Just Exotic Pets is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Want this question answered? The number of molts varies depending on the species. The insect will rank as a nymph during its first 6-8 molting phases, with the 7 to 8 molting marking its transformation between nymph to sub-adult. Stick insects can become serious pests in the right conditions. It is very important to make sure that any bottle used for . Because of its rigid outer skeleton (skin) it cannot grow in between molts. These places may have been treated insecticides to kill plant pests or mosquitoes, which will also kill stick insects. If you keep live plants in the enclosure, as opposed to branches in water, it is a good idea to place a dish of water filled with stones on the bottom of the enclosure. Every time the stick insects sheds its skin, it will grow. Their mouthparts are not able to chew on anything other than flat plant material. A humid habitat will help the insect shed its skin easier and prevent any complications along the way.