DIY-Cricket Cup
- Thread starter eat2muchrice
- Start date
eat2muchrice
Avid Member
Sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve been super busy with playing around with my eldest son. He is now 3.5 year old has started building Lego sets, so I have been spending all my extra time teaching him how to build and follow instructions. My computer is still on the fritz, but I spent our spending cash on more Lego sets, darn things are expensive. We have completed over 10 sets, we are currently working on a 1900 block aircraft carrier, 1700 block market place and have the 1600 block Star Wars X-wing coming soon.
I know it is a poor excuse, I have not forgot about everyone and will start a new batch as soon as we have finished these Lego sets.
I know it is a poor excuse, I have not forgot about everyone and will start a new batch as soon as we have finished these Lego sets.
LOL.... I think you're having more fun then your son is building Lego sets. Have all the fun you can they grow up mighty fast!
ChameLIonLover
Member
haha so what is the status on the feeding cups? I always liked the wooden logs that you could build all kinds of buildings and stuff out of. It's fun to make them really huge.Oh yea, they're called lincoln logs! Or that was one of the main brands anyways
gutesglutes
New Member
This is amazing! Do the crickets escape or do they actually stay in the cup?Being a new chameleon owner I have found this forum a great source for information and questions. One of my biggest hurdles with owning a young chameleon was getting him to eat, for the first week my chameleon hardly ate from me and never ventured down to the bottom of the cage to find food. I was worried he was losing weight, so I tried different methods to introduce food to him and they all failed but one. The cricket cup was a success, I found the idea on this forum and thought to give it a try. I went online to search up cricket cups, but not offended anyone and despite being completely functional, they all looked horrible; upside down plastic water bottles, milk jugs hacked up with scissors and bottles zip tied to branches. So I would like to take the time to share my build for people who want something a little more pleasing or less intrusive looking for their chameleon setup.
Quick Build
1. Painted the “outside” of a clear plastic container.
2. Cut the opening with a dremel or razor knife.
3. Attached a magnetic backing.
3. Wrapped netting around a cardboard insert.
4. Stripped wire for the opening and glued on.
5. Add crickets and watch eat.
Detailed build instructions
1. Find a clear plastic container of your choice, be creative and go through house hold junk to find something to your liking or next time you go out shopping buy a product that comes in a cool plastic container.
2. Paint the container, you only want to paint the outside of the container, leaving the inside of it completely smooth so that crickets cannot scale the walls. 3 coats normally will do it, a clear coat is optional depending on the quality you are going for.
3. Use a stencil to mark your opening, I used a round lid off from a jelly bean jar and traced the rounded edges with a sharpie marker. Yum, jelly beans…..
4. Cut out your outline. I would recommend using a dremel cutting bit for this if you want crisp cuts, a new razor blade will also work but require more effort depending on the thickness of the plastic. I personally avoid using scissors and hate them because they will leave jazzed, bend, ugly cuts and would probably crack the paintjob.
5. Attach your backing, I went with a piece of sheet metal stuck on with 3m double stick tape or hot glue will work, now I can use a strong magnet and attach the container through glass. Depending on your magnet it will easy secure to screens for a secure hold, for extra strength you can use two magnets.
6. Cut out a piece of cardboard insert, it should be long enough to reach the bottom and top of the inside of the cup. The piece should have a nice snug fit so that your chameleons tongue cannot pull it out.
7. Get some netting or screen, I found some garlic netting in the kitchen that worked perfectly. It slides on the cardboard insert like a sock, but if you cannot find something like that then you can use hot glue to stick it onto the cardboard.
8. Use rubber tubing to protect the opening, this will help prevent damage to your chameleons tongue from the sharp edges. It will also give them something to have a nice grip onto when peeking down into the feeder cup. I did not have any tubing so I used an old charger cord, took a razor to cut a straight line down the center and remove the wire. Then use slow drying glue wrap it around the edges of the cutout and trim off the extra slack to join the two ends.
9. Insert your screen covered cardboard insert, make sure that the screen/netting sits completely to the back wall to prevent crickets hiding behind it and that it reaches the bottom so that they can reach and climb up.
Tip: If you find your crickets can still escape then use clear tape alone the inside outer walls.
Hope you guys use and enjoy this build, feel free to post pictures of your cricket cups here to inspire ideas and share your creation.
I turned an armoire into a chameleon cage and the crickets escape when they're free range. The roommate isn't too thrilled since her cats don't kill them when they get out, they just play with them.
I also would like to do the feeder cup idea so I can track how much Milly is eating. Right now I'm totally guessing.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
I'd like to get one these would work great for dubia they don't jump
brownie64
Avid Member
I pull their jumping legs off.
