Cricket Care

[MobiTheVeildCham]

Every time I get crickets, they always die. I have a decent amount right now, most of them are in the black tube, and all the dead ones are on the ground (Some alive ones are on the ground as well)

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• Sorry about the bad pictures, my camera isn't the best..

 

[coastal_chameleon]

they need to be kept warm , somewhere in the mid 80 .
they also need good ventilation , they do live short lives once they are adults so it could be that to !

 

[ERKleRose]

Is that mold in it? You also need a bigger enclosure with enough ventilation and lots of paper towel tubes and/or egg flats to hide in, preferably placed vertically to help with gases. The enclosure needs to be cleaned often. They need lots of moisture to drink/eat, too.

 

[coastal_chameleon]

they are cannibalistic so always provide them with food and veggies for hydration .

I would also add some egg crates to give them places to hide

 

[Crossingtami]

I keep mine in a big tub. I buy egg cartons Amazon for the inside of the tub. Easy diy.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I keep mine in a big tub. I buy egg cartons Amazon for the inside of the tub. Easy diy.

I did the exact same thing, gives the crickets all the room they need. Just use a good amount of cardboard tubes from papertowel and tp rolls, clean regularly and always provide fresh food and water crystals

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Also WHERE you get them from i think is V important! I refuse to buy from petco or bigbox stores because i dont believe in their quality and dont trust them.

 

[MissSkittles]

Cleanliness is everything with keeping your crickets alive, especially in cricket keepers. They need their waste and dead ones cleaned out daily. Only feed them small amounts that they will be able to eat in one day and clean the old food out. I have to order hundreds at a time so have been using the massive bins that I’ve added lots of ventilation to. Currently trying a bioactive set up with my crickets to see if it works. So far, all seem to still be alive and well.

 

[Crossingtami]

Cleanliness is everything with keeping your crickets alive, especially in cricket keepers. They need their waste and dead ones cleaned out daily. Only feed them small amounts that they will be able to eat in one day and clean the old food out. I have to order hundreds at a time so have been using the massive bins that I’ve added lots of ventilation to. Currently trying a bioactive set up with my crickets to see if it works. So far, all seem to still be alive and well.

I made 3 tubs. I use 2 and keep 1 in the rotation as I clean a bin. I've been buying 250 mediums and 500 larges from Josh's and feedercrickets.com. I feed daily and clean often. (I think it keeps the 'stink' to a minimum.) Not a lot of dead loss.

 

[Gryllidae Per Kcal]

I typically only buy what I’ll feed in 1-2 feedings. I also like to buy pinheads and raise them to the correct size myself.

 

[Tige21v]

Also WHERE you get them from i think is V important! I refuse to buy from petco or bigbox stores because i dont believe in their quality and dont trust them.

Also try to find banded crickets. They seem to be much hardier.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Also try to find banded crickets. They seem to be much hardier.

Yeah exactly! i dont think petco or petsmart use those ones

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I was recently thinking of getting one of those water pillows instead of the gel, anyone use these???

 

[Gryllidae Per Kcal]

Yeah exactly! i dont think petco or petsmart use those ones

I would always get banded crickets from Petsmart but they seem to be switching back to Acheta domesticus. I have no problem with the species but I prefer to use both Banded and Acheta so I’ll need to find banded crickets that I don't have to buy in bulk elsewhere.

 

[ERKleRose]

I was recently thinking of getting one of those water pillows instead of the gel, anyone use these???

Even though they say they are reusable, they aren’t. You can use damp cotton balls or paper towel though

 

[AmandaS]

Every time I get crickets, they always die. I have a decent amount right now, most of them are in the black tube, and all the dead ones are on the ground (Some alive ones are on the ground as well)

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• Sorry about the bad pictures, my camera isn't the best..

Also orange peel has natural insecticide. You would be better off using the fresh greens from the gutload image.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

I would always get banded crickets from Petsmart but they seem to be switching back to Acheta domesticus. I have no problem with the species but I prefer to use both Banded and Acheta so I’ll need to find banded crickets that I don't have to buy in bulk elsewhere.

Yeah i prefer the banded and luckily theres one place local i can get em from

Even though they say they are reusable, they aren’t. You can use damp cotton balls or paper towel though

Are you serious!? Thats so disappointing, kinda the whole reason i wanted to switch ive done damp paper towel but it dries out really fast, ill give the cotton ball a shot, thanks

 

[ERKleRose]

Yeah i prefer the banded and luckily theres one place local i can get em from



Are you serious!? Thats so disappointing, kinda the whole reason i wanted to switch ive done damp paper towel but it dries out really fast, ill give the cotton ball a shot, thanks

Yup, either damp cotton balls or paper towels, water crystals, wet commercial gutload, fresh gutload ingredients, or kosher gelatin that has blended up fresh gutload ingredients and/or commercial gutload in it for cricket hydration. With the kosher gelatin one, you can freeze what you don’t use and defrost as needed

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

Im lookin to buy in bulk i was about to get this...

http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...Iq968v5gCKYC8qvH2b8avRZpY2eX4TcAaAkjLEALw_wcB

But i have to make it

Kosher gelatin? okay maybe ill look into that

 

[MobiTheVeildCham]

Mkay. We have a giant Tupperware bin that I can switch to. And I'll DEFINITELY try out the soaked cotton balls. I've been looking for different hydrating methods and this looks like the one! I'll also switch to greens for the gut loading. Thanks for all the info!!