FAQ about Bugs
Which spiders do I have to worry about in Oregon?
Realistically none, but if you want to talk about medically significant venom, the only one we have here is the western black widow. While black widows have venom more potent than a rattlesnake, they are incredibly shy and reluctant to bite. They are not even able to bite unless pressed up close to your skin as they have very tiny fangs that can't open very wide. Bites usually happen when they are stepped on, they are inside your shoe, or in a pile of wood where people may accidentally grab or squish them. They are also able to deliver a "dry bite" with no venom, or very little, and most healthy adults will recover fully. There have been no deaths from widow bites in the US since 1983.
The only brown recluses in Oregon are at the insectarium! They are also shy, small, and reluctant to bite.
Should I buy a mantis egg case at the nursery for natural pest control in my garden? How about ladybugs?
No! Don't do it. There are no native mantises in Oregon. The mantises you buy at the nursery are invasive Chinese mantises. Mantises in general are not good for your garden. They are indiscriminate predators that eat anything they can catch, including bees, butterflies, each other, and even hummingbirds! Ladybugs are only slightly better, they do have a specific prey (aphids), but the ones you buy at the store are not native. The best way to deal with pests in your garden is to plant native plants and attract native bugs. We recommend visiting the Symbiop Garden Shop to learn more about this topic.
What is the best pet bug? Where do I get one?
It depends on what you want in a pet bug. Here are a few options:
Mantis or jumping spider: live about 1-2 years, cannot keep them together, will not reproduce unless you intentionally mate them. They have specific terrarium design needs, they are predatory and you must raise, find, or purchase live feeder insects. They can be purchased from local breeders and reptile expos mostly, sometimes online.
Cockroaches or isopods: live 1-5 years, but in a colony that will continually reproduce if well-cared for (but may also become overpopulated). They can eat almost anything. Depending on species some can be purchased at local pet stores or online. Isopods have specific substrate (dirt) needs.
Desert beetles: there are many species but common ones are pinicate beetles, blue death-feigning beetles, ironclad beetles, other darkling beetles. They are generally caught in the wild and there is no way to know age, but they tend to live several years and some 15 or more, they will not reproduce in captivity easily, they can live together (even different species), they can live in almost any terrarium with basic substrate and can eat almost anything. They can sometimes be purchased at local pet stores but mostly online.
Moths and butterflies: most are illegal to ship over state lines if not native to that region, Oregon can only receive painted lady butterflies from out-of-state online retailers. They are easy to raise but are seasonal and don't live long. You can order a few local species at Sagebrush Butterflies. They sell polyphemus moths and white-line sphinx moths. Polyphemus are good for beginners, we do not recommend sphinx moths as they fly a lot and need to be hand fed as adults.
We DO NOT recommend these as pet bugs, especially for beginners: tarantulas: females can live 20+ years, not very interactive. Stick and leaf insects: illegal in OR without permit, not native, eat live plants, require daily maintenance to prevent mismolting, overpopulation, and escapes. Scorpions: not interactive, long lived, hide a lot. Ant farms: most are not meant for long term and ants will die, long term ant farms with a queen require lots of maintenance and a special terrarium called a formicarium.
Realistically none, but if you want to talk about medically significant venom, the only one we have here is the western black widow. While black widows have venom more potent than a rattlesnake, they are incredibly shy and reluctant to bite. They are not even able to bite unless pressed up close to your skin as they have very tiny fangs that can't open very wide. Bites usually happen when they are stepped on, they are inside your shoe, or in a pile of wood where people may accidentally grab or squish them. They are also able to deliver a "dry bite" with no venom, or very little, and most healthy adults will recover fully. There have been no deaths from widow bites in the US since 1983.
The only brown recluses in Oregon are at the insectarium! They are also shy, small, and reluctant to bite.
Should I buy a mantis egg case at the nursery for natural pest control in my garden? How about ladybugs?
No! Don't do it. There are no native mantises in Oregon. The mantises you buy at the nursery are invasive Chinese mantises. Mantises in general are not good for your garden. They are indiscriminate predators that eat anything they can catch, including bees, butterflies, each other, and even hummingbirds! Ladybugs are only slightly better, they do have a specific prey (aphids), but the ones you buy at the store are not native. The best way to deal with pests in your garden is to plant native plants and attract native bugs. We recommend visiting the Symbiop Garden Shop to learn more about this topic.
What is the best pet bug? Where do I get one?
It depends on what you want in a pet bug. Here are a few options:
Mantis or jumping spider: live about 1-2 years, cannot keep them together, will not reproduce unless you intentionally mate them. They have specific terrarium design needs, they are predatory and you must raise, find, or purchase live feeder insects. They can be purchased from local breeders and reptile expos mostly, sometimes online.
Cockroaches or isopods: live 1-5 years, but in a colony that will continually reproduce if well-cared for (but may also become overpopulated). They can eat almost anything. Depending on species some can be purchased at local pet stores or online. Isopods have specific substrate (dirt) needs.
Desert beetles: there are many species but common ones are pinicate beetles, blue death-feigning beetles, ironclad beetles, other darkling beetles. They are generally caught in the wild and there is no way to know age, but they tend to live several years and some 15 or more, they will not reproduce in captivity easily, they can live together (even different species), they can live in almost any terrarium with basic substrate and can eat almost anything. They can sometimes be purchased at local pet stores but mostly online.
Moths and butterflies: most are illegal to ship over state lines if not native to that region, Oregon can only receive painted lady butterflies from out-of-state online retailers. They are easy to raise but are seasonal and don't live long. You can order a few local species at Sagebrush Butterflies. They sell polyphemus moths and white-line sphinx moths. Polyphemus are good for beginners, we do not recommend sphinx moths as they fly a lot and need to be hand fed as adults.
We DO NOT recommend these as pet bugs, especially for beginners: tarantulas: females can live 20+ years, not very interactive. Stick and leaf insects: illegal in OR without permit, not native, eat live plants, require daily maintenance to prevent mismolting, overpopulation, and escapes. Scorpions: not interactive, long lived, hide a lot. Ant farms: most are not meant for long term and ants will die, long term ant farms with a queen require lots of maintenance and a special terrarium called a formicarium.