Crickets dying...???

Infinite ink

Infinite ink

New Member
Hey everyone.. So this is my second batch of crickets i have ordered from lll reptile, my first batch of 250 crickets i think i did very well, i had only a few casualties literally like 4 or 5 dead....

This time around i have higher number of dead crickets, about 20 per week..
This is their diet and keep..
Large clear storage bin, with plenty of ventilation cut outs,
Fluckers dry cricket food along with orange cubes and cricket quencher..
I also use plenty of fresh apples and spinnach when available..
Their container is cleaned about every 3 weeks or so..
Crickets are 1" or large..

Anybody have any suggestions or ideas on why my crickets are dying..?
Because at the pace they are dying i might as well buy them from the local pet store...
 
crickets dying

how old are they?? I use NO veg matter. It spoils then they die. I use Monster cricket diet & Flukers. Keep well ventilated. i dont lose any. Once I stopped the veg matter etc.. just Flukers & Monster & a wet paper towel in a old plastic lid they no loger die at all. I do however use a critter keeper and put 25 or so in it Nite be4 and add some clean green/and pollen . and orange pieces. They load up on that & ready to be thrown to the wolves in the a.m. But I do not add anything else to the MAIN Container of crix. Good Luck , Chas
 
Cool thanx, i like the paper towel idea..im gonna use that. Where do you get the monster?
However i found it weird that so many died in the first week.. I clean out the old food ( plant matter ) every couple days..
Is it possible i just got a bad batch?
Or my crickets caught cricket flu? Lol
 
You laugh but there actually is such a thing. There has been a virus going around that has wiped out some suppliers of crickets. Do a search and you will find several threads. Symptoms are paralisys before they die. They will be twitching for awhile before dying. If you see this remove the affected crickets right away. Water crystals work better than the paper towel if you can get those IMO. The paper towel has to be changed daily or it can be as bad as the veg matter for spreading bacteria.
 
crix dying

No problem . i get Monster diet at a Local pet food distributor. I think Petco or petsmart sells it online? Cleanin out old veg's help BUT Im a firm believer that I do better since stopped it. Also, that WET stench isnt a problem either. Everyone has their own methods. i like the critter container for loadin them up on extras w/out adding extra waste to my main holding bin. >> As far as a bad batch. I have heard of that happening. not where U said U bought them just in gemeral that now & then a cricket virus flares up. Ive even read of miters gettin them . Be sure U sanitize with weak bleach solution before new batch is put in. I have asecond bin that I rotate so I always have a CLEAN one for incoming crix. The bleach really has to be rinsed out thoroughly & DRIED real good. I let it dry for a few days to be sure . Plastic I feel may absorb the bleach to an extent & linger ./ thats sure to KILL crix. good Luck . Chas
 
Well it makes sense that my crickets have some sort of virus, i have removed the dead and affected pretty frequently but there is still crickets dying.
I even bought a new container because i thought it might have been my old one..
Will this have an effect on my chameleons diet?
As many crickets that are left, i still would not want to feed them to my chameleon if they are going to cause any harm..
 
How big are the crickets you are buying? I'm not 100% sure, but I think I remember reading somewhere that the virus only affects them when they are adults. Also, if you are buying full grown ones there is going to be a bigger chance of more dying off because they are full grown.

I have always fed my crickets a wide assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens...no or very little spinach since it binds the calcium) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, zucchini, etc.) and I as long as they are not left to get moldy or rotten I have had no problem with crickets dying from using them. I much prefer natural things to feed them over commercial products since I know what's in them.
 
The crickets are about one inch, so im guessing theyr adults..i have done spinach before, i didnt know it binded the vitamin c. I will definately be switching to greens..
I have not found anything if a cricket disease will harm a chameleon, so i will be monitoring his behavior ...
Hes been normally active as ussual..
Thanx for the help guys.
 
Spinach binds calcium...not vitamin C.
I don't know if that virus will affect the chameleons or not, but I don't recall anyone saying that it will.
 
California seems to be US Ground Zero for the cricket virus. How it seems to work (based on crickets I've bought): they won't grow past a certain point (they won't get to chirping stage...is that a bonus?). They will die rather than get to that point, however, it seems like they resist making that jump so get sort of stuck for a while....they hang out at "almost adult" for longer than they should.

lll is in California so is more likely to use suppliers with the issue than some.
 
I order way more than you. 1000 at a time. I have a clear bin and the lid is cut out and replaced with screen. I use cardboard egg cartons so they all can spread out evenly.

Ya they will die. Some people I heard don't order full sized ones because they will die off in a matter of weeks. I order the size below adults, try that?
Do you have cardboard egg cartons or anything for them to hide and climb?
 
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