Indian sticks help

[Chameleon Creator]

My Indian sticks are on the way and in don't believe I have access to bramble or ivy at the moment.
My question is, if there is any fresh produce I can feed them that they can live off of, say at the local grocery store. I hear romaine lettuce is poisonous to them.
Any suggestions?

 

[MelissaB]

They can eat romaine, it's not poisonous according to several threads I've read here.

 

[laurie]

If romaine is poison, my colony should be long dead. I hang a piece of washed, damp romaine in the cage every night. They feed at night. Mine are a bit picky, once you are past the big nice green leaves, they will not eat it. It took mine several days to adapt to the romaine, but they are find now. Let me know if you need any other help with them.

 

[Action Jackson]

Laurie, I feed mine only the inside leafs of a head of romaine. I lost a bunch of grass hoppers after feeding them the outside leaves of a romaine head. It was washed but still must have had something on it.

And yes all my sticks eat romaine and rose

 

[Chameleon Creator]

Okay so use the inside leaves only? What about pre mixed romaine salad leaves? What should I use to wash them and for how long?

 

[kgallego]

Laurie, I feed mine only the inside leafs of a head of romaine. I lost a bunch of grass hoppers after feeding them the outside leaves of a romaine head. It was washed but still must have had something on it.

And yes all my sticks eat romaine and rose

Okay so use the inside leaves only? What about pre mixed romaine salad leaves? What should I use to wash them and for how long?

Cham Creator - I think what Jackson is referring to is the pesticides that many gardeners spray on their plants. By using the inside leaves, you help decrease the chances of having pesticides.

I also feed mine romaine like Laurie, but I feed them roses also. They prefer the roses over romaine. If you don't have roses in your area, you can go to your local florist and have them save you the rose leaves and stems.

Sticks take work. I'm trying to find a way to make caring for them easier, but so far with no success.

 

[Chameleon Creator]

So then I'll just stick to romaine. Thanks gius

 

[pasquia]

They will eat Salal leaves once they are in the 2nd or 3rd instar stage.where I live there is nothing else available over the winter months and no outdoor greens till May.I buy a bunch of Salal from my local florist and keep that in a vase,it lasts about a week before the remaining leaves dry up too much. It's a bit tough for 1st instar Indians, but after that they will eat it.Never had a problem with pesticides on it, I believe it is wild harvested from the Pacific coast but should be sold everywhere as it makes up the big green leaves in flower arrangements

 

[happiness]

Is it okay to feed them green leaf lettuce? I went to the store and purchased romaine .. only to come home to realize it was green leaf lettuce! The sticks are eating the lettuce but I don't want it to end up killing them.

 

[Chameleon Creator]

I'm using romaine lettuce now... My stick insects are dying... Not sure if it's too cold? Maybe the romaine has pesticides.. Any suggests

 

[laurie]

Can you post a picture of your set up? Do you mist them at least once a day? I mist twice a day, both sort of short.

 

[Chameleon Creator]

 

[Chameleon Creator]

Looks like a couple are in the process of dying... Not sure why.. I placed the container close to a heater since I noticed they were dying and misted them..

 

[Chameleon Creator]

 

[nick barta]

Looks like a couple are in the process of dying... Not sure why.. I placed the container close to a heater since I noticed they were dying and misted them..

A few suggestions…Take a temperature reading on the food, or side of the cup. They like it about 75, colder temps will slow eating and lead to unhappy injuns.

If you are keeping them in the cup, that is too small for any stick over L3. Use the cage space, hang the Romaine from the top, this will encourage them to molt from the top.

Blackberry and Ivy hold leaves year round if you are in the northern US, they eat those food sources better than most lettuces.

Oak leaves are just around the corner!

Nick

 

[nick barta]

Cham Creator - I think what Jackson is referring to is the pesticides that many gardeners spray on their plants. By using the inside leaves, you help decrease the chances of having pesticides.

I also feed mine romaine like Laurie, but I feed them roses also. They prefer the roses over romaine. If you don't have roses in your area, you can go to your local florist and have them save you the rose leaves and stems.

Sticks take work. I'm trying to find a way to make caring for them easier, but so far with no success.

The easiest food is Ivy; no thorns, lasts longer than any other food source, and is found in most areas due to garden shops selling it and it is invasive.

Second is Oak; No thorns, lasts longer than blackberry.

Third is Blackberry and Rose; thorns are an issue, but most sticks eat blackberry and rose before other foods available in the cage.

Fourth is Romaine Lettuce; easy to buy and store; may not have the nutritional value of other feed plants.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Chameleon Creator]

A few suggestions…Take a temperature reading on the food, or side of the cup. They like it about 75, colder temps will slow eating and lead to unhappy injuns.



If you are keeping them in the cup, that is too small for any stick over L3. Use the cage space, hang the Romaine from the top, this will encourage them to molt from the top.



Blackberry and Ivy hold leaves year round if you are in the northern US, they eat those food sources better than most lettuces.



Oak leaves are just around the corner!



Nick

Thanks nick.. I'm sure it was too cold for them, hopefully the heater will help. I put them all in the cage and hung the lettuce from the top with zip ties. It could be the romaine or it could have been too cold. Time will tell and yes I'm counting on the oak leaves soon lol.. I can only imagine that being the healthier option. Most are healthy though which is good.. Maybe the two that are looking sickly were just that way when they arrived, not sure but not a big deal.. Just mainly want to make sure they are not eating pesticides

 

[laurie]

Nick tell this guy how many I killed before getting a colony going. You don't have to talk about how many phone calls, and how many hours we were on the phone.

The easiest food is Ivy; no thorns, lasts longer than any other food source, and is found in most areas due to garden shops selling it and it is invasive.

Second is Oak; No thorns, lasts longer than blackberry.

Third is Blackberry and Rose; thorns are an issue, but most sticks eat blackberry and rose before other foods available in the cage.

Fourth is Romaine Lettuce; easy to buy and store; may not have the nutritional value of other feed plants.

CHEERS!

Nick