Walking sticks are usually brown or dark green and about 60mm (about 3″) long. They have long thin, sticklike bodies and long thin antanae. Camoflage is their greatest asset.Â
Walking Stick-Forest Health Protection (left), Walking stick-University of Wisconsin (right)
DescriptionÂ
They occur in the east of the Rocky Mountains, southern Canada all the way down to the southern US.
Walking stick-Provincial Museum of Alberta, Canada (left), Walking stick-University of Michigan (right)
Lifecycle
They lay their eggs in a mass on the ground in rotting leaves and overwinter in the eggs stage. Eggs are black and about the size of a small pea.There is usually only one generation per year.
Severe infestation east of the Rockies-Forest Health Protection
Diet and Damage
They attack cherry trees, oak and other hardword trees. They are not usually very harmful but severe infestations may occur. They can defoliate trees. Nymphs feed on the leaves and eat the entire leaf except the hard veins. They are interesting to watch if you do happen to spot one.
Control
1) Birds
Birds are a natural predator of the walkingstick. Put up bird houses in the affected trees.
2) Hand Pick
If you can spot them that is. Drop them in hot soapy water. I only recommend this if you have a severe problem as they rarely do major damage unless en masse.
Kimberly Patton says
September 14th, 2015 at 10:03 amI live in Breckenridge,Tx ( E.Central Tx- an hour E of Abilene)..We have them here frequently in mid to late summer.They love to eat my morning glory vines and U have seen one that was at least 41/2 ” that was dead on my back porch..They are creepy and I flick them off my trellises with a stick.There is a stand of river cane at the yard edge, and it provides a great home to them and huge grasshoppers.
Ron says
August 27th, 2011 at 7:38 pmI recall as a child an incredible infestation of waking sticks in the Crivitz area around 1960. When we visited relatives in the area, The farm was alive with walking sticks! It was the only year we have ever witnessed this phenomena.
Rtia says
June 29th, 2011 at 3:54 pmdo stick insects eat other insects such as leaf-eating green worms or are those their larvae and the adults eat leaves, too?
ANDY says
September 5th, 2010 at 11:20 pmwhere can i get a walking stick insect
Cahri says
August 30th, 2005 at 7:13 amIf they are not eating your trees, just leave them be. There are plenty of beneficial bugs and birds that will eat them. If they are bothering your trees then do something about them to stop the cycle from reproducing. You can spray all your trees with dormant oil spray in the fall after the leaves drop. This will kill overwintering bugs.
Regards
Cahri
Brenda says
August 30th, 2005 at 3:46 amThank you for your helpful information re walking sticks. We just moved from ND to WY and live in the country nw of Cheyenne. On my screen windows every morning are 1-3 walking sticks. I’ve never seen this kind of bug before. They are hay-colored and actually look like a piece of loose hay. They seem harmless enough. Should I be getting rid of them or are they OK to sit on the outside screens?
kay says
August 19th, 2005 at 12:23 pmthank you cahri i will try that
Cahri says
August 16th, 2005 at 5:56 pmAll bugs can bite, and walking sticks are no exception. They don’t bite unless provoked, but I’d get them out of my house in a hurry. You can spray them with soap or buy a citrus based bug spray. You can also lay down sticky traps along the baseboards.
Regards
Cahri
kay says
August 16th, 2005 at 10:36 ami was just wondering if stick bugs in canada bite and if it hurts or if you can get any type of desise from them latele i have bean having a problem with them getting in the house i have had about 10 to 15 in the house well in my room any thing from baby to adults the have mostly bean green ones but i have one huge ugly brown one so i was wondering if they are fine or i should worry