Info on Crickets

[frankykeno]

Okay trotting off to the pet store for crickets is getting a mite boring folks so I need a bit of a primer on cricket care. I've looked up a few sites and think I've got the basics down but just checking. I'm not interested in breeding or keeping large amounts of crickets. I just need a setup so I can buy a couple dozen or so at a time, keep them live and healthy for Sprocket the Crestie and cut down the trips to the pet store.

I need a small container (Sprocket eats the itty bitty crix) that they can't escape from but has air vents in it. I need either a piece of egg crate or toilet paper rolls or some such for them to hide in (what in heck is a cricket hiding from? oh yeah! the gecko! LOL). I need a piece of sponge or some such so they have a water source, as apparently standing water drowns the silly things. For food they can eat bits of bread, fruit, etc. (remove before it gets gross and mouldy). When Sprocket wants his crix, remove a few, dust gently with vitamin powder and there you go.

Anything I forgot?

[Laooda]

Sounds great to me! Very close to what I do.................(I wet cotton balls & Crinkle paper towels for hides) If I was a cricket, waiting to be eatin I'd wanna hang with you!!!

[frankykeno]

Well I'm a total idjit. Here I am writing "buy a cricket keeper" on the list for Mike to get today and I remember we have one! We bought Mikey this cool bug catching/keeping thing last year and it's just sitting there gathering dust! It's made for keeping itty bitty bugs! I've got it set up now with some toilet paper rolls, I've got some stale bread (I always have a bag for the ratties anyways), a bit of clean kitchen sponge and a lovely over-ripe banana that some creature needs to eat anyways so I'm good to go when Mike gets home from the pet store later.

Found a couple of neat sites on crickets (I love my Google!)....

http://www.reptilecare.com/crickets.htm

http://www.nyworms.com/ccare.htm

The only thing I'm concerned about is the one guy said the darn crix will eat their water sponge! Is there a better way to keep them hydrated?

[mlededee]

fruit will get nasty quick in a cricket container. use potatos and carrots (raw) instead. these provide both nutrients and water and stink much less as they don't rot so quickly.

i use water crystals or this stuff (http://armstrongcricket.com/waterb.htm - most chain pet stores will carry something similar) in a jar lid instead of a sponge. the sponge will also quickly become nasty as the crickets poop all over it and it will mold. the water crystals either get eaten or evaporate so there is no mess and no mold.

i have used these products from petsmart and been pleased:
http://www.flukerfarms.com/index.asp...PROD&ProdID=23
http://www.flukerfarms.com/index.asp...PROD&ProdID=21 (you can use this in lieu of other food as long as you provide a source of water. i do one lid of water bites and lid of cricket chow.)
http://www.flukerfarms.com/index.asp...PROD&ProdID=25 (i have used this before but prefer the bites and chow--this product was more stinky and didn't evaporate the way the water bites do.)

[frankykeno]

Thank you Em, Queen of the Bugs! At this point I'm looking at keeping a couple of dozen of the jumpy boogers so that Sprocket (and the female crestie I want but haven't errrr mentioned to Mike yet) will have a more consistent food supply without me running to the pet store so many times a week. Mike does want a beardie at some point and I know from others here that the rats might enjoy a cricket hunt so at some point I suppose I'll have a keep a lot more of the nasty things things around (no offense to crickets worldwide but I do HATE bugs!)

[mlededee]

yes, much easier to buy enough for about 2 weeks at a time than to run to the pet store constantly. you will lose a few so always get more than you need, but basically they are easy keepers.

once you get that beardie you can upgrade from the critter keeper to this: http://armstrongcricket.com/polyk.htm. that's what i use for the crickets that feed all my critters. i order the crickets from armstrong too--in my opinion there is no better place to get them, hands down. if you can visit armstrong at a show you will get a much better price on the cricket bin and they toss in a box of crickets for you too.

[Wallbanger]

I keep crickets in a deep sterilite container with a big hole cut in the top and wire screen (not plastic or vinyl because they can chew through that) secured over it to allow proper ventilation. You don't have to use bedding but I put about 1 inch of dry oatmeal in the bottom which they like to eat. Put some old paper towel or toilet paper rolls in there for hides and some old small aluminum pie tins or jar tops in there to hold a slice of potato and some chopped up carrots for food. For water I like the cricket gel that they can't drown themselves in. I've used cotton before but it get's nasty... One thing to note is if they are kept very warm, they will not live as long. Also, you want to keep it pretty dry in there, humidity kills them and makes everything moldy and gross. Breeding your own crickets is really easy too and you can always sell off the extras to bait shops or pet stores to offset the cost. If done correctly, you can actually end up with a few bucks in your pocket and plenty of crickets for your herps!

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

I hate em'. Go for some roaches instead

[mlededee]

roaches are a lot cleaner and stink a lot less, but then you have to maintain a colony. that's a lot of roaches and work for just one (or maybe 2 ) gecko.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

roaches are a lot cleaner and stink a lot less, but then you have to maintain a colony. that's a lot of roaches and work for just one (or maybe 2 ) gecko.

True. I just have a colony of between 500-1000 Blatta Lateralis for my 3 leos.