Kids love pets and families are enriched by the companionship of dogs and cats and other furry creatures. But maybe you’re not ready for prime time pets just yet. If your children are old enough to observe the antics of insect pets and you want a low maintenance pet experience, an insect is the perfect choice. And, they lend themselves to prompting many science observations as you enjoy them.

In Japan and Europe it’s quite common to keep insects as pets. Young children look forward to keeping and caring for crickets, katydids, mantids and beetles. The Japanese favorite is the giant Stag Beetle. Pet shops provide bamboo cages and other habitats plus the food items necessary for their care.

What are your choices? Well, there are many insects readily available at your local pet shop or from online distribution websites. I’ve steered away from spiders although many think they are fantastic pets. Spiders come with the ability to bite and some are venomous. Still, if you’re the adventurous type, you can go out in your own back yard and capture a pet to keep for a time before releasing it back into nature. Or, pick up a tarantula at the pet store: lots of kids love them for their “creepy” value. But here are some other choices.

Mantises are predators and require other live bugs as a food source. They will eat flies, moths, crickets or cockroaches. Preparing the living environment is simple: Just use an aquarium with a mesh cover, place natural objects such as twigs, rocks, soil or sand inside and be sure to have at least one twig that reaches the top of the aquarium for molting time. Mantises can be held gently. They like high humidity so mist daily with a spray from a water bottle. Mantises have a short lifespan—six months at the most.

Ants We all know ants are industrious little creatures. They are fascinating to watch as they go about their work. There are the traditional ant farms in which dirt is the medium or the newer types of containers in which gel allows for easier observation. Some of the gel farms are illuminated with LED lights in various colors for a striking ant home presence. Ants eat seeds, pollen, sugar and some eat other insects. The usual variety of ant in store-bought farms is the Harvester Ant. These are vegetarian and can be fed with grain or seeds. Small crumbs of bread or biscuit will give them the sugar and fat they need. The gel ant farms require no feeding as there is food in the gel.

Butterflies or Moths It is great fun to purchase butterfly or moth cocoons and then wait in anticipation for them to hatch. The cocoons require a wintering period of time before they will begin the hatching process. Most will hatch in May or June.

Beetles are lively insects and a good pet choice for the beginner. You can purchase a jelly product for food or supply small bits of fresh fruits and vegetables. Beetles like places to hide in their environments and most prefer a sandy, dry flooring. They come in a variety of colors and sizes. Two favorites are the warty ground beetle which eats snails or the black death beetle, named for his habit of “playing dead” when disturbed.

Walking Sticks come from the order Phasmida and are known as phasmids. They rely on camouflage for their defense against predators. They’re one of the easiest pets to keep as they need only brambles such as blackberry canes kept in a container of water and they’re happy and well-fed. There are many species of walking sticks and they’re fascinating to watch.

Insects are inexpensive, easy to care for, quiet and make no messes. They’re ideal pets to keep for a relatively short period of time to begin teaching your child the habits necessary for caring for larger and furrier family companions. Find insect pets at your local pet store or at one of the following websites.

www.BugsinCyberspace.com

www.antfarmcentral.com

www.petbugs.com.

Making Observations and Asking Questions: Observe Your Pet

Boost your child’s basic science skills of observation and data collection using this simple process.

• Gather a journal or homemade booklet, pencils, colored pencils or crayons and a magnifying glass.

• Spend a set amount of time from five to ten minutes to simply observe your pet. What do you see?

• Date your entry and write or have an adult write about:

o   Any movement observed

o   Interesting body parts of your pet

o   Creature interactions

o   Changes over time

o   Anything surprising or interesting

• Jot down any questions you have for further research.

• Draw a picture of today’s observations.

Repeat this process several times a week and note changes. This is a good time to introduce simple graphing skills.

Best Kid Books on Insects

• Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders by Jinny Johnson, Simon and Schuster. Contains detailed information with lots of facts and full-color photos. For ages 7-10

• Big Book of Bugs by DK Children. Lots of buggy facts and figures with larger than life photos. For ages 5-8

• The Best Book of Bugs by Claire Llewellyn. Information on life cycles and habitats, beautiful illustrations. For younger readers, ages 4-8

• For your budding artists: How to Draw Insects by Barbara Soloff Levy, Dover Publications. For ages 5-10

Resources:

www.si.edu The Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History.

www.BugsinCyberspace.com

www.squidoo.com  Science Skills: Making Observations and Asking Questions Like a Scientist.