A list of common insect pets that are difficult to keep

Below is a rough ranking (from easy to hard) of the difficulty of keeping common insect pets:

1. Caddisflies
   • Simple food acquisition: Caddisflies are omnivorous insects, but mainly feed on plant leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. In the wild environment, caddisflies like to eat pumpkin flowers, loofah flowers, etc. In captivity, fresh vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage leaves, etc., can be provided, with a wide range of food sources and easy to obtain.
   • Environmental requirements are not high: for the environmental temperature, the caddisflies have a strong adaptability, and they can survive well in the environment of 20℃-30℃, and as long as they take appropriate warming measures in winter, they can survive the winter smoothly. In terms of feeding containers, it is enough to choose a cage or box with suitable size and good ventilation, and there is no need for overly complicated feeding equipment.
2. Ant.
   • Diverse food choices: ants have a wide range of food sources, such as sugar water, honey water, bread crumbs, small insect carcasses, etc. can be used as their food, which are easily accessible in daily life.
   • Easy to build rearing environment: You can use special ant workshops or homemade simple rearing containers, such as transparent plastic boxes, glass bottles, etc. Put some sand, soil, twigs, etc. into the containers to simulate the natural living environment of ants, and as long as you pay attention to keeping the environment clean and dry, you will be able to satisfy the ants’ basic survival needs.
3. Golden Tortoise (some species)
   • Relatively easy to feed: Some of the golden tortoises mainly feed on plant juices, nectar, etc. Fruits, beetle jelly, etc. can be used as a source of food, and the frequency of feeding does not need to be too high, usually once a day or every other day.
   • Stronger environmental adaptability: The golden tortoise has a relatively strong ability to adapt to the environment, as long as you keep the feeding environment ventilated, dry, and avoid direct sunlight and excessive humidity, you can survive better. In terms of temperature, the Golden Turtle is suitable to live in an environment of 20℃-30℃, and can be placed in a warm place indoors in winter.
4. Mantis*
   • Difficulty in obtaining food: Praying mantis is a carnivorous insect that needs to eat live insects such as fruit flies, crickets and aphids. For newbies, obtaining these live insects may take some time and effort, and it is important to ensure the quality and hygiene of the live insects, otherwise it may easily lead to illness of the praying mantis.
   • Environmental requirements are high: Praying mantis need a large space to move around and suitable places to climb and hang upside down, such as tree branches and screen nets, in order to carry out their moult and daily activities. In addition, praying mantis also have certain requirements on the humidity and temperature of the environment, and need to keep the environment moist and warm, which requires the keeper to have certain keeping experience and skills.
5. Staghorn beetle
   • Special food requirements: The larvae of stag beetles need to consume special food such as fermented wood chips or humus, while the adults need to suck sap, fruits and so on. The production of fermented wood shavings requires certain skills and experience, and the quality and degree of fermentation of the wood shavings must be ensured, otherwise the growth and development of the stag beetle larvae will be affected.
   • Difficulty in reproduction: The reproduction of stag beetle requires specific environment and conditions, such as suitable temperature, humidity, light, etc. Moreover, the reproduction cycle of stag beetle is long, which requires the keepers to have enough patience and care.
6. Staghorn Beetle.
   • Sensitive to food: Stag beetle mainly feeds on the leaves of plants, but different species of stag beetles have different requirements on food. Some stag beetles only eat specific plant leaves, and if their favourite food cannot be provided, the stag beetles may refuse to eat or even die.
   • Complicated environmental control: Bamboo worms have high requirements for humidity and temperature of the environment, which need to be kept moist and warm, while avoiding direct sunlight and excessive dryness. During the feeding process, frequent water spraying and ventilation are required, and the humidity and temperature of the environment should be adjusted according to the growth stage of the bamboo worms and seasonal changes.

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