Live Insects as Pets
Skye's Guide to Keeping Live Insects as Pets
Insects and other invertebrates can make fantastic pets and are a great alternative if you don’t have the time or space for a cat or a dog. Despite what some people may think invertebrates do have brain and have the ability to learn. I have too many insects and other invertebrates to count and have a couple of dedicated rooms in my butterfly and insect farm just for my pets, but you don’t have to be THAT extreme and you can easily keep an insect in a small glass terrarium provided you can give them the conditions that they require to be happy and healthy. In Australia you do not require a licence to keep any native Australian invertebrates as pets. It is best to purchase your live insect from an insect breeder (See our links page) or your local pet shop. Insect breeders help to maintain natural populations of invertebrates by breeding them for the pet trade; this way too many are not taken from the wild.
One of the easiest insects to start with if you would like to try out keeping an insect as a pet would have to be the stick insect. Most stick insects can be housed together and will eat eucalyptus leaves. Their life span will depend on the species that you choose as well as other environmental conditions such as temperature but generally speaking most stick insects will live for 9-18 months.
When you have some experience under your belt you can try something a little bit more difficult to take care of. Some examples of insects and other invertebrates that you can keep as pets are Australian Tarantulas, scorpions, snails, beetles, millipedes and centipedes.
What to take into consideration when purchasing your new invertebrate pet
Housing- Do you have enough space for the invertebrate that you have chosen? Have you got an enclosure set up which is ready to house your new pet? If you are purchasing from a breeder they will be able to help you decide on which equipment you will need. You may need such things as heat mats, heat lamps, suitable substrate, an enclosure, water bowl, thermostat and decorations. It is best to do your research and have everything you need before you bring your new pet home but remember DON’T BUY THINGS THAT YOU DON’T NEED!
Food- What does your new invertebrate pet eat? And do you have access to suitable food for it? Invertebrates can eat things such as other insects, vegetables and plant matter and you can also get specialised diets for your insects
Time- How much time do you have to take care of your invertebrate? Some invertebrates can require more attention than others. For example my stick insects require water misting so that they can have a drink once or twice a day. They also need fresh eucalyptus leaves so that they can eat whenever their old leaves dry out. A tarantula needs to be fed roughly once a week but can go for longer periods without food as long as they have water. Invertebrates do not need as much attention as a cat or dog, but they still require attention so keep this in mind
Attention- Most insects do not require interaction with people or even other invertebrates to be happy. They will be happy as long as their conditions are right and they are fed. But if you have the time you can definitely train (or condition) your invertebrate pet do different things. I have a burrowing cockroach that can play “fetch” using a small plastic bird ball. I have had the same cockroach for 6 years and is has taken about this long for the trick to be perfected! I always give my stick insects water at the same time every day, so they wait for me at the top of the enclosure so they don’t miss out on getting a drink. My butterflies also know where their automatic water sprayer is and because it is set on a timer, they will congregate around the sprayer when they know it is time for it to start spraying water
Cost- Some invertebrates are more expensive than other s and this can be due to several factors including the time it takes for the invertebrate to grow and how old it is, the species and how hard they are to breed in captivity. For example if you are buying a common species of Australian Tarantula the cost is generally $1 per millimetre in size plus $10-20. If you are paying allot less than this it can be because the tarantula has been wild caught and you should be wary
Questions you should ask when purchasing an invertebrate as a pet
- How much space/what size terrarium does it require?
- What substrate should I use?
- Do I need a heat mat or heat lamp?
- And what temperature does the invertebrate like to be kept at? What does it eat? And how often?
- What humidity does it like to be kept at? And does it like airflow?
- Can I keep it with other invertebrates?
- How long does it live for?
- Was it bred in captivity, or was it caught in the wild?