broderp
Avid Member
Ok, please don't laugh.
I buy crickets about every other week for my boy Sherman. They come in a box, 250 or more at a time.
I keep them in this: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/exo-terra-cricket-pen-large.html
The problem is getting them from the box to the keeper. I always have several (sometimes a lot) jump out and escape creating a mess. The last time this happened I lost about 50 crickets. That's a lot to have running around the house or garage. Once in my haste to catch a rogue cricket I dropped the box and managed to dump over 100 on the kitchen floor. This was right before I was banned from doing this in the house and had to move to the garage...
I have tried several methods:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-...y-Wet-Dry-Vac-w-o-Wall-Mount-Bracket/34770967
I figured I could use because it is low power, disposable (@$20, if it breaks I just buy another) and I can use it to suck up the moisture in my terrarium and save a ton on paper towels. The idea was to open the box plug on each side and just stick the hose in and suck them into the vac's canister where I could then more easily pour them into the keeper.
Well, I'm embarrassed to say that the vast majority did not look very well after the ride into the shop vac. I thought I could suck them up and leave all the dirt and bug poo/ bodies behind. I was wrong. The unit has some serious suction for its size.
I suppose it require some modifications to work for me, but before I dump $$ into a $20 product, perhaps there is an easier way.
For those who use a keeper and buy in bulk, how do you complete this awkward, but required task at every fill up?
I buy crickets about every other week for my boy Sherman. They come in a box, 250 or more at a time.
I keep them in this: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/exo-terra-cricket-pen-large.html
The problem is getting them from the box to the keeper. I always have several (sometimes a lot) jump out and escape creating a mess. The last time this happened I lost about 50 crickets. That's a lot to have running around the house or garage. Once in my haste to catch a rogue cricket I dropped the box and managed to dump over 100 on the kitchen floor. This was right before I was banned from doing this in the house and had to move to the garage...
I have tried several methods:
- Dumping the egg crate into the keeper and shaking the crates - they escape, the open box allows them to attempt escape
- Cutting a hole in the box corner to "pour" them into the keeper - they escape and all the crap from shipping gets into the keeper
- Various methods of opening the box, shaking the box to knock them down as I try to get the egg crate pieces our then the left overs I "pour" out of the box.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-...y-Wet-Dry-Vac-w-o-Wall-Mount-Bracket/34770967
I figured I could use because it is low power, disposable (@$20, if it breaks I just buy another) and I can use it to suck up the moisture in my terrarium and save a ton on paper towels. The idea was to open the box plug on each side and just stick the hose in and suck them into the vac's canister where I could then more easily pour them into the keeper.
Well, I'm embarrassed to say that the vast majority did not look very well after the ride into the shop vac. I thought I could suck them up and leave all the dirt and bug poo/ bodies behind. I was wrong.
The unit has some serious suction for its size. I suppose it require some modifications to work for me, but before I dump $$ into a $20 product, perhaps there is an easier way.
For those who use a keeper and buy in bulk, how do you complete this awkward, but required task at every fill up?
