Before acquiring your stick insects, it is important to consider their housing requirements and ensure that the necessary food and equipment are readily available. Although stick insects are relatively easy to keep and breed, problems can occur when they are housed in inadequate or improper conditions.

As many people who have experience with these creatures will know, their prolific nature means that housing becomes a real issue, poor attention leading to cramped, confined enclosures that support the growth of mould and fungus.

A number of housing options are available, their suitability depending partly on the species concerned. If you wish to keep some of the larger species, such as the jungle nymph, you may need to provide very spacious surroundings. In contrast, if you are interested only in smaller species (such as dares, aretaon or carausius) a large sweets' jar will suffice. It is important to remember that stick insects need sufficient space if they are to moult and develop without difficulty.

In practical terms, this means that they must be able to hang upside down easily, to manoeuvre themselves out of their old skin. As a rule of thumb, the height of their accommodation must therefore be at least twice as great as their length. Perhaps the most useful design is a tall, transparent container with ventilation holes in the top. In its simplest form, this can be a glass jar with a nylon mesh top held in place with a rubber band. Cages sold specifically for housing small insects, including caterpillars, are based on this simple design but come in a variety of sizes.

An alternative design, useful for stick insects, leaf insects etc. consists of a wooden frame covered with nylon netting. The front of the cage is removable, allowing you to replace food and clean out the interior. The amount of ventilation can be controlled by fixing clear plastic over one or more of the sides. These wooden units are available from specialist entomological suppliers, such as small-life supplies or world wide butterflies, for a reasonable price. However, if you are on a particularly tight budget, it might be worthwhile considering the DIY approach.

It is often possible for the new enthusiast to build his/her own enclosure providing they have some basic handyman skills. This type of enclosure can be built using nylon netting, which can then be tacked or stapled to a wooden frame. (Black netting is preferable as it gives you better visibility than white once the unit is completed.) One potential pitfall when building your own enclosure at home is that homemade enclosures are nearly always made of wood, which is difficult, to clean and prone to rot. However, if you have a large number of sticks, a homemade enclosure can prove a very suitable option.