Baby stick insect : Is silkworm food ok?

[Merfolk]

I've been given a few eggs of those, and two hatched dead (too dry), after correction another one hatched and now frolics happily in the jar, some other are still awaited for...

But one problem : My groceryy store doesn't sell anything that I was recommended to feed them...

So, knowing that silkworms eat only blackberry leaves and their pet-shop food being made out of it, I wondered if stick insect could as well been fed those green cube they sell for silkworms. I gave one already, and the bug has yet to go near it... but it hatched this morning!!!

 

[lucanidae]

Silkworms eat mulberry leaves don't they? I don't think that diet is going to get the job done. You might have a chance getting them onto romaine or some other common green though if you start them young. Pyracantha is a very common hedge that works well.

 

[Acro]

Let us know the stick species, and maybe we can give you some common food plant suggestions. You may be able to find the plant in your yard or at a park. As for the silkworm food, I doubt the stick will be able to eat it because of their speicalized mouth parts made for eating leaves.

 

[Merfolk]

How long after hatching do they start to eat? I will seek for better food but I am a busy man and I don't want them to starve in the mean time!

 

[arachnocat]

How long after hatching do they start to eat? I will seek for better food but I am a busy man and I don't want them to starve in the mean time!

It depends on the species. Most of them eat after a day or two. Leaf insects tend to wander around for a while before they settle down and eat.

If they are a species that eats mulberry you could try silkworm food. I thought about doing that once with blackberry and oak leaves since they dissapear in winter. Not sure exactly how they make silkworm food, but if you were able to make a paste out of the leaves you could keep it in the freezer till you needed it. It would be soft so they should be able to eat it, not sure if they would though. Might be an interesting experiment to try.

 

[Merfolk]

It actually works. They chew greedily on the stuff while ignoring the rose leafs I put there.

 

[lucanidae]

Really? What species?

 

[Frédérick]

I give mine raspberry leaves, they are suposedly diapheromera (Quebec native like the ones on Mt Royal) but I've found out they're not...romaine or cabbage is fine as long as there is no pesticides in it, of course. Oh and oak leaves should be fine too although i never tried