Crickets breeding

[pythontricker]

i just saw two crickets breeding in my cricket enclosure. how long does it take for the crickets to hatch? how long does it take for the mother to lay the eggs. i really would love a clutch of crickets so i don't have to buy some for a while. and if they do hatch, how long does it take them to become full grown? is there anything will need to do to the eggs to make sure they hatch? and how will i find them they seem like they would be really small. i am assuming that since one pair was breeding i will most likely have some other ones in there breeding also. (hopefully) so are there any cricket experts out there? please!

[wuffielover]

Okay, crickets...something I know almost too much about

They breed super easily, all they need is some moist dirt/dirt substitute to lay the eggs in. With a group of adult crickets, we just put in a tray of moist coconut husk (you can buy it in a tightly compressed block, under the name Eco-Earth or Bed-a-Beast, I think there's a couple other brands too), but you can use peat or something like that as well, just make sure it doesn't have any fertilizers or pesticides or other contaminants in it. Just leave it in there overnight and they'll lay a *ton* of eggs in it. You can leave it in longer if you want more, but not too long, because the babies hatch in about 7 days, maybe a little longer depending on temps (room temperature is fine). I take the dirt/whatever out and put it a plastic container (or just cover the container they laid the eggs in) and rubber-band a paper towel tight over the top of it and set it aside. It's important that the dirt/whatever is damp because if it's too dry the eggs will dry out and not hatch. Then, like I said, after about 7 days the little pinheads will hatch out. Just set them up like the adults in another plastic bin/whatever you keep crickets in, and give them cricket food and moisture (fish flakes are great food for the little ones, I've found). Depending on the temperature you keep them at, they'll grow faster (warmer) or slower (cooler)- ours stay about 80 degrees and it takes about 6-7 weeks to go through the whole life cycle from birth to adulthood.

Good luck with the little stinkers

[Clear]

crickets are alot harder to breed than roaches
wuffielover is right on, i had a friend write a tutorial also and it is posted on my page under crickets.