Best way to keep crickets

[kirstxblue]

Hi everyone.

Just wanted abit of advice on how to keep large numbers of crix please? we want to use them as the main staple and seems as they breed so quickly it seems like the better option. Totally unsure how they would need to be kept though so....

Whats the best container to keep them in?
Should there be anything else in with them?
How would it need to be cleaned?
What about water for them?

Also, is there anyway crix can be fed from a cup?!

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[BeBoSON]

Heyo,

When keeping a large number of crickets, majority of people use a large plastic bin. [The ones from Walmart used for storage]. Youll need to make some holes to allow proper ventilation, covering the holes with screen. Depending on the number of crickets, throw in a couple of cardboard egg crates.
They sell dehydrated water crystals, all you need to do is allow them to soak up water overnight. People prefer the crystals as to water because crickets easily drown. You can also buy the ready to go water crystals at your local petstore [Petsmart/Petco)].
Always leave a dry gutload in your bin, but also provide veggies and fruit.
I don't think feeding crickets from a cup would be best. They will trample each other, causing them to die. Try using a flat tray to place the food on. Unless your talking about cup feeding your cham, then yes its possible.

 

[kirstxblue]

Yeah I meant cup feedin my cham the crix. How do I do that seems as they jump?
and thanks for the other info

 

[BeBoSON]

Just place them in a cup, they won't jump when they settle down. It might take a while for you cham to grasp the concept though.

Your welcome

 

[Panther16]

Good advice ! That s exactly what you need to do.

 

[wontbme]

i hate crickets lol. to the core, all hatred.

they jump, stink and die. their lifecycle is 13 days. whats that all about?

i'd suggest you get dubia roaches, honestly. their lifespan is 1 year or more. they don't trample easily, breed at warm temperatures and i haven't seen ONE dead one for a month now. too bad theyre not adults yet!

 

[Solid Snake]

I recomend LOTS of ventilation. Like cutting a large portion of the top off whatever container you will be using and covering it with screen. This helps with die-off as the dead crickets give off a gas that kills the others. Ive heard someone highly recomend keeping them in large cardboard boxes. I use the plastic totes from wallmart. I also recomend dubia.

 

[wontbme]

citrus fruit is good for maintaining smell also. oranges, pomegranite, grapefruit

you know, citrus. also maintains calc levels and hydration

 

[BeBoSON]

i hate crickets lol. to the core, all hatred.

they jump, stink and die. their lifecycle is 13 days. whats that all about?

i'd suggest you get dubia roaches, honestly. their lifespan is 1 year or more. they don't trample easily, breed at warm temperatures and i haven't seen ONE dead one for a month now. too bad theyre not adults yet!

I've had no problem with die offs and I purchase my crickets 1000x at a time. They usually last me about 2 months.

 

[wontbme]

they have a 13 adult lifespan. meaning as adults they will only live for 13 days.

i used to order 500 and my whole room smelled like death turned over

 

[BocaJan]

Don't be disheartened. I buy my crickets by the box of 1000. I think the question is how many chams do you have. Forget about breeding them, takes too long and after the pin stage they die like crazy. Leave that part to the professionals. However, if you have several animals you feed crickets to you can buy crickets and keep them for a couple of weeks. The trick is to keep their box clean, give them lots of room and enough ventilation. I have a tall plastic storage bin that is 18" high. When you get a box of crickets (I get mine from my reptile store) they come with 3 layers of egg crates. I usually tear them into 2 or 3 pieces so I can shake them easier. I throw them into the crate along with the crickets on one side. On the other side I have 2 peanut butter jar lids, one holds my dry food (cricket crack) and the other my water crystals). You can get a bag of these from Lowes in their plant department pretty cheap. Don't get anything special...not needed. I think my bag was under $5 and it has lasted me so far 6 months and I still have 1/2 a bag.

The crickets don't jump out of my bin....never! They like their home and as long as you don't stack the egg crates up really high they will stay in the bin. After a week, shake out the egg crates and remove your food and water containers. I use empty toilet paper rolls for my crickets to climb into to help me remove them for feeding my chams. Works like a charm. It also works when I'm cleaning the box. I just dip and put them in a temporary bin. I do this until they are all moved, then dump out the debris, wash out the bin and dry it and dump them back in. This is also a good time to clean out their food and water crystal container. Don't put the water crystals down the sink. They expand and can cause havoc in the plumbing. LOL Some people just use a wet paper towel or sponge. I don't because they get dirty and dried out - yuck and the water crystals are so easy to manage. You can add a little water to them during the week if they appear to be getting a little dry.

If you buy more crickets you can add to your stash during a cleaning day. Works really well. I have been doing mine this way for years and other then a few times when I have been bad about cleaning my bin on a regular basis, they don't smell. Oh, I also keep a baking soda box on a table next to the crickets.

Good luck!

 

[Elizadolots]

If you want to breed then, it's a bit more involved and many say it's not worthwhile, but buying them in bulk is absolutely worthwhile. While my last two shipments did suffer die off, I'm thinking that cold in transit started them off badly. Typically, I can keep them 6 to 8 weeks with no problem. Buy smaller crickets and feed more at first. Reduce the number of crickets you use as the crickets get bigger. My chameleons are small, so I try to feed them all off before they get to full adult size.

Ventilation is key to keeping them alive and having them not stink.

Here are pictures of my cricket bin. I went with a 5 gallon paint bucket. They can be bought at Home Depot and other such places for around $5. The holes were drilled with "hole saws" (which is are bits that fit on power drills) and that's a metal screen held on with duct tape.