Being a new chameleon owner I have found this forum a great source for information and questions. One of my biggest hurdles with owning a young chameleon was getting him to eat, for the first week my chameleon hardly ate from me and never ventured down to the bottom of the cage to find food. I was worried he was losing weight, so I tried different methods to introduce food to him and they all failed but one. The cricket cup was a success, I found the idea on this forum and thought to give it a try. I went online to search up cricket cups, but not offended anyone and despite being completely functional, they all looked horrible; upside down plastic water bottles, milk jugs hacked up with scissors and bottles zip tied to branches. So I would like to take the time to share my build for people who want something a little more pleasing or less intrusive looking for their chameleon setup.
Quick Build
1. Painted the “outside” of a clear plastic container.
2. Cut the opening with a dremel or razor knife.
3. Attached a magnetic backing.
3. Wrapped netting around a cardboard insert.
4. Stripped wire for the opening and glued on.
5. Add crickets and watch eat.
Detailed build instructions
1. Find a clear plastic container of your choice, be creative and go through house hold junk to find something to your liking or next time you go out shopping buy a product that comes in a cool plastic container.
2. Paint the container, you only want to paint the outside of the container, leaving the inside of it completely smooth so that crickets cannot scale the walls. 3 coats normally will do it, a clear coat is optional depending on the quality you are going for.
3. Use a stencil to mark your opening, I used a round lid off from a jelly bean jar and traced the rounded edges with a sharpie marker. Yum, jelly beans…..
4. Cut out your outline. I would recommend using a dremel cutting bit for this if you want crisp cuts, a new razor blade will also work but require more effort depending on the thickness of the plastic. I personally avoid using scissors and hate them because they will leave jazzed, bend, ugly cuts and would probably crack the paintjob.
5. Attach your backing, I went with a piece of sheet metal stuck on with 3m double stick tape or hot glue will work, now I can use a strong magnet and attach the container through glass. Depending on your magnet it will easy secure to screens for a secure hold, for extra strength you can use two magnets.
6. Cut out a piece of cardboard insert, it should be long enough to reach the bottom and top of the inside of the cup. The piece should have a nice snug fit so that your chameleons tongue cannot pull it out.
7. Get some netting or screen, I found some garlic netting in the kitchen that worked perfectly. It slides on the cardboard insert like a sock, but if you cannot find something like that then you can use hot glue to stick it onto the cardboard.
8. Use rubber tubing to protect the opening, this will help prevent damage to your chameleons tongue from the sharp edges. It will also give them something to have a nice grip onto when peeking down into the feeder cup. I did not have any tubing so I used an old charger cord, took a razor to cut a straight line down the center and remove the wire. Then use slow drying glue wrap it around the edges of the cutout and trim off the extra slack to join the two ends.
9. Insert your screen covered cardboard insert, make sure that the screen/netting sits completely to the back wall to prevent crickets hiding behind it and that it reaches the bottom so that they can reach and climb up.
Tip: If you find your crickets can still escape then use clear tape alone the inside outer walls.
Hope you guys use and enjoy this build, feel free to post pictures of your cricket cups here to inspire ideas and share your creation.
Please get in touch with me if you would be willing to sell one of those very nice cricket cups.wmabeynot@comcast.
bridgetnshane
Member
Impressive lol might have to try this weebo is using a KFC contanier right now
Love the design. I just hung a quart glass jar by some wire, then velcro, then swapped it out for a tupperware-style tub with a hole cut in the lid because they kept escaping. LOL. Now he's big enough (2 feet long) that he just catches feeders on his own. One thought, could being clear, see-through be beneficial?
gutesglutes
New Member
I made one...it probably works best for small crickets. The large ones have all escaped every time for me.
Any suggestions for large crickets?
I know brownie64 said to pull their jumping legs off. I might try that. I just hate touching them!
Any suggestions for large crickets?
I know brownie64 said to pull their jumping legs off. I might try that. I just hate touching them!
I really have no idea how you guys on this sight are so damn smart. I'm not even smart enough to follow the directions,allow I'm sure they would be clear for a person with a brain. I need to change my name on here to scarecrow (no brain). My cricket holder is just a plastic cup. before that, I just thew the crickets in. I've had him for a couple of months and I've seen him eat 2 crickets. I had way too many plants in the bottom. Plus, I really had no bottom .I just placed the cage on a scree sitting on a Home Depot Shelf where the water could just drain into a plastic container underneath. The problem is,I couldn't make it square or flat (whatever you call it and crickets that didn't climb the screen escaped. I feel like I'm camping in here! You guys come up with the most unbelievable stuff. Trouble is,even when I see something awesome, I'm to lame to figure it out. I wish more of you guys would sell your gadgets. I've seen at least 4 things I'd buy. Kudos to you all. I have a doctorate and can't figure a thing out. I love that feeder. Will my chameleon find the crickets in a plastic cup. I don't want to starve him. He doesn't look skinny, but sure won't eat the crickets on the screen if I'm watching. Sorry for babbling, I just wanted to say how impressed by all your inventions.
