on the leaves, it is best to cut or tear the leaves. The nymphs usually find it difficult to eat undamaged leaves. If you have older nymphs, place them in the same tank as the newly-hatched ones as they will tackle the leaves first, leaving them ready for the hatchlings to eat.

Where to House Your Stick Insects

If you began with one stick insect as a pet for your children and had never even thought about breeding until you saw eggs, you may be wondering what the best type of housing is for a growing population.

What you should be aware of is that stick insects do require a certain environment in order to thrive. As most species come from tropical or semi-tropical climates, it is important that you keep the temperature warm enough. In general, a temperature of around 25C is adequate. When breeding stick insects, it is best to ensure that the temperature does not exceed 30C.

To achieve the desired temperature, you can keep your insects in a room where the whole room is kept at a specific temperature or you can use a heat bulb over a tank instead (Amazon sells a good range of heat bulbs; check them out here). The bulb should not be placed in the tank as the insects could get too close and burn themselves.

Most stick insects hang from branches as they feed and/or moult, meaning that a certain depth is required. Tanks should ideally be, at the very least, three times as high as the length of the adult stick insect.

Glass tanks are preferable when breeding stick insects because of the small size of the nymphs and their tendency to try to escape. An enclosed tank will also allow for a more humid environment, which some species prefer. Amazon has a great range of stick insect enclosures. You can check them out by clicking this link.

Considering Your Options

Breeding stick insects is not for everyone. Maybe you wanted a stick insect as a pet for your kids and never even thought about the possibility of increasing your brood. However, if you have purchased a parthenogenic stick insect, you might suddenly find that your cage is home to eggs that could hatch into female nymphs.

You have the choice of allowing these eggs to hatch or learning how to dispose of stick insect eggs properly and carefully.

So you have finished reading the how to dispose of stick insect eggs topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: how to tell if a stick insect egg is about to hatch, stick insect eggs not hatching, stick insect eggs or poop, what do stick insect eggs look like, indian stick insect eggs, hatching stick insect eggs, how many stick insects can live together, how long do stick insect eggs take to hatch

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