Cricket Massacre - What happened?

[Ilike4hornedchams]

Hey everyone,
so been raising chams for years now but like recently got 900% more chams as in I got 9 more chams lol. So have started buying my crickets in 500 to 1000 count boxes. Recently I had a 500 count box or large crickets basically collapse on me as in 50%+ died of reasons other than tree dragon attack. (Was gonna get a pic, buuut its just dead crickets) Anyway when I get 500 or even 1000 medium sized crickets I have literally less than a dozen die this way on me.
Their containers are like 2 by 1.25 ft by only 10 inches tall. It's got a screen window and scores of holes drilled in much of the lid. So Air has never been an issue, I was giving them assorted foods, and bug burger + water crystals. This is my theory but I want your help, I think they're were so many large crickets that there was literally not enough room to get around and they were blocking each other from getting to food and water, which I was placing on the tops and sides or the cardboard they were on. Usually place water in large plastic bottle caps if that's important..
Anyway, trying to figure this out. This time I plan on splitting the 500 between 2 containers to give more room and let em all get their food easier. Your thoughts???

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I've had the same issues recently and changed suppliers. I am not sure the cause, but I suspect exposure to hostile conditions in shipment or virus.

 

[WAMBO]

My banded crix from Josh's Frogs are pretty darn healthy. Also, be careful what you feed them. Veggies from a grocery store could have pesticides. Buying older crix are those near the end of their life too. I get 1/2 '' by the 500 count.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

One day, Jim the cricket looked around the plastic container and suddenly realized that they were all doomed. He came up with a plan, enlisted the rest of the prisoners, and in a final act of defiance against the human they all drank the kool aid denying the human monster any future use of their bodies.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I also use Josh's Frogs and have had better luck.

 

[carol5208]

One day, Jim the cricket looked around the plastic container and suddenly realized that they were all doomed. He came up with a plan, enlisted the rest of the prisoners, and in a final act of defiance against the human they all drank the kool aid denying the human monster any future use of their bodies.

Mass suicide! ha

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Never buy crickets from Jim Jones.

 

[Ilike4hornedchams]

Ok, well I bought another 500 larges from the same guys and thy are slowly starting to drop off again. Found about 12 dead so far and a good number are lethargic, I think its 3 things; 1 It might be the cold temps in the house I live in, it gets down to like 60-65. That too cold for insects like these? Lol that seems hard to believe to me lol but what do i know about these typical kinds of Crickets. 2 They are not getting fed while sitting at the stores! That's an obvious one, and lastly they cannot get fed when they are cold and hungry as in to tired to move I guess.. Most of them seem fine but right now just feeding them carrots and bug burger (+ water crystals). So no cricket disease epidemic, just crickets being treated poorly

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I can tell you that all of the vendors I try this time of year have a larger portion that die off and the crickets seem less robust. I'm in the NorthEast and the shipping is harder on them, this time of year. I'm your case, adding a clamp lamp with a ceramic heat emitter should help a lot, as will ditching the crickets and using produce as a moisture source, as they eat and get hydrated at once. I think dehydration and cold are your problems, from shipping to once in your care.
I place some superworms in my cricket bin to help eat the dead and I try to remove the dead and dying as quickly as possible.

 

[MelissaB]

I
I place some superworms in my cricket bin to help eat the dead and I try to remove the dead and dying as quickly as possible.

I never thought of doing that, very interesting.

 

[Ilike4hornedchams]

Thanks everyone, this time around I think they are doing much better solely based on giving them more produce like carrots and lettuce. So far maybe only 25-35 have died which is way better than having like 200+ or the 500 die! Ill get a light this week, and when I get another 500 pack soon and ill see how much that helps, thank you very much!

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Thanks everyone, this time around I think they are doing much better solely based on giving them more produce like carrots and lettuce. So far maybe only 25-35 have died which is way better than having like 200+ or the 500 die! Ill get a light this week, and when I get another 500 pack soon and ill see how much that helps, thank you very much!

Use a small under the tank heater. Make sure it only covers one quarter of the bottom of the container you are using. and place it in one corner, not the center. Temps seem to be your issue. That or ..............................................

Aliens! The Aliens are killing off your crickets! My God man, what did you do to piss them off?!?!

 

[Andee]

I do not recommend using super worms as a cleaner crew because of they do not get enough to eat in the dead or moisture in general, they will eat your live crickets. They also do far less constructive cleaning compared to other cleaner crews. In my roach bin I use lesser mealworms and peanut beetles. I even refuse to use hide beetles because they tend to be more destructive

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

My cleaning crews are taxidermy beetles, I think they're also called carpet beetles. They fly which is a little bit annoying but my cricket bins haven't smelled at all since I started using them.

 

[Ilike4hornedchams]

I do not recommend using super worms as a cleaner crew because of they do not get enough to eat in the dead or moisture in general, they will eat your live crickets. They also do far less constructive cleaning compared to other cleaner crews. In my roach bin I use lesser mealworms and peanut beetles. I even refuse to use hide beetles because they tend to be more destructive

Oh, no I use buffalo Beetles for that. No superworms are intermingled with any of my other feeders.

 

[Ilike4hornedchams]

My cleaning crews are taxidermy beetles, I think they're also called carpet beetles. They fly which is a little bit annoying but my cricket bins haven't smelled at all since I started using them.

Wow, where did you get those Taxidermy Beetles?? They sound scary, like they'll eat you alive in your sleep!

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

Wow, where did you get those Taxidermy Beetles?? They sound scary, like they'll eat you alive in your sleep!

A few larvae very commonly sneak into orders of feeders. But I got a batch from Carolina medical supply to get them established. I actually have them in my wax worm colony as well, dead wax worms smell horrible and it's tricky getting them out with moths in the container but the dermestids handle removing all of the dead worms so I don't have to.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I understand there are better creatures to use as clean up crews, but I don't understand the dismay at using superworms, in roach and cricket bins. They seek moisture and consume the dead rather effectively. They also get moisture from the produce used to provide food and moisture to the other feeders. I don't use the superworms or beetles in the bins as feeders. I keep the superworms destined for chameleon stomachs separately.

 

[Andee]

Taxidermy beetles are also known as hide beetles. One of the beetles I don't use.