What sort of cages or equipment do i need?(ThePiranha’s Year)
Equipment for rearing insects can be quite simple. The type of cage or container needed will depend a bit on the kinds of insects you are going to keep. Small insects, especially small caterpillars, are best kept in clear plastic boxes which keep their food plant fresh. Keep the boxes out of sunlight or condensation will form. Larger caterpillars, stick insects, praying mantis, butterflies and moths are all best kept in a wooden framed cage, covered with netting. Such a cage can either be
caterpillar in a plastic box
bought or made and you can improvise by using a grocer’s carton with panels cut out and replaced with netting. This is the most useful type of cage for all general purposes. Plastic cylinder cages and other rearing containers are ideal for caterpillars and many kinds of insects but because of their smooth sides insects like butterflies cannot grip and this is where the netting cage is superior : it also gives much better ventilation. Cultures of Fruit Fly, House Fly, Flour Moth and cockroaches do well in cylinder cages and also in the plastic rearing containers known as Crystal Palaces which come in various shapes and sizes.
What are the basic things to know about keeping insects?
Most insects need food and attention every day-even leaving them over it a weekend may cause them to run short of food, or the food may deteriorate, causing the insects to weaken and die, either quite quickly or a little later, from disease. This is especially so and with absolute caterpillars. hygiene are Proper essential attention and cannot be overstressed. When you are using plastic rearing containers do not keep them in a greenhouse or on a windowsill where sunlight can get to them as condensation forms and this is quickly fatal. Do not use wet food for caterpillars, especially those in closed containers (as opposed to cages). Line the bottom of the cage or box with paper or card so that cleaning out is
quick and easy and your container will not be contaminated if you happ
en to get a diseased insect fall to the bottom. Disease, caused by virus and bacteria, is very common in insects. It is carried even in apparently healthy wild stock but it is brought out by adverse conditions which is why I stress the need for hygiene and better than average attention. When you come to clean out a box of caterpillars, lift out the paper lining with the contents, put in a new lining and then put back the caterpillars. Some may cling to the old food, do not pull them off, cut round them with fine scissors. Next put in the fresh food on top. Caterpillars will crawl upwards onto the new food but they are less willing to go downwards and can starve. Do not use cardboard containers for caterpillars as the food plant wilts in these. When you use a cage for caterpillars stand the stems of food plant in a jar of water and plug the neck with cotton wool to prevent drowning. Change the food every other day. These principles apply to most insects being kept in small rearing containers and cages and especially to stick insects. It is not generally realized that there are several species of stick insects available from breeders; some are nearly as long as a man’s foot, others have beautiful folding fan-like wings. They are easy to keep and less susceptible to disease than caterpillars.
Most stick insects come from tropical regions. Praying Mantis should be caged individually as they eat each other. When very young, give them a culture of Fruit Fly in a beaker. This will produce a constant supply of living flies. When the mantis grows larger, offer it living House Flies or any other active insect of this size. They are uncanny, cruel but very fascinating insects to watch. Fruit Fly cultures can be bought but you can attract your own to rotting fruit. Add some anti-mould agent such as Nippagen M to the fruit pulp. Flour Moth larvae live in whole meal flour and you might get them from anywhere that stores grain or flour. Wax Moths might be obtained from a beekeeper and they live in the wax itself. House Flies can be bought from fishing tackle shops as “gentles” which are the larvae. They will feed on slightly moistened bread crumbled up.
The brief details here are enough to give you a good start. There are several books about insects which give greater detail about breeding and if you are buying your initial stocks ask for any relevant information sheets and for recommendations of books that will tell you the facts you need. Start only when you are set up with the equipment and only when you have found out the essential facts you need to enable you to rear the insects you decide to keep.
