This is not the place to go into the details of training your Stick Insects, so many and diverse are the techniques used.

It is, however, necessary for us to emphasise that before you embark on a training programme for an insect, it is absolutely vital that you ask yourself these questions:

• What am I training it for?
• Does it have an aptitude in that direction?
• Am I prepared to spend the necessary time?
• Would a specialist trainer be better?
• Am I asking too much of the insect?

For example, a friend of mine recently told me of a stick insect of his which was three-quarters of the way through a course in traffic awareness and had suddenly become reckless, leaping out in front of vehicles without warning.  He had known that the insect was of an impetuous nature, and had ignored this when deciding on an outdoor life in an urban area.

Sadly, this particular creature did not survive the incident, and my friend was telling me his story at its funeral.   Before long, my friend had passed away too, perhaps from grief at this needless and tragic loss.  Be warned.

The links below may be of use when you plan a programme of training:

The Royal Association of Stick Insects

Royal Stick Insects for the Blind

Institute of Stick Insect Psychology