You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Pet insects are increasingly popular - and it is important to provide the correct type of food otherwise nutrition-related diseases can occur

A wide variety of insects are now kept as household pets. Some of the most popular are :

• Butterflies and moths
• Cockroaches
• Grasshoppers, locusts or crickets
• Praying mantis
• Stick insects

Insects vary in their food requirements from 

• Carnivores (eat living prey)
• Herbivores (eat plant material) - eg stick insects.
• Omnivores (eat food from animals and plants) - eg cockroaches
• Some have highly specific nutritional requirements and only eat one type of plant eg butterfly or moth larvae, stick insects

Before taking on an insect as a pet it is important to know exactly what type of food it requires, and that you have access to a continuous source of this food all year around.

In general fresh, young plants should be provided rather than old, fibrous leaves for herbivores and spraying with water will help keep them fresh for longer.

Good quality food (plant or animal) must be provided and so it is best bought from a reputable supplier. Never pick plants from a garden or hedgerow to feed to your insect because they could be contaminated with pesticides which could harm your pet. 

In addition to raw food ingredients insects require a source of water - this can be in the form of a shallow bowl - with guard if necessary to stop the creature falling into the water, or water can be sprayed onto vegetation.

If insects are being bred to be fed to larger predators such as reptiles (eg lizards) their food can be covered in multivitamin and mineral powder - which will help to increase the nutritional value of the insects for the reptile !

For further detailed information about the specific nutritional requirements of different insects click on the links below

• Butterflies and Moths
• Cockroaches
• Grasshoppers, locusts or crickets
• Praying mantis
• Stick insects

Updated October 2013