When you are dealing with a species that requires mating you will need to sex your stick insects. Females are usually both longer and wider than the males, and she will have a more pointed tip at the end of her abdomen. This tip is known as the ovipositor and is where the eggs are laid.

The actual act of mating is rather unexciting, with the male mounting the female, locking abdomens, and staying put for a number of hours. It is a process free of the courtship rituals and aggression that you find in other parts of the animal kingdom.

If you provide plenty of fresh food and housing at a suitable temperature then one stick insect will produce hundreds of eggs, maybe even more than a thousand. The eggs will be spread over a wide area, and are usually just deposited or squirted out. With so many species there are of course exceptions, such as the Javanese Stick Insect, Florida Stick and Giant Spiny which bury their eggs, and there is even one species (Cyphocrania gigas) which shoots its eggs across a range of some twenty feet! When you have stick insects that prefer to bury their eggs then you need to prepare nesting areas – these are just small pots of sand or earth around two inches in height. The base of a pet bottle can make a good nesting area. As well as insects that bury their eggs, there are some, like the Pink Winged Stick Insect, that stick their eggs on all surfaces including leaves. If you have a Pink Winged be careful when replacing the food and look out for eggs on the leaves.

Different stick insects have different eggs, and some of them look just like droppings so if you are novice be vigilante when replacing the substrate. One of the most common pets is the Indian Stick Insect, and the eggs are difficult to identify because they are so small. To identify an egg look out for a lid-like shape from which a nymph could emerge.

Once an egg is laid the time taken for a nymph to emerge will depend on the species and the temperature of the housing. It can take up to a year for nymphs to hatch, but the cycle can be sped up by increasing the temperature of the vivarium. As long as the housing is not too dry and has good ventilation you should get a reasonable yield from the eggs, although this will vary depending on whether they are fertilized or parthenogenetic (parthenogenetic eggs can have very low yields in some species).

Once your nymphs emerge they need to have immediate access to fresh food. Stick insects have delicate bodies at the best of times, but when nymphs it is certainly advisable to avoid handling. Overcrowding when breeding stick insects can also lead to damaged limbs so you need to be prepared to provide separate housing as the nymphs grow. The next thing you know they will be molting and mating!

Other risks related to wild bramble include leaves where spiders have laid their eggs, as spiders introduced into a stick insect vivarium can soon reek havoc, especially if there are nymphs. Another leaf pollutant is bird droppings which are not appreciated by stick insects.

If you don’t have ready access to bramble then it is easily grown. Even if you do have ready access then it is best to grow some of your own supplies so that you aren’t reduced to trawling through the snow to feed your stick insects in the winter months! All you need is a few plant pots, manure/compost, gardening gloves and pruning shears. Get some bramble with its root attached, pot it, water it, and hey presto you have a source of stick insect food. As the bramble grows trimming it regularly will encourage side shoots to grow and maximize your yield.

Beyond bramble there are plenty of other products that you can consider. The Javanese Stick Insect and Reunion Green Stick Insect enjoy eating rhododendron leaves, the Indian Stick Insect will eat ivy, and most stick insects will get by on pyracantha if they have to.

Whatever the diet, the most important thing is to have the food available throughout the day and night. Place the bramble in the housing area, and put the base of the stem in some water which is not deep enough to pose a drowning risk to the stick insects, furthermore, if you cut the stem of the bramble then it will usually remain fresh for a few days as it draws the water in through the point at which it was cut. If you are worried about using water in your vivarium then damp peat can provide the same effect.

Some species of stick insect, such as Eurycantha stick insects, require water and you should provide a small dish that does not pose a risk of drowning. This is quite a challenge, especially when you are breeding and young nymphs are prone to take a drink at the depths of the water dish.

In addition to stick insect food and water a good keeper takes into account their pets’ humidity requirements. A tropical climate, but not one that gives rise to mold is the delicate balance that needs to be achieved.