Category Invertebrates

One of the most rewarding aspects of tarantula ownership is being able to successfully breed from your spider, and generally speaking it is not too difficult to find a specialist pet shop or tarantula supplier who might consider buying your spiderlings from you to sell on. Captive breeding is an important service to the worldwide wellbeing of tarantulas, to avoid further wild-caught specimens being taken out of their natural habitat to supply the pet trade.

However, breeding tarantulas is not an endeavour that should ever be undertaken lightly or on a whim, and is certainly not as simple as putting a male and a female spider into the same tank and letting them do what comes naturally. Unless both the spiders in question and the situation is right, what “comes naturally” will generally be a lot of fighting that will be detrimental to both spiders, and generally lead to the death of the would-be father without any spiderlings produced at the end of it!

If you are considering breeding from your tarantula, before you even get as far as looking at how to go about this and the logistics of what is involved, read this article on considerations to bear in mind, and how to reach a sensible decision on whether or not to breed your spiders.

What species of tarantula do you keep?

An important consideration to bear in mind when deciding whether or not to breed your tarantulas is the species of tarantula you keep. This will dictate how easy or hard it is to achieve successful breeding, what the demand is likely to be for the subsequent offspring if breeding is successful, and how challenging it will be to manage the breeding process safely.

Some of the most popular tarantulas commonly kept in the UK are the Chilean rose, Mexican redknee, and other hardy, docile beginner breeds. This means that demand for tarantulas of these types is likely to be higher than for most other species, but also that there are likely to be many more people breeding them to meet the demands of the pet trade. It is important to establish whether or not there will be demand for the species you intend to breed before going forwards. Less common tarantulas such as baboon tarantulas are often in demand due to the fact that they are rather more exotic and there are less breeders producing them, but they are also aggressive and challenging to keep, so the potential market for them will be much smaller.

Cross-species breeding

Many tarantula enthusiasts keep more than one species of tarantula, and it may well cross your mind to see if you can also successfully crossbreed two different types of spiders. However, this is not a good idea! The crossbreeding of different species of spiders to produce hybrids is very much frowned upon in the arachnid-keeping world, and you will almost certainly be unable to find homes for the results of such a mating. Crossbred tarantulas often come accompanied by a range of problems and issues including potential sterility, and not enough is known about any combination of two breeds that form a hybrid to be able to adequately predict its care needs, behaviour or temperament.

What to do with the offspring

A big question of course, is what you will do with the offspring of any successful mating. Tarantulas produce between 50 and 2,000 viable spiderlings eggs from every successful breeding, and while a significant number of these spiderlings will not live to maturity, you will still find yourself with a heck of a lot of fast-growing baby spiders on your hands. All of these will require housing, feeding and care, and while baby spiders can be kept together during the initial stages of their life, they will require separating from each other once they start to eat live food and approach their first juvenile moult, to avoid cannibalism between the offspring!

You may well find that an exotic pets retailer will buy your spiderlings from you once they reach their first moult from nymphs (newborn spiders that are very small and white or transparent in appearance) into spiderlings, but you should source an outlet for the offspring before you breed, to make sure.

You may wish to sell your spiderlings yourself privately, although this can be hit or miss in terms of finding enough potential buyers for your tarantulas; meanwhile you are left with a significant amount of fast-growing juveniles and running out of space, equipment, time and food to look after them with. You will quite possibly wish to keep a couple of the spiderlings from your first successful breeding yourself, but make sure that you can accommodate for all of your potential offspring until they are homed as well!

Only breed from captive-bought spiders

The vast majority of pet tarantulas kept in the UK are captive-bred, and with common breeds such as the Chilean Rose or Mexican redknee, it would be considered very uncommon to see a wild-caught specimen in the UK these days. Some more unusual specimens may have been caught from the wild however, and the beginner or first-time breeder should avoid trying to breed wild-caught tarantulas. Wild-caught specimens are likely to prove more challenging to breed from, harder to care for when breeding and also, may be accompanied by parasites from the wild that can easily be passed onto their offspring and potentially threaten the viability of their life.

Captive breeding is an important part of ensuring the ongoing viability of any given species of tarantula kept as a pet, and reduces the amount of impact on the natural habitat and wild spiders from which our domestic tarantulas originate. Captive breeding from first generation wild-caught specimens of unusual tarantulas is a valuable endeavour, but best left to the professionals!

Where to get help and advice

For the first-time potential tarantula breeder, it can be incredibly helpful to have an expert to hand to answer any questions or help you to trouble-shoot any potential problems. There are many online forums where tarantula enthusiasts gather to discuss their hobby, and you may find that exotic pet retailers or specialist arachnid breeders will also be able to help and advise you, particularly if they might be interested in buying your stock of spiderlings.

One of the most rewarding aspects of tarantula ownership is being able to successfully breed from your spider, and generally speaking it is not too difficult to find a specialist pet shop or tarantula supplier who might consider buying your spiderlings from you to sell on. Captive breeding is an important service to the worldwide wellbeing of tarantulas, to avoid further wild-caught specimens being taken out of their natural habitat to supply the pet trade.

However, breeding tarantulas is not an endeavour that should ever be undertaken lightly or on a whim, and is certainly not as simple as putting a male and a female spider into the same tank and letting them do what comes naturally. Unless both the spiders in question and the situation is right, what “comes naturally” will generally be a lot of fighting that will be detrimental to both spiders, and generally lead to the death of the would-be father without any spiderlings produced at the end of it!

