About Northern Walking Sticks
Northern Walking Stick Insects or Diapheromera femorata are a species of Phasmids coming from the order of insects called Phasmatodea. The Northern Walking Stick is one of the few non-tropical Phasmids and are native to North America.
They grow to about three or four inches long and are vegetarians. They range in color from green to brown.
Keeping Northern Walking Stick Insects as Pets
They are an ideal pet for beginners or children. Their short lifespan of approximately one year, means they are a short commitment. They are cheap to feed and the only cleaning they require is removal of dried leaves (see feeding and care) and the occasional shedding skin. They are a fun and easy pet for the enthusiast and are great for people with animal allergies or who do not have room for a larger pet.
Housing
Your pets habitat may range from the simple to the elaborate. You can have a no cost jar or a well designed vivarium, as described below. Either way , the most important part of any Walking Stick set up is to provide them with Sticks, Twigs, or Branches. These are essential to their molting process. I can not stress this more. Not providing Phasmids with these tools for molting could be considered cruelty and is. The second most important requirement is a good lid. If you are using a large jar, having small holes in the lid will be enough, but for a larger set up you will want a tightly woven screen. You can purchase these from pet supply shops or make your own, its important the screen is fine, as nymphs are very tiny and can escape otherwise. It should be noted as well that they prefer taller enclosures to short long ones.
Although some people have kept a single or couple Walking Sticks in a small insect or reptile habitat or even a large jar I prefer to keep them in a larger Vivarium. Vivariums are Terrariums that not only include animals as well as plants. The simplest is an aquarium with newspaper on the bottom and a few potted plants inside, a more elaborate vivarium is described below. You can use any type of Aquarium to make a Vivarium. It's a good way to recycle that leaky aquarium you have in the basement.
Building a Vivarium
When setting up a decent Vivarium for Phasmids size is somewhat important. A 1 or 2 Gallon Tank is okay for 1 or 2 Walking Sticks. However, if even if you only have 1 Walking Stick you will soon have 10 or 20 Walking Sticks due to the nature of their reproduction. I keep mine in a 7.5 Gallon Vivarium.
When setting up your Walking Stick Vivarium you should start by purchasing egg crate panel(the kind that is use in ceiling lighting) and a bag or air conditioning filter fabric. Cut a piece of the egg crate panel to fit the bottom of the vivarium.
After this you can use small pieces of Styrofoam or pvc fittings to raise the panel a half inch to inch to create a false bottom for your vivarium. (Note: if you are using a leaky aquarium run a bead of aquarium sealant around the inside base of your aquarium.). Place the air conditioning filter medium over the egg crate panel and then add a substrate mixture over it. You can purchase various substrates at pet supply stores or make your own using potting soil that has been microwaved for 30 seconds mixed then mixed with composed leaf matter.
Now you are ready to design your Walking Sticks new home. Collect sticks, pebbles, and rocks from your yard. Wash the rocks and pebbles thoroughly. Go to your local garden center or department store and buy some inexpensive plants that are small enough to fit into the vivarium even after they grow a bit. You will have to replace them from time to time. Also give all exposed parts of these plants a good wash before you place them in the vivarium.
If fed properly you Walking Sticks won't completely consume the plants in their vivarium. If you are concerned with that you can use plastic plants or species they don't touch such as Earthstars and Bromiliads. I have and a tank set up with those plants for 3 years now my Walking Sticks have not touched The Earthstars in the once.
In one area of your vivarium clear the dirt away from the filter medium and place the small pebbles to provide an area that you can add water into your false bottom, this is to prevent pooling of water which can lead to drowning of smaller nymphs. After this you can place the plants, rocks and wooden sticks you've purchased or collected so that it is pleasing to your eye. For added appeal add some mosses to the vivarium floor.
