Can't keep these dang-dong crickets alive!
- Thread starter K. Host
- Start date
guanagator
Avid Member
Make sure they have good airflow, plenty of space to spread out and climb, daily food changes. I keep a few thousand alive for weeks in sterlite tub with enough space for 5 vertical egg crates and 3-4 empty paper towel tubes. Also have dermestid larvae to eat the molt sheds and any that do die.
MissLissa
Avid Member
Dermestids are da bomb.
Also, water water water! Crickets drink a LOT and I've had much better success using a petrie dish filled with marbles, and then filling that with water, than using that water gel crystal stuff. The gel gets pooped on and gross really fast, while I can just wash my cricket's dish every day.
Also, water water water! Crickets drink a LOT and I've had much better success using a petrie dish filled with marbles, and then filling that with water, than using that water gel crystal stuff. The gel gets pooped on and gross really fast, while I can just wash my cricket's dish every day.
ChameLIonLover
Member
How many Dermestids would one want for a bin of 250, or perhaps 500 crickets would you say?
Also, try and get crickets from a reputable establishment. Places like Petco and Petsmart, I see workers there not changing gloves or washing hands in between handling bugs and the animals they are supposed to be taking care of.
I only have one cham, but I've found it much easier to buy 250 or 500 crickets in bulk online from a reputable source such as Ghann's crickets, and hopefully split the order with other reptile owners nearby.
MissMaisie
Member
I have been wondering how people that keep thousands make sure they dont jump out everywhere when feeding them etc? Do you just have a really deep tub?
guanagator
Avid Member
It's about 5 inches deeper than the height of the egg cartons and long enough that I can vertically stack some egg crates and still have 1/3 open space. When feeding I just grab one of the paper towel tubes, and holding it down in the tub in the open space shake them off it into a cup, may get a couple escapees a week. Keep ours in a room off the carport and the toad that lives on that side of the house gets the leftovers, he's semi tame at this point definitely fat and happy.
guanagator
Avid Member
x2 on buying from a reputable source, I get mine at 2weeks old from rainbow so I can raise them myself and ensure the chams get a healthy feeder, can't wait for my roaches colonies to be established enough to switch everyone over to them as a base feeder. For dermestids I've only seen them for sale in 6 oz sizes so that's what I used to reseed when I deep clean the tub every 6 weeks or so. Less will probably work fine, for 500 I think you could get by with 1/3 that amount if you can find them for sale in smaller increments.
guanagator
Avid Member
Snapped a pic of my tub for you now that I'm home. Currently about 2000 in there and think it would be fine with double that amount which I'll need if my eggs all hatch.
K. Host
Member
Wow, thanks for the quick reply. At the moment my bin is just two small shoebox size Tupperware containers. I feed them oranges and carrots, and use a sponge to deliver water, but it gets so gross so fast. I purchase the brown house crickets from Petco. Also, where do yall order your Dermestids? I am in Mobile, Alabama.
wodesorel
Established Member
I had a lot of trouble keeping them alive in a cricket keeper when I got my first cricket eaters. When I moved them to a screen top 7 gallon suddenly they stayed alive for longer. Been getting better results with using wheat bran as a substrate (less smell, too) and offering real water rather than pillows or gel.
Where they come from matters, too. One shop I can guarantee half will be dead within a week. The other has basically no losses after two weeks! That surprised me.
Where they come from matters, too. One shop I can guarantee half will be dead within a week. The other has basically no losses after two weeks! That surprised me.
guanagator
Avid Member
No problem, I get my crickets and dermestids from rainbow mealworms.
MissMaisie
Member
Great thanks! I don't have space for such a big tub atm, but I should be able to find something medium sized. I was just worried about feeding/cleaning them in case they would jump out everywhere.Snapped a pic of my tub for you now that I'm home. Currently about 2000 in there and think it would be fine with double that amount which I'll need if my eggs all hatch.
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