If you are considering breeding from your tarantula, before you even get as far as looking at how to go about this and the logistics of what is involved, read this article on considerations to bear in mind, and how to reach a sensible decision on whether or not to breed your spiders.

What species of tarantula do you keep?

An important consideration to bear in mind when deciding whether or not to breed your tarantulas is the species of tarantula you keep. This will dictate how easy or hard it is to achieve successful breeding, what the demand is likely to be for the subsequent offspring if breeding is successful, and how challenging it will be to manage the breeding process safely.

Some of the most popular tarantulas commonly kept in the UK are the Chilean rose, Mexican redknee, and other hardy, docile beginner breeds. This means that demand for tarantulas of these types is likely to be higher than for most other species, but also that there are likely to be many more people breeding them to meet the demands of the pet trade. It is important to establish whether or not there will be demand for the species you intend to breed before going forwards. Less common tarantulas such as baboon tarantulas are often in demand due to the fact that they are rather more exotic and there are less breeders producing them, but they are also aggressive and challenging to keep, so the potential market for them will be much smaller.

Cross-species breeding

Many tarantula enthusiasts keep more than one species of tarantula, and it may well cross your mind to see if you can also successfully crossbreed two different types of spiders. However, this is not a good idea! The crossbreeding of different species of spiders to produce hybrids is very much frowned upon in the arachnid-keeping world, and you will almost certainly be unable to find homes for the results of such a mating. Crossbred tarantulas often come accompanied by a range of problems and issues including potential sterility, and not enough is known about any combination of two breeds that form a hybrid to be able to adequately predict its care needs, behaviour or temperament.

What to do with the offspring

A big question of course, is what you will do with the offspring of any successful mating. Tarantulas produce between 50 and 2,000 viable spiderlings eggs from every successful breeding, and while a significant number of these spiderlings will not live to maturity, you will still find yourself with a heck of a lot of fast-growing baby spiders on your hands. All of these will require housing, feeding and care, and while baby spiders can be kept together during the initial stages of their life, they will require separating from each other once they start to eat live food and approach their first juvenile moult, to avoid cannibalism between the offspring!

You may well find that an exotic pets retailer will buy your spiderlings from you once they reach their first moult from nymphs (newborn spiders that are very small and white or transparent in appearance) into spiderlings, but you should source an outlet for the offspring before you breed, to make sure.

You may wish to sell your spiderlings yourself privately, although this can be hit or miss in terms of finding enough potential buyers for your tarantulas; meanwhile you are left with a significant amount of fast-growing juveniles and running out of space, equipment, time and food to look after them with. You will quite possibly wish to keep a couple of the spiderlings from your first successful breeding yourself, but make sure that you can accommodate for all of your potential offspring until they are homed as well!

Only breed from captive-bought spiders

The vast majority of pet tarantulas kept in the UK are captive-bred, and with common breeds such as the Chilean Rose or Mexican redknee, it would be considered very uncommon to see a wild-caught specimen in the UK these days. Some more unusual specimens may have been caught from the wild however, and the beginner or first-time breeder should avoid trying to breed wild-caught tarantulas. Wild-caught specimens are likely to prove more challenging to breed from, harder to care for when breeding and also, may be accompanied by parasites from the wild that can easily be passed onto their offspring and potentially threaten the viability of their life.

Captive breeding is an important part of ensuring the ongoing viability of any given species of tarantula kept as a pet, and reduces the amount of impact on the natural habitat and wild spiders from which our domestic tarantulas originate. Captive breeding from first generation wild-caught specimens of unusual tarantulas is a valuable endeavour, but best left to the professionals!

Where to get help and advice

For the first-time potential tarantula breeder, it can be incredibly helpful to have an expert to hand to answer any questions or help you to trouble-shoot any potential problems. There are many online forums where tarantula enthusiasts gather to discuss their hobby, and you may find that exotic pet retailers or specialist arachnid breeders will also be able to help and advise you, particularly if they might be interested in buying your stock of spiderlings.

If you are stumped at what pet to get the kids and getting a dog or a cat is out of the question, there’s a heap of other pets which could be a great choice and which are pretty easy maintenance. From fish to rabbits and lots in between, you’ll find a myriad of creatures of every shape and size which all make terrific first-time kid’s pets. However, rabbits and other small pets which are better off when kept indoors like hamsters, gerbils and even guinea pigs, need lots of care and their cages need to be regularly cleaned out to ensure the environment is nice for them to live in which in turn means quite a bit of responsibility.

Caring for hamsters and other furry pets has to be a family thing and not just a job that’s left up to the children. Fish and terrapins need their tanks cleaning out on a regular basis as well which can become a chore instead of a pleasure. One pet that’s pretty easy maintenance and which is fun for kids to keep is a stick insect (or two). They may not be as cuddly as a kitten or as devoted as a dog but they are fascinating creatures that don’t make lots of noise and they certainly won’t damage your much loved furniture or leave a puddle on the kitchen floor.

Stick insects are also referred to as walking stick insects”” are phasmids and they can vary in size with some being a couple of inches long whereas others can measure up to 12 inches from head to tail. Most of them resemble twigs and leaves found in their environments which means they blend in very well wherever they happen to be. This camouflage of sorts is to keep them well out of sight of their predators and it works very well.

