Terrarium – Slick Garden

Mostly you have seen plants terrariums but you can also add other organisms to them. It is not difficult to make a pet insect terrarium. You have to just provide the right environment for these little friends. This is a fun project, especially for kids. A terrarium is an enclosed garden in a glass container. You can add plants and insects to this complete ecosystem. The humidity level in the closed terrarium is very high so you should choose those plants and insects so that they can easily adjust to that environment. Can You Put Insects In A Closed Terrarium? You can decorate your house by making a creative closed terrarium. Adding plants to the glass container brings life to it. A closed terrarium is a perfect ecosystem for your plants and brings you close to nature. You can also add insects to this ecosystem to make it more natural. Insects eat decaying matter from the plants so they will help to clean your terrarium. Some bugs and insects even eat mold which is very harmful to the ecosystem of closed terrariums. This thought comes to your mind that you are always to protect your plants from insects and bugs because they are harmful to them then how you can keep insects in your terrarium with your plants? You should keep in mind not all insects are harmful, some insects are beneficial for your sealable glass container. So you should choose suitable insects for your closed terrarium. A List Of Insects You Can Add To Your Closed Terrarium A bioactive terrarium is a complete ecosystem so you can add different insects to it to make it more attractive. Now you think about which insects can easily live in your closed terrarium. Here is a list of insects for you. You can choose insects according to your choice. 1- GRASSHOPPER Grasshoppers need low humidity levels so they are the right option for desert terrariums. The right temperature for raising grasshoppers in the terrarium is between 82 to 90 °F. As you know terrariums are very sensitive to heat so it is very tricky to provide a suitable temperature for grasshoppers. They like to eat leaves, grass, and weeds. You can buy their feed from a pet store. They also need water to drink so you have to keep a small bowl of water in your closed terrarium. Grasshoppers need a little bit of ventilation that's why you have to make some small holes so they can breathe easily. Make sure that the holes are not so big so they can escape from them. 2- BEETLES There are over 400,000 different species of beetles available in the world. This is a cool creature for your sealable glass terrarium. The requirement of temperature and moisture level of this insect depends upon the species you choose for your terrarium. You have to do some research about the specific species of the beetle so you can maintain all the requirements for them. 3- MILLIPEDES There are over 12000 species of millipedes available in the world. The suitable species of millipedes for beginners are the Scarlet millipede, Smokey millipede, Ivory millipede, Bumblebee millipede, and Orthoporus ornatus. Mostly their size ranges from one inch to 14 inches in length. Their length depends upon the size species you choose. This is a cool creature that has hundreds of legs. A highly humid environment is needed for raising millipedes in a closed terrarium. The layer of the substrate should be thicker so millipedes can easily dig, hide and eat. They like to eat leaves and decaying wood. You can add fruit or vegetable slices so they will get enough food. They are toxic so you should be careful so they can give a mild rash on the skin. You must wash your hands after dealing with them. 4- SPRINGTAILS The other name for springtails is collembolans. These are very small whitish-gray insects. Their side is about 1//16 to 1/8 of an inch. They like to live in moist soil and love to eat the decaying matter of plants. That's why these insects are perfect for keeping in a sealable glass container. They help to clean your terrarium and reduce the growth of mold. According to your climate, you can choose tropical springtails or temperate springtails. 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for growing temperate springtails. On the other hand, tropical springtails like to live in warmer environments. For their perfect growth, you can add a small bowl of water and throw in a few grains of rice. 5- ISOPODS Isopods are also known as pill bugs, rolly pollies, or potato bugs. These insects are easily found under damp rocks during the rainy season. They like high humidity and moisture. That’s why a closed terrarium is a perfect place for them. Standard and dwarf isopods are two types of isopods. The size of the dwarf isopod is about a quarter inch. An adult dwarf is equal to a grain of rice. The size of a standard isopod is about ¾ of an inch. Like other insects, they also play an important role in the cleaning up of your terrarium. 6- WORMS If you are looking for beneficial insects then worms are the best option. They help to aerate the soil and break down decaying matter present in the soil. Before choosing the worms for your terrarium you should read these reasons first. If the size of your terrorism is very small, you can not select worms because most of the specials are very big and cannot adjust in a standard terrarium.Worms can make a mess on the container walls.Worms can easily hide in the substrate that's why you can't see them easily in the terrarium. 