Has it ever crossed your mind that stick insects actually grow old and die? This fact got me so curious as to how they behave when they’re about to pass on. I couldn’t help but research on it to keep my curious mind calm.
So, how do stick insects die? Stick insects typically die from old age, prematurely from fungus infections or from predators. They can live for a long as twelve months, living much longer in captivity where threats like attacks from predators and challenges like food scarcity aren’t there.
There really isn’t much you can do once your stick insect pet hits the 12 month age. Expect it to die anytime from there because it can’t molt anymore. Chances are, it’ll be too weak to feed on its own or even protect itself from other vicious stick insects or predators.
Why Is My Stick Insect Dying?
Think of your stick insect as any other pet. It could die of a disease, old age, food scarcity, extreme weather conditions or attacks from predators. While there are measures you can take to prevent some challenges that can easily result in death, there are instances where you’ll have no choice but to let go. For instance, a twelve month old stick insect will have been done with molting.
This means it’ll be on its last phase of the stick insect lifespan and may die anytime. Then there are diseases which are known to affect stick insects and result in death. One good example of such a disease is fungal infection. There are two main causes of fundal infection – overcrowding and dirt. Simply keep your stick insect’s cage clean and make sure you only 4 stick insects in one cage at most.
Food is yet another reason why your stick insect could be dying. It may sound strange at first, but it isn’t. Not all leafy greens are ideal for your stick insect. If the food you’re feeding your stick insect with is contaminated, then it’ll die. Fortunately, the solution here is simple. Make sure the food they feed on is clean. Make sure too that they weren’t sprayed with insecticide before.
Don’t forget that stick insects are extremely delicate. In that regard, be keen on factors like temperature. Nearly all stick insects thrive in tropical regions where temperatures easily hit 30 Degrees Celsius. This means that extremely cold temperatures aren’t ideal for stick insects. You may also have to ensure that the tank your stick insects live in is humid.
Why Did My Baby Stick Insect Die?
There are so many reasons why baby stick insects die both in captivity and while in their natural habitat. Interestingly, some of these reasons have a lot to do with the environment in which baby stick insects find themselves in. that is to say, baby stick insects are extremely sensitive. They can easily thrive under the perfect environment or easily die under harsh environments.
Note that stick insects, like any other living creatures, need air to survive. Strangely, many novice stick insect owners forget this and end up keeping their stick insects in air tight containers. They eventually die due to lack of air.
The food your baby stick insects feed on could also be the reason they die. As already hinted, insecticides sprayed on the leaves you feed your baby stick insects with will most likely cause death. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t feed your stick insects with leaves from unknown sources.
Fungal infection can also cause baby stick insect death. They affect young stick insects as much as they affect adult ones. Prevention here plays a key role as opposed to finding a cure. In that regard, always make sure that the container your stick insects live in is clean. Feed them with fresh leaves too as much as you can.
By all means, create a perfect environment for your baby stick insects. They don’t thrive in extreme temperatures, so keep the container temperature moderate. Anything beyond 35 degrees Celsius is too hot for a baby stick insect. Similarly, anything below 10 degrees Celsius isn’t ideal for both baby and adult stick insects. Be sure too also ensure their container is humid so as to facilitate easy molting.
How Long Can Stick Insects Survive Without Food?
Stick insects can survive without food for as long as two weeks. Keep in mind though that when talking about stick insect food, water must be included. That’s because like humans, stick insects also get dehydrated.
If you are an experienced stick insect enthusiast, you may have noticed that feeding a stick insect well is a tough balancing act. The fact that its container has a leaf or two doesn’t mean it is feeding. The leaves you feed them with must be fresh. The drier the leaf the harder your stick insect will find it to chew. It’ll therefore ignore the leaf until as it waits for the next fresh one. This can go one for as much as two weeks.
4 Things To Watch Out For
More often than not, your stick insect will exude symptoms of distress before dying. Be keen on anything usual they exude so as to take the necessary precautions. Watch out for the following five factors.
1. Movement
Stick insects like moving from one place to another. In other words, they are active animals. Make no mistake though, some species appear dormant during the day then become active at night solely because they are nocturnal.
Watch how your stick insect moves. Its movement should be swift and sure. Lost limps may force it to wobble or stay stagnant in one place for days. Should this be the case, examine the stick insect to be certain it has lost a limb or two. Then clean its container to make sure it doesn’t get fungal infection.
2. Molting
Molting is by all means the most delicate as well as the most exciting phase of a stick insect’s life. Watch out how your stick insect molts. Your stick insect shouldn’t struggle to molt. Likewise, it shouldn’t lose limbs during the process. Should it lose a limb or two, then the environment you put it in isn’t ideal. It could be too hot, too cold or not humid enough to make the stick insect’s exoskeleton supple enough for effortless molting.
3. Limbs
Stick insects lose limbs all the time. It is part of their life. You should be concerned though, if it losses limbs every other day. This is often a sign of fungal infection or a sign that you’ve kept too many stick insects in one cage. Reduce them to a maximum of 4 stick insects in one container. Then make sure there’s ample room in the container for easy movement.
4. Air
Stick insects need oxygen, just like humans and other animals do. That’s exactly why the container you keep them inside shouldn’t be air tight. You’ll know your stick insects don’t get enough air once you notice them dying without any good reason even after creating a perfect environment for them.
Wrap Up
Your stick insects don’t have to die prematurely. Take good care of them and they’ll certainly live for long. You should actually be able to see your stick insect celebrate its 12th or even 14th month. All you need to do is keep in in a clean container, complete with ample breathing space as well as enough food. Be sure to also feed your stick insects with clean and fresh leaves every day.