3000 Species of Phasmids

There are well over 3000 species of phasmids but the more common species which are kept as pet include the following:

• Indian Walking Stick/Common Laboratory Stick
• Annam Walking Stick
• Giant Prickly Stick
• Macleave Spectre

The Life Cycle of a Stick Insect

Depending on the species, a female stick insect can lay anything from 1 to 1000 eggs at any one time and the babies only hatch out after one to three seasons have passed by – although again this does depend on the species. Once the babies have hatched, the little stick insects climb up a tree and then proceed to hang upside down during the time it takes for them to moult which they do at least 5 times before they reach maturity.

Male Stick Insects are Pretty Rare

Only around one in every thousand stick insects are male and they can usually fly. Female stick insects don’t actually need a male to lay eggs (much like poultry) but when they do meet up with a male counterpart they mate but only stay together for a few weeks after which they go their separate ways.

The Lifespan of Phasmids

Phasmids have quite short life spans and depending on the species this is anything from 12 to 16 months so if you are thinking of getting some for the kids – it’s a good idea to get a few over a period of time so that when one reaches the end of their lifespans, there are still some stick insects in the environment for the children to look after. Baby stick insects, no matter what species tend to be incredibly cute looking!

How to Take Care of Your Stick Insects

• All stick insects are vegetarian and like nothing better than eating brambles like raspberry or blackberry leaves which when included in their diet makes it a very nutritious. It’s really important for them to have plenty of fresh food in their environments so they can munch away and stay healthy.
• Stick insects like to hang upside down on plants so you need to make sure they have plenty of room in their environments so they can dangle. As a rule of thumb the height of their tank has to be 3 times the length of the stick insects you keep in it.
• It is better to keep stick insects in a tank because they cannot escape and it’s more fun watching them through the glass or plastic – you can keep them in a meshed cage but you need to make sure they can’t escape through the holes in the mesh which if too large, they will wriggle through.
• Stick Insects originate in nice warm tropical or semitropical countries and as such need in captivity they have to be kept nice and toasty – anything between 75 to 80° F is an ideal temperature for them to thrive in. The one thing stick insects like is to be kept in the dark at night which means opting for a red heat bulb during the night and then a white one during the day.
• It’s really important to keep humidity levels quite high which means doing a little research to find out what level your particular species of stick insect needs to stay happy and healthy. You can also mist their cage and the plants at least once a day which will help keep humidity at the right levels. Stick insects must have drinking water in their environments too.
• These fun creatures do like to be handled but you need to do this very carefully being extra gentle with them when you pick them up. They are more delicate than a lot of other creatures and if they are handled a little too roughly, they may well tell you off by giving you a nip or a bit of a pinch.

Conclusion

Do stick insects make good kids pets? Yes they do because they are fascinating little creatures and they don’t need lots of cleaning out – although their environments do need to be kept clean it is not as demanding as say a rabbit or guinea pig hutch. Although, they don’t boast very long life spans, having a few of them in an environment is fun and looking after them teaches the kids the importance of responsibility in a pleasant and enjoyable way.

“”

If you find arachnids of all kinds and spiders in particular fascinating, you might have considered the possibility of owning a tarantula as a pet. Tarantulas some of the world’s largest spiders, and have a mainly undeservedly fearful reputation as the stuff of nightmares and horror movies. Tarantulas are not generally aggressive, cannot kill you with a bite, and are (for the main part and considering the most popular pet breeds of tarantula) highly unlikely to bite you in the first place. These common misconceptions only scratch the surface of what is true about spiders versus what many people perceive to be true, and a lot of people’s fear of spiders comes from the unknown aspect of things!

Whether you consider yourself to be a spider expert or are just starting to learn about arachnids with a view to becoming a future tarantula keeper, read on to discover eight true facts about spiders and increase your knowledge!

1. Spiders can’t eat solid foods

Spiders cannot digest solid foods, and would be unable to eat the food they hunt or that is given to them (such as crickets and pinkie mice for pet tarantulas) in the form that it is presented. The underside of the stomach of the spider produces a digestive enzyme, which the spider in question then exudes onto the body of its prey. After the digestive enzyme has broken down the body of the prey, the spider hoovers up the resultant nutritious liquid and digestive enzyme, which is then processed by the body as food.

2. Virtually all spiders are venomous

Just one spider family (Uloboridae) does not possess venom glands; all other spiders in the world, without exception, produce venom. This includes the tiny money spider and the larger but still commonly seen domestic-dwelling spiders you may have spotted in your house or garden! The potency of the venom varies in case to case, from the serious and dangerous venom of the Brown Recluse spider (which fortunately does not live in the UK) down to the weakest, most minor venom that can only affect the very smallest of prey animals.

3. Spiders make up the largest group of carnivorous animals on earth

Spiders are predatory carnivores, and actively hunt for and trap their prey, which can be interesting if rather gruesome to watch for the tarantula owner! Spiders that belong to the Aranaea order compose the largest group of carnivores on earth by order, and spiders eat a variety of different prey dependent on their size, from tiny flies right up to snakes, mice, rats and birds.