7- SNAILS Snails have shells with cool designs that's why they look stunning when you add them to your terrarium. They look very lovely when crawling around in the terrarium. Small slices of vegetables and fruit are perfect for them. You should add calcium to their diet so it will help them to build and maintain their shells. Mostly snails hide in the soil so you should add some hiding spaces for them in your glass terrarium. 8- PRAYING MANTIS Praying mantis like to climb and hang on the branches of plants. For praying mantis, you have to use a larger terrarium so they can easily adjust to the environment. Praying mantis needs ventilation in the terrarium so you have to make some holes in it so they will get fresh here to breathe in. The humidity level for praying mantises depends upon the species you are growing. They like to eat different live insects for food. They love to eat crickets, caterpillars, and flies. You can feed them every 1 to 4 days. Purchase Best Terrariums For Insects On Amazon How To Make An Insect Terrarium? The following are the simplest steps for making an insect terrarium. STEP - 1: THINGS YOU NEED Messenger all old aquariumGravel or sand Charcoal Small pebblesGarden soil Colorful rocks or you can also use large pebblesTwigsInsects Read Related Articles: Best Soil For Terrarium15 Best Plants For Terrariums STEP 2: CLEAN THE BOWL Whether you are using a glass container, jar, or fish bowl to make a closed terrarium. First, you should wash it with water and let it dry. Now your glass container is ready for this interesting project. STEP 3: DRAINAGE LAYER The next step is filling your jar with different layers. The first layer should be pebbles or sand. This is a drainage layer that absorbs excess water from the soil. As you know, mostly you use glass containers or bowls or jars for making terrarium and they don't have drainage holes at the bottom. That's why you have to apply a layer of pebbles or sand at the bottom of the terrarium. STEP 4 The next layer of the terrarium is charcoal. This layer helps to separate the soil from the sand or pebbles. STEP 5 This is the time to fill your bowel with soil. You can use garden soil because insects like tools live in garden soil. The thickness of the layer of soil depends upon what type of insect you are adding to your terrarium. STEP 6 Now, is the time to show your clear activity by adding colorful rocks, twigs, and branches to a closed terrarium to make it more attractive. You can easily build our nest of plants and sticks to make your terrarium more adorable. STEP 7 Plant all your favorite plants in the terrarium to give them a natural look. As you know, a closed terrarium is a small garden that's why you have to add beautiful plants to it. You must choose those plants that like to live in a humid environment. STEP 8 This is the main step of your insect close terrarium because now you have to add all your favorite bugs and insects. You can easily find bugs and insects in the garden. Most insects can be seen after rain. We have given you a list of insects that can live in your terrarium. STEP 9 After adding the insects to your terrarium you can cover it with a lid. Make two or three small holes in the lid so the insects can breathe easily. Make sure the holes should not too large otherwise your insects will be escaped. Purchase Best Terrariums For Insects On Amazon How To Take Care Of Insects In A Closed Terrarium? Insects are very beneficial for your terrarium. Now you are thinking about how you can take care of them in a sealable glass container. You will be shocked to know that you don't have to do anything at all because they are capable of taking care of themselves, they feed on dead or decaying organic material that is present inside your container. Besides this, they need your attention. The following tips will help you to care for insects in the terrarium. Make sure the food in the form of that material should be enough for them otherwise they will start eating your plants. In that case, you can add small pieces or slices of fruits and vegetables for them so they will not disturb your plants. They also need water so you should keep a small bowl of water for them.The insects in the glass container don't multiply to uncontrollable levels because this will upset the balance of the ecosystem.When you are dealing with insects, you should wear gloves. Dealing With Mold In A Closed Terrarium Mold can easily develop in a sealable glass container. You cannot easily detect spores on the plant because they are very small. A humid terrarium is a perfect place for their flourishing. You can use cotton buds for cleaning the glass container, leaves, rocks, and twigs. If a leaf is damaged by mold then you should snip it off from the plant to stop spreading mold in the terrarium. Purchase Best Terrariums For Insects On Amazon Dealing With Fungus In A Closed Terrarium You can deal with fungus as with mold. The fungus can easily be seen in the terrarium. You can use a cotton bud for cleaning and snipping off the damaged leaf. You could also use a fungicide to stop the growth of fungus. But the chemicals present in the fungicide can affect the growth of moss and plants. The safer fungicide for your plants must have sulfur-based, neem extract, tebuconazole, and chlorothalonil. Before buying the fungicide you should carefully read the ingredients on the label so you will know the fungicide is not harmful to your plants. You must use a small amount of fungicide so you can see its effect on your plants. Always apply fungicide at night because in the presence of sunlight your plants can burn. Read Related Articles: Why Is My Terrarium Dying? Reasons And TipsWhy Is My Terrarium Growing Mushrooms? What To Do15 Gorgeous Closed Terrarium Plants That Will Thrive In High Humidity