Ant farms should certainly be on your list when thinking
about pets for children. And here's why. For many children,
their first contact with any sort of animal will be with
insects. Often toddlers will watch a few ants on the
sidewalk or take a closer look at a ladybug that has landed
on their shorts. Children like insects, they like their
often bright colors, and as long as they are not bitten or
stung by one at an early age then it's an interest that can
last a lifetime if it is nurtured properly.
That's why insects make such good pets for small children,
and for grown-ups too, for that matter. When I use the term
pets, then you should understand that it's meant in the
loosest posssible way. With an ant, there's no affection,
no run-and-fetch not even a warm furry body to stroke. So
we are really taking about small animals that children can
study and learn from and also gain experience in looking
after them.
Research suggests that people who have had to care for pets
during childhood go on to become more responsible parents
than children who have never had pets. So what options do
we have? We need to consider running costs. Many of the
larger, more, spectacular insects come from tropical
habitats and require heated living quarters if they are to
survive and/or breed. You may also find that some
carnivorous species will only eat live prey - this is
particularly true of spiders, and so feeding costs may be
an issue. In all these cases the outlay is comparatively
small, compared to say, the costs of feeding a dog, but, of
course, the experience of keeping a dog and a tank of
insects or an ant farm is completely different.
The main insect pet groups look like this:
Ants (Order Hymenoptera) Ants make great pets You can buy
an ant farm for under $20 Very little maintenance is
required They eat virtually nothing yet are active all the
time and perform remarkable feats of tunnelling. They are
great to watch.
Stick insects (Order Phasmidae) Very interesting when newly
hatched, they are active and fun to watch. But as they get
bigger there level of activity drops off and they begin to
loook more like their namesakes - sticks. Children's
interest is likely to wane as the insects become more and
more static. Require fresh vegetation on a regular basis.
Crickets (Order Orthoptera) Crickets can make very good
pets. The many different species vary considerably in their
appearance and show quite a bit of sexual dimorphism (that
is, the males and females look different) They can be quite
active, particularly at warmer temperatures and some will
sing, given the right encouragement. Require fresh
vegetation on a regular basis.
Bees (Order Hymenoptera) Definitely adults only. Bees are
fascinating to keep, and can earn you a little money, but
require a good deal of equipment, and care.
Cockroaches (Order Blattodea) Some parent might blench at
the thought of cockroaches in the house but, provided they
are properly caged then they are the same as any other
insect. Everyone knows how active cokroaches can be, but
they do have the alarming habit of eating each other of
food gets short. Kids might find this difficult to take.
Will eat pretty much anything. Hissing cockroaches are
extremely striking insects.
Millipedes (Order Myriapoda) Interesting to watch but can
spend long periods in an inactive coil, which is pretty
boring for children. Prefer warmer temperatures. Eat
detritus. Giant millipedes can grow to a foot long and be
as fat as a good Cuban cigar so you will need a large tank
to keep them in.
As you can see, there are many ways to go when choosing an
insect pet. Although I find all insects interesting, I
think, for children, ants in an ant farm is likely to offer
the best chance of success. The ant farms themselves are
cheap, and there are many types to choose from. The ants
are usually active and will capture a child's interest and
running costs are virtually nothing.
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Discover the world of ants and find out more about ant
farms at http://www.antfarmcentral.com
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