4. All spiders spin silk

All types of spiders produce the silk that you will most probably have seen as part of webs, but silk is not only used for making webs and some spiders do not make webs at all! Silk can also be used for snaring prey, lining burrows, protecting their eggs, for shelter, and as part of the mating ritual.

5. Not all spiders use webs to catch their prey

While all spiders produce silk, not all spiders dwell in webs or use their webs to trap their potential prey. Some spiders simply catch their meals by either lying in wait and pouncing, or by actively chasing after their prey! The jumping spider has acute eyesight, and simply hides itself until viable prey is nearby before attacking it. Wolf spiders actively hunt their prey, pursuing them while remaining discreet and ultimately overtaking the unlucky life form in question before attacking!

6. Life is hard for the male spider

It is relatively well known that the Black Widow spider is liable to eat their partner after mating, but life is rather unfair for male spiders regardless of species! Male spiders are commonly eaten by females, and not only as part of the mating process. The elaborate courtship rituals that male spiders undertake when they are ready to reproduce are partially undertaken to convince the female that they are there for a date rather than a meal, and they need to make a swift retreat after mating to avoid ending up on the menu!

7. Spiders move by a combination of muscle power and blood pressure

As well as using their muscle structures to ambulate and move themselves, spiders rely upon blood pressure to move their long legs. This is particularly true for jumping spiders, which jump by means of increasing the blood pressure to their legs until the legs flip outwards and propel them into the air!

8. Spiders can camouflage their egg sacs

Spiders lay their eggs onto a layer of silk, and then cover them in more silk and keep producing additional layers until the egg sac has been created. The amount of silk that makes up the egg sac varies between species, with spiders that spin webs making thick and large egg sacs, and ground dwelling spiders producing thinner casings.

Some species of spider can produce silk that mimics the substrate onto which it is lain, effectively disguising and camouflaging their eggs against danger and predators.

Insects of a wide variety of types can make for fascinating pets for people of all ages, and keeping a terrarium or tank of a carefully selected and chosen insect species within the home can be highly educational for children. Many people have only the most rudimentary understanding of what insects actually are, or what makes an insect and insect and the traits they do and do not share.

There is a lot of confusion among the lay public about insects in general, and various tales and “facts” that do the rounds are in reality, not true at all! Whether you are simply seeking to expand your own knowledge, or if you want to make sure that you can answer any questions that your children might have correctly, read on for our list of ten of the most commonly held misconceptions about insects that are repeated time and time again!

1. All insects only live on land

It is a common misconception that insects only live on land, but several different types of insects actually live naturally either within the water of lakes, ponds and streams, or around the edges of the water and sometimes on the surface. For instance, the rove beetle lives on the seashore, and sea skaters live within the sea itself. Midges, damselflies, dragonflies and mayflies all live around the water, and some species lay their larvae on the water or on the banks of the water prior to its hatching into adult insects!

2. Insects are not animals

It is often thought that insects, while obviously not vegetable or mineral, are somehow not animals, or that they are something separate to what we usually think of as being animals. This is incorrect, and for many people, when they say “insects are not animals” what they really mean is that “insects are not mammals,” which is correct.

3. The daddy longlegs is a type of flying spider

With their signature long legs and vaguely spider-like appearance, people often assume that the daddy longlegs is simply a spider with wings! This idea understandably horrifies the arachnophobics of the world, but is also completely untrue. The daddy longlegs is a completely different animal to the spider, and is correctly called a crane fly. They are also not giant mosquitoes either!

4. You can tell the age of a ladybird by counting its spots

Children are often told that counting up the number of spots on a ladybird will tell you its age, and it is easy to see why this story is appealing. However, it is not at all true! By the time the ladybird reaches adulthood, all of the spots it will attain for its lifetime are already present. The ladybird only lives for one year at a maximum!

5. Spiders are insects

Many people think that everything that is small, many-legged and rather unusual looking falls into the category of insects, but the spider is not in fact an insect at all. Spiders have two body segments rather than the normal three that insects have, and eight legs rather than six. The spider is classed as an arachnid, a different designation to “insect” entirely.

6. Everything with eight legs is a spider

Just to confuse matters further, not everything that has eight legs is a spider! All spiders have eight legs, but many eight legged animals (such as the crab, the scorpion, the tick and the harvestman) are not spiders. Eight legged creatures like this all fall under the arachnid family (like spiders) but spiders are just one sub section of the arachnid family.

7. Insects have six legs attached at the stomach

By now you have probably gotten the picture that you cannot tell what order or group something belongs to simply by counting the number of its legs, but it is true to say that all adult insects have six legs. This means that animals like moths and butterflies are insects, but centipedes and millipedes are not! The legs of insects are also attached to the thorax, not the abdomen, the thorax being the middle of the three body sections of the insect.

8. All insects are bugs

Are you confused yet? You could be forgiven if you were! The terms “bug” and “insect” are often used interchangeably, but not all insects are bugs! The word “bug” describes a very specific type of insects from the Hemiptera order, which includes cicadas ad aphids. The beetle is not a bug, although this is probably the animal most likely to be labelled as such!

9. Spiders and bugs crawl out of the plughole in baths and sinks

It is perfectly natural to assume that a spider, bug or insect found in the sink or the bath has climbed its way up through the drainage system to get there, but this is highly unlikely to be true! The most common explanation for spiders or insects finding their way into the plughole is that they have dropped there from the ceiling or wall, or deliberately crawled there from elsewhere. Insects and spiders require a degree of humidity to thrive, which they are unlikely to be able to find within most homes in the UK other than in the bathroom or near to water. This makes sinks and basins appealing to them, and can cause them to climb or fall in and then be unable to scale the high, smooth sides to get back out.

