Cheap Cricket Bin, Info and Food

[Sancho]

I thought I would post some details and info on my cricket setup. I buy 250 to 500 crickets at a time from Rainbow. So I built this handy cricket bin cause I was sick of buying crickets from petco at 11cents each.

CRICKET BIN
1.) Go to Target, Walmart, K-Mart or any store that sells Bins. The one I bought is below. (PRICE $5.99 at Target)

2.) Then I just used a screw driver and got it hot over the stove and put holes in the lid for them to get air.

3.) You can add screen over the holes you make or you can leave it as is depending on how deep your bin is.

CRICKET FOOD
I have tried many different cricket feed and most have not worked like the flukers calcium feed.

For food I'm using (cricket crack) which is a mixture of stuff that can be bought from the forum member ssimsswiss AKA Steve https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/ssimsswiss/

I'm also using 2 - 3 chunks of sweet potato in the bowl with the cricket crack and man the crickets love the potato

CRICKET WATER

Water has always been my big cricket killer. I used to use a bowl with paper damp paper towels in it but the crickets would ALWAYS die in it.

So I ran across "Jarosek Water Crystals" which are small crystals and once you put water on them the crystals suck up all the water and grow and hold the water NO MESS and I have yet have a cricket die in the water. You can get the Jarosek Water Crystals from Ryan Jarosek which is also a member here on the forums. https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/ryan-jarosek/

Hope this information helps all you that are starting a cricket bin

 

[Cainschams]

Very nice Tim. I use the same setup for my crix. I just use damp paper towels for water and feed them cricketfood.com gutload. I still have a few pounds of this but will be getting some crack when it runs out

 

[RachelRiot]

Thank you I will be ordering the feed and water soon. I am using the Flukers and having the same problems.

I use deeper bins and put a line of clear packing tape around the top so they cannot get out and leave the top open for more air.

 

[BocaJan]

I do the same thing, but the big ones don't jump once they settle into their egg cartons (I use the ones from the 1000 box of crickets. I transfer them all outside so if any get loose I won't have to vaccum them up. I don't bother with the tape because they just don't jump! To get them out to feed I use a toilet paper roll and let it sit on the bottom for a minute or two then dump the crickets into my feeding cup, dust and dump them into the cages. I use a beverage cup - blue . My chams make a mad dash to the door when they see that cup coming. I actually don't even get to dump because they will climb into the cup to eat. LOL

 

[BocaJan]

Here's mine with a pic of my Rosie thrown in!

 

[Sancho]

I will take pictures of my setup tonight when I get home.

 

[Sancho]

Forgot to add when the water crystals suck up the water add a ice cube to them and when it melts it will add more water so you don't have to refil it all the time