Indian Walking Sticks

I "found" some Indian Walking Sticks the other day and have done a lil bit of research on them. I was wondering if any of you keep/breed them, what does your enclosure look like (pics would be great) and what is your success rate with them? Any info or pics would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, I've read that they like privet and so I stuck some fresh cut privet branches in the screen enclosure. It doesn't look like they've touched it... I know that they like bramble and saw that rose is a bramble. I went and spent $20 today on a stupid rose bush. They had better eat this!

maxttu said:

I "found" some Indian Walking Sticks the other day and have done a lil bit of research on them. I was wondering if any of you keep/breed them, what does your enclosure look like (pics would be great) and what is your success rate with them? Any info or pics would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, I've read that they like privet and so I stuck some fresh cut privet branches in the screen enclosure. It doesn't look like they've touched it... I know that they like bramble and saw that rose is a bramble. I went and spent $20 today on a stupid rose bush. They had better eat this!

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Store bought roses could have systemic pesticides in it. I always buy up bare-root roses at end of Jan-Feb.. And grow them up for stick food. Or look for mature bushes around the hood. That don't look all that maintained, to take small clipping from. I keep in a medium to lager screen cage, with auto mister. Rotate the roses in 5 gallon pots. When striped, just replace with a fresh full growth bush.

SSimsswiSS said:

Store bought roses could have systemic pesticides in it. I always buy up bare-root roses at end of Jan-Feb.. And grow them up for stick food. Or look for mature bushes around the hood. That don't look all that maintained, to take small clipping from. I keep in a medium to lager screen cage, with auto mister. Rotate the roses in 5 gallon pots. When striped, just replace with a fresh full growth bush.

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Good enough! I was assured that they didn't use any chemicals on this bush. I snipped a branch with some leaves and washed it off thoroughly. Should I be placing the whole pot inside the enclosure? I only "found" 8 walking sticks and they're not adult size...

Do you have a picture of them? Here's a pic of my privet loving species.

SSimsswiSS said:

Do you have a picture of them? Here's a pic of my privet loving species.

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Whoa! That looks like a wingless grasshopper! Neat! I'll try and grab a pic...

Ok. Not the best pics, but it was all that I could do.

They also love eating red leaf lettuce which is a little easier to come by

clarkrw3 said:

They also love eating red leaf lettuce which is a little easier to come by

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I finally get to use this in the right context: Are you serious, Clark?? (Cousin Eddy from Lampoon's Vacation movies)

Oh, if I'm lucky enough to establish the colony and can start feeding them off, what would I possibly gutload them with??

maxttu said:

Oh, if I'm lucky enough to establish the colony and can start feeding them off, what would I possibly gutload them with??

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Raspberry, blackberry, rose, romaine, redleaf, etc..

I have a colney of those. They thrive on blackberry vines. the babies are great to feed to baby chams. All my chameleons eat them up!!It takes about 6-8 month to establish a colney. Its best to wait till you produce little stick bugs as feeders. Wild stick bugs will eat ivy and other toxic vine plants Hope that helps.

imcurt said:

I have a colney of those. They thrive on blackberry vines. the babies are great to feed to baby chams. All my chameleons eat them up!!It takes about 6-8 month to establish a colney. Its best to wait till you produce little stick bugs as feeders. Wild stick bugs will eat ivy and other toxic vine plants Hope that helps.

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That does help! Thanks!

Do any of you have photos of your setup??

I do believe that blackberry, rose etc are better but I have been feeding my sticks red leaf lettuce for the past month or two (can't remember when they came) and all are growing and doing great. I keep mine in a butterfly pop-up enclosure now that they are not super small. The ones I have are just slightly larger than the ones in you pictures.

Ooh a thread I can help with! I got a bunch of eggs when we were in the UK and we were quickly overwhelmed. I used to steal a few sprigs of privet from the school hedge on my way past once a week, wrap it with wet kitchen towel, and stick it in a small jar. I also sprayed them lightly a couple of times a day. Mine were in a pop-up butterfly enclosure too, but anything would work, I think. Ours were just on our dining table and were super awesome. They have 9 moultings (I think) and are then full-sized and will start to lay eggs. They are all female and their eggs will be females, so they are technically all clones and do not breed with one another. Occasionally a male hatches, but rarely are they fertile.

I'm keeping an eye out for stick-insects too, if anyone has any tips for finding them around NY, feel free to share by PM!

Great! My concern is that I have them in my smallest available enclosure, 36x36x18. Will they find the rose? I have a branch with leaves in a tall vase, next to a stick that they should be able to climb to.

People have mentioned privet, but I think I heard somewhere that privet is not so good for the Chams......maybe wrong here .
My Indian sticks mostly get wc bramble and dandelion. I recently discovered that they go nuts for Pak Choi. Give them food until they are adults and they will make eggs. As easy as roaches Here's some pics of mine.......
P.S. They will find their food in your enclosure (or they don't deserve to live lol....)

DavidBuchan said:

People have mentioned privet, but I think I heard somewhere that privet is not so good for the Chams......maybe wrong here .
My Indian sticks mostly get wc bramble and dandelion. I recently discovered that they go nuts for Pak Choi. Give them food until they are adults and they will make eggs. As easy as roaches Here's some pics of mine.......
P.S. They will find their food in your enclosure (or they don't deserve to live lol....)

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Great pics! Privets are toxic, but can be used to raise the colony. So they're tearing up the pak choi??

maxttu said:

Great pics! Privets are toxic, but can be used to raise the colony. So they're tearing up the pak choi??

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True, but I'm feeding off the little ones as treats for Jasmine so I've fed no privet in ages.....They like the Pak Choi more than anything else I've offered them (maybe just because it's a new novelty, but eating it before the bramble means they like it)

I sense a global shift in the amont of Bok Choy bought at markets.

SSimsswiSS said:

I sense a global shift in the amont of Bok Choy bought at markets.

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bwwwwaaaahahahahaha! You know what imma be doin 2nite! But they better eat that damn $20 rose bush I bought today!!