10. Small winged insects are the babies of the species

Seeing a very small flying bug or insect with wings often leads people to believe that the animal in question is a baby or juvenile of the species, and that they will later grow into their adult guise. However this is incorrect; by the time an insect has grown its wings it has already metamorphosised into its adult form, and acquiring the wings occurs in the final moult of the larvae or nymph in order to take them into adulthood.

If you are stumped at what pet to get the kids and getting a dog or a cat is out of the question, there’s a heap of other pets which could be a great choice and which are pretty easy maintenance. From fish to rabbits and lots in between, you’ll find a myriad of creatures of every shape and size which all make terrific first-time kid’s pets. However, rabbits and other small pets which are better off when kept indoors like hamsters, gerbils and even guinea pigs, need lots of care and their cages need to be regularly cleaned out to ensure the environment is nice for them to live in which in turn means quite a bit of responsibility.

Caring for hamsters and other furry pets has to be a family thing and not just a job that’s left up to the children. Fish and terrapins need their tanks cleaning out on a regular basis as well which can become a chore instead of a pleasure. One pet that’s pretty easy maintenance and which is fun for kids to keep is a stick insect (or two). They may not be as cuddly as a kitten or as devoted as a dog but they are fascinating creatures that don’t make lots of noise and they certainly won’t damage your much loved furniture or leave a puddle on the kitchen floor.

Stick insects are also referred to as walking stick insects”” are phasmids and they can vary in size with some being a couple of inches long whereas others can measure up to 12 inches from head to tail. Most of them resemble twigs and leaves found in their environments which means they blend in very well wherever they happen to be. This camouflage of sorts is to keep them well out of sight of their predators and it works very well.

3000 Species of Phasmids

There are well over 3000 species of phasmids but the more common species which are kept as pet include the following:

• Indian Walking Stick/Common Laboratory Stick
• Annam Walking Stick
• Giant Prickly Stick
• Macleave Spectre

The Life Cycle of a Stick Insect

Depending on the species, a female stick insect can lay anything from 1 to 1000 eggs at any one time and the babies only hatch out after one to three seasons have passed by – although again this does depend on the species. Once the babies have hatched, the little stick insects climb up a tree and then proceed to hang upside down during the time it takes for them to moult which they do at least 5 times before they reach maturity.

Male Stick Insects are Pretty Rare

Only around one in every thousand stick insects are male and they can usually fly. Female stick insects don’t actually need a male to lay eggs (much like poultry) but when they do meet up with a male counterpart they mate but only stay together for a few weeks after which they go their separate ways.

The Lifespan of Phasmids

Phasmids have quite short life spans and depending on the species this is anything from 12 to 16 months so if you are thinking of getting some for the kids – it’s a good idea to get a few over a period of time so that when one reaches the end of their lifespans, there are still some stick insects in the environment for the children to look after. Baby stick insects, no matter what species tend to be incredibly cute looking!

How to Take Care of Your Stick Insects

• All stick insects are vegetarian and like nothing better than eating brambles like raspberry or blackberry leaves which when included in their diet makes it a very nutritious. It’s really important for them to have plenty of fresh food in their environments so they can munch away and stay healthy.
• Stick insects like to hang upside down on plants so you need to make sure they have plenty of room in their environments so they can dangle. As a rule of thumb the height of their tank has to be 3 times the length of the stick insects you keep in it.
• It is better to keep stick insects in a tank because they cannot escape and it’s more fun watching them through the glass or plastic – you can keep them in a meshed cage but you need to make sure they can’t escape through the holes in the mesh which if too large, they will wriggle through.
• Stick Insects originate in nice warm tropical or semitropical countries and as such need in captivity they have to be kept nice and toasty – anything between 75 to 80° F is an ideal temperature for them to thrive in. The one thing stick insects like is to be kept in the dark at night which means opting for a red heat bulb during the night and then a white one during the day.
• It’s really important to keep humidity levels quite high which means doing a little research to find out what level your particular species of stick insect needs to stay happy and healthy. You can also mist their cage and the plants at least once a day which will help keep humidity at the right levels. Stick insects must have drinking water in their environments too.
• These fun creatures do like to be handled but you need to do this very carefully being extra gentle with them when you pick them up. They are more delicate than a lot of other creatures and if they are handled a little too roughly, they may well tell you off by giving you a nip or a bit of a pinch.

Conclusion

Do stick insects make good kids pets? Yes they do because they are fascinating little creatures and they don’t need lots of cleaning out – although their environments do need to be kept clean it is not as demanding as say a rabbit or guinea pig hutch. Although, they don’t boast very long life spans, having a few of them in an environment is fun and looking after them teaches the kids the importance of responsibility in a pleasant and enjoyable way.

“”

If you find arachnids of all kinds and spiders in particular fascinating, you might have considered the possibility of owning a tarantula as a pet. Tarantulas some of the world’s largest spiders, and have a mainly undeservedly fearful reputation as the stuff of nightmares and horror movies. Tarantulas are not generally aggressive, cannot kill you with a bite, and are (for the main part and considering the most popular pet breeds of tarantula) highly unlikely to bite you in the first place. These common misconceptions only scratch the surface of what is true about spiders versus what many people perceive to be true, and a lot of people’s fear of spiders comes from the unknown aspect of things!

