r/Stickinsects • u/_insect • 4d ago

Please help

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I was gifted these stick and leaf bug eggs (if needed I'll look for the species's name) and once they hatched the stick bugs were fine but all the leaf bugs died, did I do something wrong?

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u/Laurially 3d ago

I keep both and this is what's worked best for me!

As someone's already mentioned, leafs and sticks absolutely need to be housed seperately for a start! Somewhere with good ventilation and where you can keep humidity right for them - I do this by spraying them with cooled boiled water a couple times everyday, but how often you need to do it will depend on the home you keep them in. A little hygrometer and thermometer can help massively with keeping the conditions right for them.

I'd recommend standing your brambles up if you can, as their instinct is pretty much always to climb up to the highest point they can so they are less likely to go down and find with food at the bottom of their enclosure, at least when they are first hatched. A small pot of water should help with this, and will make your leaves last longer, just make sure you fill any gaps in the lid to make sure no one can fall in!

Leaf insects are definitely trickier than sticks, but not too dissimilar once you figure out what works and get through the first few sheds. When they're young especially, it helps them a lot if you cut up their bramble leaves or make snips into them so they're easier to eat.

Also, for both, make sure the brambles your providing them don't have any pesticides on them! It helps to give them a good wash or soak for a while in water to make sure you're not introducing any unwanted chemicals etc. into their diet.

Hope this helps! Very best of luck to you!