{"id":1547,"date":"2020-10-16T13:24:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T13:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/?p=1547"},"modified":"2022-07-27T16:50:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T16:50:11","slug":"which-pet-insects-have-a-long-lifespan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/which-pet-insects-have-a-long-lifespan\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Pet Insects Have A long Lifespan?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When you considering a pet insect, you probably wondering how long it will live. Insects commonly don’t have the long life expectancy as mammals do. Although some insects can have an amazingly long life in captivity, many are much more short living. In this article, we will have a look at which pet insects that are commonly kept have a long lifespan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ant queens have one of the longest life expectancies in the insect world and can live between 10 and 30 years. Although not an insect but often kept as a pet, tarantulas also have a very long lifespan and many tarantula species will live more than 25 years (only the females). Generally, pet insects and other pet bugs that live long(er), however, are also a bit more difficult to take care of, or more difficult to breed with them.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the table below, we summed up the most common insects and bugs kept as pets. The lifespan ranges from \u00bd month up to over 30 years, although they also differ in how easy they are to care for and how easy they are to breed, which you also need to consider when deciding which bug you want as a pet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pet insect species<\/th>Lifespan**<\/th>Difficulty care<\/th>Difficulty breeding<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Ants (colony)<\/a><\/td>10-30 years<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td><\/tr>
Beetles<\/a><\/td>0.5-1 year<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td>Medium-hard<\/td><\/tr>
Butterflies<\/td>1-9 months<\/td>Medium-hard<\/td>Medium-hard<\/td><\/tr>
Cockroaches<\/a><\/td>1-2 years<\/td>Easy<\/td>Easy<\/td><\/tr>
Mantises<\/a><\/td>1 year<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td>Hard<\/td><\/tr>
Millipedes<\/a>*<\/td>8-10 years<\/td>Easy<\/td>Medium<\/td><\/tr>
Scorpions*<\/td>6-8 years<\/td>Medium<\/td>Hard<\/td><\/tr>
Giant snails<\/a>*<\/td>5-6 years<\/td>Easy<\/td>Easy<\/td><\/tr>
Stick insects<\/a><\/td>1 year<\/td>Easy<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td><\/tr>
Tarantulas<\/a>*<\/td>+25 years<\/td>Easy-medium<\/td>Hard<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
* These species are actually not insects but also belong to the anthropods phylum as insects do.
** Average lifespan in captivity.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It’s not only about the lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is good to know what the normal lifespan is of your pet animal. If you considering a stick insect, for example, it is perfectly normal that it will die within one year. They just don’t get older. If you want to have a pet that will be there for multiple years, it would be better to have a look at millipedes or tarantulas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the lifespan of insects and other pet bugs is often much shorter, if your animals are dying prematurely, there is probably something wrong, or you need to improve something in the way you keep and care for your animal(s). So lifespan is a great parameter to see if you are taking good care of your animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when you are considering a pet bug, it is not only about how old they can get. You also need to consider if the care of your pet is more challenging and if it is a good idea to start with that bug if you are a beginner. Additionally, some insects that are short-living can be bred fairly easy. That way, you can enjoy that species for many years. For example, stick insects only live for one year, but it is rather easy to breed with stick insects<\/a>. The next year you can enjoy the animals that you have bred yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The three cornerstones for a healthy bug’s life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping your bugs alive and healthy is important to let them thrive their whole lifespan. Breeding with them is often a sign that they are kept in good condition. To keep them healthy, you need to fulfil the needs on three cornerstones: Enclosure<\/em><\/strong>, habitat<\/em><\/strong> and food<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basics of keeping bugs<\/strong><\/strong>

If you want to keep your bugs in the best condition and let them thrive you should read the ‘basics of keeping bugs<\/a>‘, These 8-part series walk you through all the aspects of keeping bugs as pets. It is a good starting point when you like to keep exotic bugs as pets.<\/div>