Insect Life Cycle

Last night I saw a weird looking insect. It was big and white in color. At first I had no idea what it was because that was the first time I saw that kind of insect. I tried to look closer, and I was shocked when I was able to identify that it was a "cockroach"! Yes, a cockroach with pure white skin. I don't know why it became like that when all of the cockroaches I saw were dark in color. I wonder what is the reason behind this change.

Later that night I tried to find out the reason behind the changing of color of cockroaches. As I was researching, I have seen several articles concerning insect life cycle and found them very amusing.

Insect life cycle begin as an egg and then they hatch into a worm-like stage called larvae. Once it grown, it totally changes into a pupa, where it covers itself as it undergoes metamorphosis. After the metamorphosis is complete, the pupa hatches and the insect becomes an adult.

I also found out that there is another insect life cycle, where insect hatches into a nymph, that looks like a small adult, but it does not change into a pupa. All nymph use to shed their skin as they grow up to become adult, and this process is called molting.

Molting process is a part of nymph's life cycle, where the outer covering of its body called "exoskeleton" does not expand as they are growing that is why it has to be shed and replaced with a larger one.

After molting, their inner skin is still soft and white in color. It will took them several hours before their skin will harden and change from white to dark.

This concludes that the cockroach I saw was a nymph and it undergoes molting that is why it has a white color.

The research I made gave me additional knowledge on insect life cycle, especially cockroaches, and it is very interesting. Although most of them are disgusting and scary, knowing how they grow is fun to learn.

Tips in Making a Beautiful Mouse Habitat at Home

Every individual has his/her own pet at home. Some have dogs while others prefer to have cats. There are also those who love to take care of mouse pets in their homes. Accordingly, they like mouse because they are easy to take good care and of its size. Mouse pets are small that their cages or habitats can just be placed on top of the table.  This article will guide you on how to make a beautiful mouse habitat at the comfort of your own home.

Find a durable and safe cage as your mouse habitat. The quality of the cage should be something that does not easily withered or ruined during adverse situations. It cannot be prevented that this might fall off the table or be accidentally drop by the owner. The cage should be strong enough to protect your mouse pet inside. Also, it should have safe small doors that cannot be opened easily. As much as possible, it should be locked. This is to ensure that your mouse pet cannot escape from its habitat. You should always consider the high intelligence of the mouse. It can open understandably pretty well which way they can have a good exit from the cage. 

Habitats can be in a form of terrarium or cage. Look for something that is convenient for you. If you are the type of pet owner who is fond of bringing along with you your mouse pet, then the cage habitat is suitable for you. The terrarium is ideal for those who love to just display it in their homes. Instead of aquarium full of fishes, one can have a terrarium habituated by a mouse pet. These terrariums can be bought from pet stores. Meanwhile, mouse cages can be ordered from those who customize pet cages.  But just like the terrariums, these cages can also be bought from pet stores. It is advisable, however, to buy it as customized so that you can have your own design as well as the preferred cage size. 

Always make sure that your mouse habitat is clean. You can wash it regularly as foods and wastes might be cluttered inside the cage. Also, this is to ensure that your mouse pet is living in a healthy and clean habitat. This can contribute in the good health and mental alertness of your mouse pet. It is also nice to see a cage or terrarium that is clean. This is important especially that the mouse pet and its “house” is now part of your home. 

It is important that food bowl and water container is present in the cage or terrarium. This is to make sure that your mouse pet can eat and drink water anytime. Some cages or terrariums have already food bowl and water bottle when bought. This will not be difficult for you to feed your mouse pet. Along this line, always make sure that the food inside their habitat is still fresh for the mouse to eat. Same thing that goes for the water – make sure that it is clean enough for drinking. Always remember that the health of your mouse pet relies heavily on what they eat and drink.

Accessories, such as playing wheel, can be a good thing for your mouse habitat. Wheels, particularly, serve as a recreational place of the mouse inside its cage or terrarium. This can also help the mouse to exercise if it keeps on playing around the wheel. Just like humans, mouse pets need to exercise as well to keep them strong. Aside from these accessories, it is also important to place a clean sheet of cloth or paper bedding at the bottom of the cage. This is to make sure that your mouse pet is sleeping on a clean and safe bedding.