The Best Pet Bugs That Are Easy to Care For

A variety of illustrated, water color bugs who are the best pet bugs to learn about or take care of.

Hello and welcome to my website where you can learn to take care of a variety of bugs! Bug Bushel is a blog about bugs where you can learn about all kinds of different insects and the best bugs to keep as pets. Taking care of bugs may sound odd, but I find it to be a very enjoyable hobby. It requires minimal effort but results in a lot of enjoyment. Read on to learn more about bugs, the best pet bugs for beginners to start with, and how your kids can have fun too!

What Are Bugs?

Bugs (which they are colloquially called) are invertebrates. They are invertebrates that have an exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Some people call bugs ‘insects’ or just ‘bugs’. But what’s the difference between the two?

Bug Vs. Insect: What’s the Difference?

The difference between bugs and insects in a helpful venn diagram

It may seem not very clear at first, but it’s pretty simple once you start to understand. To be safe, you can call any ‘bug’ an ‘insect’. One way you can tell if an insect is actually a ‘bug’ is by its straw-shaped mouthparts. They use their straw-like mouth to suck up fluids. Some examples of bugs are:

  1. Bed Bugs
  2. Aphids
  3. Cicadas
  4. Leafhoppers
  5. Assassin Bugs

Some insects are called bugs when they are not. It can get more confusing if they actually have the word ‘bug’ in their name. One example is ladybugs. Ladybugs are not true bugs even though they have it in their name. You can tell because ladybugs do not have straw-shaped mouthparts or partially hardened wings. They are beetles, which have a hardened outer covering over their wings. Other examples of insects that are NOT considered bugs are:

  1. Praying Mantises
  2. Butterflies and Moths
  3. Flies
  4. Grasshoppers
  5. Ticks
  6. Centipedes
  7. Bees

The Best Pet Bugs for Beginners

Wow, there are so many species of bugs out there! How can you possibly choose which ones? When it comes to pet bugs, there are levels of difficulty. I would not say that some bugs are more ‘difficult’ than others, they just have different requirements (or more) than other species. I will present the top 5 easiest bug species to take care of. They are great for beginning your pet bug journey. Not only are they easy to care for, but they are engaging to watch as well! You may even have luck finding and catching one in the wild not far from your home.

Caterpillar

A Monarch butterfly caterpillar eating a leaf.

Caterpillars are great to take care of. They come in many shapes and sizes. Not only that, but you can experience the joy of watching them turn into a chrysalis (or cocoon) and emerge from it as a beautiful butterfly or moth. If you find the caterpillar, take note of what plant you found it on. This will be helpful once you catch your new pet bug and need to replenish its food every few days.

Ladybug

A red ladybug with black spots on a leaf with dewdrops on its back.

A ladybug (or more like lady insect) is a bright and colorful beetle that makes a great pet. You can have one, or multiple ladybugs in your enclosure. They are very easy to take care of and, if you want to, you can release them into your garden. They are a welcome sight for any gardener since they eat pesky pests like aphids. You can read this post here if you want to learn more about how to care for them.

Praying Mantis

A green praying mantis.

Praying Mantises are one of my favorite pet bugs I care for. I enjoy watching them hanging upside down. They will even turn their head to look at me if I enter the room. They are slightly higher maintenance since they need to eat living insects and can get aggressive if you try to hold or grasp it. There are many different species of praying mantis, which you can learn about here. If you want one as a pet, I recommend the European Mantis, which is the most common and requires the least amount of effort when it comes to enclosure humidity. You can read more here on how to take care of a praying mantis.

Stick Bug

A stick insect on a leaf.

A stick bug may blend into its environment, but it still stands out as one of the most interesting bugs for bugkeepers like me. They are delightful little fellows who are able to be housed together. They may be pickier than some bug species when it comes to feeding, but the rest of their care is smooth sailing. You can read more here on how to care for stick bugs.

Grasshopper

an orange and yellow grasshopper on a blade of brass.

Grasshoppers are good to have as pets since they are not picky, which farmers know all to well. Grasshoppers will consume almost any vegetation, which will make it relatively easy to feed them. They may be jumpy and it can be startling sometimes, but they are harmless. Grasshoppers make great pet bugs since you will have a very easy time finding one in the wild, and with patience, catching it. Compared to the other insects I’ve listed, they do need to have their tank cleaned at least once or twice a week since they do poop a lot, but it is not a difficult process to clean their tank out. You can read more here about what it takes to care for a grasshopper.

Live Pet Bugs for Sale! But Where?

You may be wondering, where do I get pet bugs? Surely not at my local pet store? Yes, you would be correct. Bugs are not like where you can adopt them at a shelter like a dog, or a hamster at a pet store. Just like any other pet, you need to get them from a legitimate source. Luckily, I know the best places you can purchase them. It is recommended to stick to the beginner species I listed once you scroll through my recommended places to purchase them.

BugsinCyberspace

logo from bugs in cyberspace

BugsinCyberspace is my go-to place for purchasing pet bugs. It has the most variety of bugs as well as being able to purchase enclosures and other accessories. The owner of BugsinCyberSpace, Peter Clausen, is extremely passionate about bugs and makes sure that his bugs are shipped safely and securely.

BugSuperStore

Bug Super Store Logo

BugSuperStore is a nice place to purchase bugs. However, it does not have as much variety as BugsinCyberSpace but it does provide bug-keeping supplies. It also has a live arrival guarantee if you do purchase a bug from them

Petco

Petco Logo

Petco doesn’t sell bugs like mantises, ladybugs, or grasshoppers. However, I consider Petco the best place to find supplies for my bugs. Supplies like tanks, rocks, soil, and feeders. (For my predatory critters). It is usually within traveling distance and offers great prices.

If you look through these stores you might be disappointed to see the bug you want may be out of stock or not listed. It takes a while for specialty stores to restock on different bug species. In this case, you might need to catch your own bug or perhaps do your own research on other alternative stores. I recommend that you join a network of other insect enthusiasts who will be glad to help you and provide helpful advice. One place I like the most is Arachnoboards. Once you sign up, you can ask any bug-related question and they can help you with what you need. If you take the easier route of catching your own pet bug, happy hunting!

Bug Worksheets for Preschool

If you are interested in taking care of pet bugs and want to include your kids, these worksheets will work great! Even if you don’t plan on owning a bug, these worksheets can be incorporated into any science or nature curriculum you’ve planned for your kid or your classroom. These engaging activities can help spark and nurture an interest in wildlife, as well as exercise motor skills and hand coordination. Check out these free bug worksheets as excellent learning resources for preschoolers, kindergarteners, or first graders!

Contact Me

If you are interested in taking care of bugs and have specific questions you need answered, I’ll be happy to provide any bug-related advice. You can contact me at bugbushel@gmail.com and I’ll respond back ASAP. For now, you can join my newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Bug Bushel content that can be sent straight to your inbox!

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