Whether you consider yourself to be a spider expert or are just starting to learn about arachnids with a view to becoming a future tarantula keeper, read on to discover eight true facts about spiders and increase your knowledge!

1. Spiders can’t eat solid foods

Spiders cannot digest solid foods, and would be unable to eat the food they hunt or that is given to them (such as crickets and pinkie mice for pet tarantulas) in the form that it is presented. The underside of the stomach of the spider produces a digestive enzyme, which the spider in question then exudes onto the body of its prey. After the digestive enzyme has broken down the body of the prey, the spider hoovers up the resultant nutritious liquid and digestive enzyme, which is then processed by the body as food.

2. Virtually all spiders are venomous

Just one spider family (Uloboridae) does not possess venom glands; all other spiders in the world, without exception, produce venom. This includes the tiny money spider and the larger but still commonly seen domestic-dwelling spiders you may have spotted in your house or garden! The potency of the venom varies in case to case, from the serious and dangerous venom of the Brown Recluse spider (which fortunately does not live in the UK) down to the weakest, most minor venom that can only affect the very smallest of prey animals.

3. Spiders make up the largest group of carnivorous animals on earth

Spiders are predatory carnivores, and actively hunt for and trap their prey, which can be interesting if rather gruesome to watch for the tarantula owner! Spiders that belong to the Aranaea order compose the largest group of carnivores on earth by order, and spiders eat a variety of different prey dependent on their size, from tiny flies right up to snakes, mice, rats and birds.

4. All spiders spin silk

All types of spiders produce the silk that you will most probably have seen as part of webs, but silk is not only used for making webs and some spiders do not make webs at all! Silk can also be used for snaring prey, lining burrows, protecting their eggs, for shelter, and as part of the mating ritual.

5. Not all spiders use webs to catch their prey

While all spiders produce silk, not all spiders dwell in webs or use their webs to trap their potential prey. Some spiders simply catch their meals by either lying in wait and pouncing, or by actively chasing after their prey! The jumping spider has acute eyesight, and simply hides itself until viable prey is nearby before attacking it. Wolf spiders actively hunt their prey, pursuing them while remaining discreet and ultimately overtaking the unlucky life form in question before attacking!

6. Life is hard for the male spider

It is relatively well known that the Black Widow spider is liable to eat their partner after mating, but life is rather unfair for male spiders regardless of species! Male spiders are commonly eaten by females, and not only as part of the mating process. The elaborate courtship rituals that male spiders undertake when they are ready to reproduce are partially undertaken to convince the female that they are there for a date rather than a meal, and they need to make a swift retreat after mating to avoid ending up on the menu!

7. Spiders move by a combination of muscle power and blood pressure

As well as using their muscle structures to ambulate and move themselves, spiders rely upon blood pressure to move their long legs. This is particularly true for jumping spiders, which jump by means of increasing the blood pressure to their legs until the legs flip outwards and propel them into the air!

8. Spiders can camouflage their egg sacs

Spiders lay their eggs onto a layer of silk, and then cover them in more silk and keep producing additional layers until the egg sac has been created. The amount of silk that makes up the egg sac varies between species, with spiders that spin webs making thick and large egg sacs, and ground dwelling spiders producing thinner casings.

Some species of spider can produce silk that mimics the substrate onto which it is lain, effectively disguising and camouflaging their eggs against danger and predators.

Insects of a wide variety of types can make for fascinating pets for people of all ages, and keeping a terrarium or tank of a carefully selected and chosen insect species within the home can be highly educational for children. Many people have only the most rudimentary understanding of what insects actually are, or what makes an insect and insect and the traits they do and do not share.

There is a lot of confusion among the lay public about insects in general, and various tales and “facts” that do the rounds are in reality, not true at all! Whether you are simply seeking to expand your own knowledge, or if you want to make sure that you can answer any questions that your children might have correctly, read on for our list of ten of the most commonly held misconceptions about insects that are repeated time and time again!

1. All insects only live on land

It is a common misconception that insects only live on land, but several different types of insects actually live naturally either within the water of lakes, ponds and streams, or around the edges of the water and sometimes on the surface. For instance, the rove beetle lives on the seashore, and sea skaters live within the sea itself. Midges, damselflies, dragonflies and mayflies all live around the water, and some species lay their larvae on the water or on the banks of the water prior to its hatching into adult insects!

2. Insects are not animals

It is often thought that insects, while obviously not vegetable or mineral, are somehow not animals, or that they are something separate to what we usually think of as being animals. This is incorrect, and for many people, when they say “insects are not animals” what they really mean is that “insects are not mammals,” which is correct.

3. The daddy longlegs is a type of flying spider

With their signature long legs and vaguely spider-like appearance, people often assume that the daddy longlegs is simply a spider with wings! This idea understandably horrifies the arachnophobics of the world, but is also completely untrue. The daddy longlegs is a completely different animal to the spider, and is correctly called a crane fly. They are also not giant mosquitoes either!

