can stick-bugs become inbred ?

[little leaf]

I know they are mostly born females - so I dont think I have ever had a male- but I have noticed a decrees in the size of the eggs over like the last yr- and I almost never get anymore to live to adult , and when they do, the lay a short time, and seem to die pretty fast - any idea why ?? if they are not "breeding" I dont see how they can be inbred- but something has changed ???

 

[CarlC]

I would think it is more diet related. You see the same things when keeping beetles. Missing elements from their diet cause small males and females that produce inferior ova.

Carl

 

[nick barta]

Carl is spot-on. For my 8 sticks and leafs, I try to offer other food sources than my main year-around food source which is Blackberry for all of them, and Ivy for Indians. I think variety is important to insects, so I supplement in the summer with Oak, and for the Australians (ET), Eucalyptus.
I also try other accessible plants to see if I can find feed plants besides what you find on care sheets.

CHEERS Bug-Woman!

Nick

 

[little leaf]

thats what I was wondering too- in winter, pickens are slim here they only get oak and romaine - everything else is FROZEN lol
thanks guys

 

[CashMoney]

Blackberry cuttings root ridiculously easy, just put them in water and under a light source. They grow under basic incandescent light too. Better under fluorescent. Really invasive plants tend to be easy to cultivate. Blackberry grows when you try to kill it.

If your garage stays above 10 degrees or you have a basement with a little space, growing a good winter food source could be done with pretty minimal effort. Any cheap home depot fluorescent will work. A 6500k (blue/white) bulb will give crazy growth. It can take freezes too, once a little established.

 

[biffle]

Are roses a good food for Indian stick bugs?

My seem to be doing real good on them.

Carl is spot-on. For my 8 sticks and leafs, I try to offer other food sources than my main year-around food source which is Blackberry for all of them, and Ivy for Indians. I think variety is important to insects, so I supplement in the summer with Oak, and for the Australians (ET), Eucalyptus.
I also try other accessible plants to see if I can find feed plants besides what you find on care sheets.

CHEERS Bug-Woman!

Nick

 

[nick barta]

Yep, roses are a listed food for most sticks that eat blackberry, as well as raspberries.

If you want an easier food, ivy will work for Indians, and cuttings last 2 weeks, twice as long as other cuttings.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[laurie]

Is anyone here will to cut and sell me a blackberry cutting? No way to get them in Montana this time of year.

 

[bobcochran]

I'll sell you some, but they're going to be expensive!

 

[pigglett79]

I don't have any blackberry so I use mainly roses with the occasional dandelion green, romaine or oak. I tried to grow some blackberries and they died in my backyard last summer.

 

[Dave Bolamperti]

I've had sticks about a year now, Nick Barta hooked me up/ Thank you Nick .my Chams go crazy for them. I feed mine raspberry spring thru fall. I tried rose and romaine this winter and mine won't eat these? Any tricks to feeding?I found a hanging basket of Ivy at the local nursery to get me thru the winter. My sticks are hatching like crazy now. My adult sticks get big and fat on ivy. I haven't had issues with mine .
P.s. I also mist my enclosure when I do my Cham cages. Do you have any moss. In their cage , they like humidity .
Good luck.