Food for stick bugs?

[Kheyg Kharra]

Is there any sort of sheet where you can check what kind of plants do stick bugs can feed on? I wanted to buy Peruvian Stick bugs and the leaves they eat isn't that common in my area but some sites tell that you can feed them olive leaves(that I can get), others tell nothing about it. So I'm worrying that I can get a wrong info.

 

[Ratmosphere]

What species?

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

What species?

Peruphasma schultei

 

[Ratmosphere]

Honeysuckle and privet.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

Honeysuckle and privet.

I don't think I can get any of this. Anything else?

 

[Ratmosphere]

I think lilac? Also, you can try bramble which may be more acquirable than other options.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

I think lilac? Also, you can try bramble which may be more acquirable than other options.

I heard that they can eat olive and cinnamon leaves but I can't find evidence that it's true.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Yes, you can use olive leaves. Cinnamon I am unsure of.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

Yes, you can use olive leaves. Cinnamon I am unsure of.

Can they eat dry leaves?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Fresh, healthy leaves work best.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

Fresh, healthy leaves work best.

That's a challenge I don't have a garden for living trees. Only trees that grow around are lilac but I've heard that damaging the trees considered to be an act of vandalism

 

[Ratmosphere]

Don't know what to tell ya brother.

 

[Smotzer]

Also, you can try bramble which may be more acquirable than other options.

They wont take bramble its just not in their diet at all, from my expereince. Currently they also sometimes dont even really want to take certain privet.

Also to @Kheyg Kharra if you don't have the food plants, I suggest you not to get them! Phasmids can be very difficult as they demand plants be supplied! Hungry little monsters!

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

They wont take bramble its just not in their diet at all, from my expereince. Currently they also sometimes dont even really want to take certain privet.

Also to @Kheyg Kharra if you don't have the food plants, I suggest you not to get them! Phasmids can be very difficult as they demand plants be supplied! Hungry little monsters!

I was thinking maybe I can buy dry leaves and feed them but if so..

I also heard that they can feed on snowberry leaves. Is it true though?

 

[Ratmosphere]

They wont take bramble its just not in their diet at all, from my expereince. Currently they also sometimes dont even really want to take certain privet.

Also to @Kheyg Kharra if you don't have the food plants, I suggest you not to get them! Phasmids can be very difficult as they demand plants be supplied! Hungry little monsters!

You are right, it was more so a suggestion since OP seems to have very limited options.

 

[Smotzer]

I was thinking maybe I can buy dry leaves and feed them but if so..

I also heard that they can feed on snowberry leaves. Is it true though?

There are some reports of people flat preserving/drying/freezing leaves for winter food items slump months with some, not high success.

You are right, it was more so a suggestion since OP seems to have very limited options.

Yeah I just don’t want them to think Peruphasma schultei would eat bramble at all. As they definitely will not.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

There are some reports of people flat preserving/drying/freezing leaves for winter food items slump months with some, not high success.

Yeah I just don’t want them to think Peruphasma schultei would eat bramble at all. As they definitely will not.

Well, I guess the only thing I can do is to plant an olive tree inside my house and hope it will give enough leaves

 

[Smotzer]

Well, I guess the only thing I can do is to plant an olive tree inside my house and hope it will give enough leaves

I would honestly suggest if you are interested in keeping Phasmids in general, not cutting corners, instead research species that you can readily and responsibly supply their food sources with and then choose the specific species around that.
If you can’t provide the main food source, which you said you aren’t able to with Peruphasma schultei, then you should find a different species that you can! This will be a much better for the animals and yourself and more responsible experience all around!

 

[Kada]

Phasmids will need a 365 days a year supply of fresh leaf. It's actually hard to do for maby folks, especially those outside the tropics. Many people think vegan animals should be easier, it's actually the opposite. Raising crickets/cockroaches for predatory pets are easy in any country one is able to have internet and view this website in. Super easy. Growing plants are quite a bit more intensive as light is needed and that brings about space, equipment and financial constraints.

Probably many here have seen it a thousand times, people don't want to raise feeder insects so they get a stick bug instead of a mantis because this incorrect notion that crickets are harder than growing blackberry/oak/guava etc every day of the year. Unless you're in the tropics and have land to grow stuff year round, seriously consider and mantis species which superficially looks similarly cool and is WAY easier to feed. Or, setup a grow room, heated greenhouse etc.

 

[Kheyg Kharra]

Phasmids will need a 365 days a year supply of fresh leaf. It's actually hard to do for maby folks, especially those outside the tropics. Many people think vegan animals should be easier, it's actually the opposite. Raising crickets/cockroaches for predatory pets are easy in any country one is able to have internet and view this website in. Super easy. Growing plants are quite a bit more intensive as light is needed and that brings about space, equipment and financial constraints.

Probably many here have seen it a thousand times, people don't want to raise feeder insects so they get a stick bug instead of a mantis because this incorrect notion that crickets are harder than growing blackberry/oak/guava etc every day of the year. Unless you're in the tropics and have land to grow stuff year round, seriously consider and mantis species which superficially looks similarly cool and is WAY easier to feed. Or, setup a grow room, heated greenhouse etc.

I know that herbivores are much harder to keep but I really wanted try something else then tarantulas and non toxic scorpions. I tried to keep a stick bugs (you know, the popular species), they were old already so they've died couple month later. But they were not so interested to look at. So I was thinking to get some that I would actually like, and... most of the species that I've decided to get in the future feed on things I can't get. Nice.