4. You can tell the age of a ladybird by counting its spots

Children are often told that counting up the number of spots on a ladybird will tell you its age, and it is easy to see why this story is appealing. However, it is not at all true! By the time the ladybird reaches adulthood, all of the spots it will attain for its lifetime are already present. The ladybird only lives for one year at a maximum!

5. Spiders are insects

Many people think that everything that is small, many-legged and rather unusual looking falls into the category of insects, but the spider is not in fact an insect at all. Spiders have two body segments rather than the normal three that insects have, and eight legs rather than six. The spider is classed as an arachnid, a different designation to “insect” entirely.

6. Everything with eight legs is a spider

Just to confuse matters further, not everything that has eight legs is a spider! All spiders have eight legs, but many eight legged animals (such as the crab, the scorpion, the tick and the harvestman) are not spiders. Eight legged creatures like this all fall under the arachnid family (like spiders) but spiders are just one sub section of the arachnid family.

7. Insects have six legs attached at the stomach

By now you have probably gotten the picture that you cannot tell what order or group something belongs to simply by counting the number of its legs, but it is true to say that all adult insects have six legs. This means that animals like moths and butterflies are insects, but centipedes and millipedes are not! The legs of insects are also attached to the thorax, not the abdomen, the thorax being the middle of the three body sections of the insect.

8. All insects are bugs

Are you confused yet? You could be forgiven if you were! The terms “bug” and “insect” are often used interchangeably, but not all insects are bugs! The word “bug” describes a very specific type of insects from the Hemiptera order, which includes cicadas ad aphids. The beetle is not a bug, although this is probably the animal most likely to be labelled as such!

9. Spiders and bugs crawl out of the plughole in baths and sinks

It is perfectly natural to assume that a spider, bug or insect found in the sink or the bath has climbed its way up through the drainage system to get there, but this is highly unlikely to be true! The most common explanation for spiders or insects finding their way into the plughole is that they have dropped there from the ceiling or wall, or deliberately crawled there from elsewhere. Insects and spiders require a degree of humidity to thrive, which they are unlikely to be able to find within most homes in the UK other than in the bathroom or near to water. This makes sinks and basins appealing to them, and can cause them to climb or fall in and then be unable to scale the high, smooth sides to get back out.

10. Small winged insects are the babies of the species

Seeing a very small flying bug or insect with wings often leads people to believe that the animal in question is a baby or juvenile of the species, and that they will later grow into their adult guise. However this is incorrect; by the time an insect has grown its wings it has already metamorphosised into its adult form, and acquiring the wings occurs in the final moult of the larvae or nymph in order to take them into adulthood.

If you keep any kind of invertebrate in a tank, you may find in short order that the enclosed environment of the tank and the humidity levels within it can potentially provide the perfect environment for a range of bugs, parasites and other pests than may prove detrimental to the health of your actual pet. Whether you keep arachnids, bugs, insects or anything else, there are a range of additional life forms that may also find that the tank environment is perfect to sustain life, and this is something that all invertebrate owners should be aware of and know how to address.

In this article, we will cover some of the most common pests and problems that can occur within the invertebrate tank, plus some tips on how to identify and troubleshoot them.

Mites

Mites are tiny arachnids from the order Acari, which are rife within the home and thrive around all sorts of life. Mites live on decomposing organic matter, such as shed skin cells and any other protein-rich elements, and can be inadvertently introduced into the invertebrate tank with relative ease.

Mites can lay eggs and reproduce on the body of various types of invertebrate, including arachnids, beetles, cockroaches and millipedes to name just a few.

Some mites even have a symbiotic relationship with their hosts, cleaning up dead skin cells and actually improving the living environment, while some types of mites are purely parasitic and can prove detrimental to the health of your pets in large numbers. You may be able to identify mites on your pet with the naked eye, although they are often hard to spot unless using a magnifying glass or microscope. Look out for general signs of decline in your pet as well as the actual presence of harmful mites in order to identify a potentially problematic infestation.

Nematodes

Nematodes are tiny translucent worms, and are one of the worst pests to find within the tank. They can cause extreme itching and irritation to your pet, and sometimes even consume their eggs. Nematodes are numerous and prolific, and are most easily introduced into the tank by using an infected substrate, such as soil or earth from the garden. They are also commonly found on wild-caught pet invertebrates such as tarantulas and beetles. Use only sealed and sterilised substrates to minimise the likelihood of introducing nematodes into the tank in the first place, as they can be incredibly difficult to eradicate safely and successfully.

Fungus and mould

Fungus and mould in very small quantities are to be expected in tanks that require a certain level of humidity in order to provide the optimum living conditions for their occupants, but imbalances within the tank ecosystem, too much humidity or not enough cleaning of the tank can soon lead to problems.

Mould and fungus will also thrive on discarded food that is not removed from the tank quickly enough, so cleaning out any uneaten food and replacing the substrate frequently enough to check the spread of fungus ad mould is essential. Fungus and mould can prove poisonous to your pet if consumed, and the spores can cause respiratory problems if inhaled in large quantities.

If you find that despite good husbandry, your tank continues to proliferate fungus or mould, you may need to consider lowering the humidity levels of the tank itself.

Fruit flies

Fruit flies and other small flying insects such as gnats and phorid flies are attracted to decomposing food, and a damp substrate. Some parasites such as fungus gnats are, as the name suggests, attracted to fungus and so again, managing fungus and mould within the tank can help to reduce the likelihood of their setting up home within the tank in the first place.

It is important to do what you can to keep these bugs from gaining access to the tank, as fruit flies and other winged flies can quickly lay eggs and reproduce in large numbers within your tank. Again, remove any uneaten food promptly and do not allow it to decompose within the tank. If you find that the ventilation or lid of your tank makes it difficult to keep flying insects out, you may want to use a fly strip on the lid of the tank that will trap any flies that are present, making sure of course that this is well out of the reach of your actual pet!

Bacteria and viruses

Various different bacterial strains and even some types of virus may be present within your pet’s tank and even within their bodies, and some of these are “good” strains that are essential to help your pet to break down food and fight off harmful strains of bacteria and infection. However, harmful bacteria and viruses can also potentially infect your tank and your pet, such as the Wolbachia bacteria that is often considered to be the cause of many unexpected deaths among pet insects.

Bacteria and viruses can easily be introduced into the ecosystem of the tank along with food such as crickets, so it is important to ensure that your live food supply is healthy, well, and comes from a reputable supplier that keeps their stock in the appropriate living conditions.

Regularly cleaning out the tank and taking care what you introduce into the tank in terms of substrate, food, and additional pets can all help to keep the presence and associated risks of harmful bacteria and viruses within the tank to a minimum.

While cockroaches are not a common household pest within the UK, nevertheless they still have a reputation as a prolific and hard-to-eradicate uninvited guest! In many countries of the world where cockroaches live in large numbers, cockroach infestation and the problems that go with it can cause significant issues for homes and businesses. However, despite the fact that the sight or even idea of having cockroaches in the home is often met with disgust, it is certainly fair to say that these hardy and complex animals are incredibly interesting, and fascinating to learn about and observe.

Cockroaches of various varieties can even be kept as pets, safely enclosed in a secure tank of course! If you are interested in keeping an exotic pet that is relatively low maintenance and not dangerous, the Madagascan hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) is certainly worthy of consideration. This breed of cockroach is relatively large, very hardy, docile and easy to handle, and makes an interesting and educational pet for young and old alike.

About the Madagascan hissing cockroach

The Madagascan hissing cockroach gets its name due to the hissing sound that they make when disturbed, as part of their mating rituals, and sometimes, for no clear reason at all! They will often hiss when picked up, but this defensive mechanism is as far as the threat goes, and they will not bite you! They are native to Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, and live on average for two to three years, although they can live for as long as five years.

They grow to around three inches long at a maximum, and are a reddish-brown to black in colour.

Housing and keeping a Madagascan hissing cockroach

The Madagascan hissing cockroach is at its happiest in a colony of several cockroaches together, for which you will need a glass or plastic tank (such as a fish tank) of around ten to fifteen gallons capacity. The most important consideration when keeping cockroaches is securing them so that they cannot escape into the home, and so a secure and well fitting lid is of course essential! The floor of the tank will require an appropriate substrate, such as vermiculite, pet-safe wood shavings or specially designed jungle bedding. You should provide some hiding places within the tank as well, such as bark, driftwood or some cardboard tunnels.

As the Madagascan hissing cockroach is a tropical animal, the average room temperature of UK homes is likely to be a little low for them to be comfortable and thrive. You will usually need to provide a heater for their tank, to keep the temperature stable at between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius during the day, and not below 18 degrees Celsius at night. Cockroaches do not like bright light, and should not be kept in direct sunlight or in a tank with a powerful light in it or directed onto it.

While the Madagascan hissing cockroach does not need to live in a particularly humid environment, neither should it be too dry, and so the substrate of the tank should be lightly sprayed with a misting of clean water once a day.

You will also need to clean the tank regularly, and replace the substrate now and again, as well as of course removing any uneaten food, providing clean water, and cleaning the tank and bowls themselves.

What do they eat?

Madagascan hissing cockroaches need a diet that is rich in calcium, to support the healthy growth of their hard exoskeleton. Cockroaches will eat more or less anything that you offer them, and some exotic pet retailers actually sell a specially designed complete food for cockroaches.

If you plan to feed your cockroaches a selection of foods, a good balanced diet could consist of cereals such as muesli, fresh fruit and vegetables such as apple, banana, lettuce, tomato and cucumber, and even dry dog food!

Food should be given in a low-sided shallow bowl, and fresh water is of course essential. Ensure that the water dish is also shallow, to avoid inadvertently drowning one of your pets if they should climb into the bowl!

Handling Madagascan hissing cockroaches

Madagascan hissing cockroaches are easy to handle and not dangerous. Despite their fearsome-sounding hiss, they very rarely bite! Cockroaches can be fast moving when the urge takes them, so only handle one at a time, keep the lid of the tank secured on the others, and keep a close eye on where your cockroach is at all times! Handle them with care, as they can be hurt easily by overzealous handling, and of course, if they are dropped or fall.

Where to buy Madagascan hissing cockroaches

Some mainstream pet shops stock exotic pets such as cockroaches, although your best chance of buying healthy specimens comes from shopping at a specialist exotic pets retailer or buying from a private seller. You can browse Madagascan hissing cockroaches for salein the Invertebrates section here on Pets4Homes.

As with any animal large or small, it is important to research thoroughly before making a decision to buy, in order to ensure that you understand what is required of their care and that you are able to look after them appropriately.