Escapee Cricket Life Expectancy

[ChameleonKing1911]

I know this is a forum for chameleon related posts, but I have been searching on the Internet for this and I keep getting unclear answers or no answer at all. I bought some crickets for my leopard geckos and 2-3 crickets made their way out of the enclosure. I've had these crix for a few days and they haven't made any noise but I don't want these guys running around/reproducing in my house.

Can someone give me an estimation for how long these crickets will live in my house?? I don't have any food in the room that they are trapped in so they will be without food. How long will they live for in this environment?

 

[guanagator]

Longer than you think, weeks. In my experience they seem to be attracted to water I find most escapees in the bathroom.

 

[Lathis]

Depends on their size (age) - the smaller/younger they are, the longer they will probably last. Most loose crickets in my house last about a week, although the occasional one will last a bit longer. They won't breed or infest your house - just annoy you with incessant chirping until they die.

If you have some of those sticky traps for bugs or mice, they do a good job catching loose crickets. We keep a few sticky traps out around the house to catch the inevitable stragglers. (Occasionally, the traps catch a random, wild bug and you'll think "OMG THAT WAS IN MY HOUSE".)

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Trapper-Insect-Great-Spiders-Cockroaches/dp/B002Y6JHES

 

[Craigwyatt]

Not sure if your new to reptiles or if your just super efficient about not letting crickets out. But for most of us lizard/ chameleon keeping people we are used to living with crickets running around. I can't even imagine the number of crickets I have loose.
If you only lost 2 or 3 I wouldn't loose any sleep. Couple years ago when my youngest boy was 2 he knocked over a bin with 1000s. Now that did suck for a couple weeks.

 

[Lathis]

Preach it, @Craigwyatt !

I tripped going up the stairs carrying a box of crickets. And recently I went to work with a cricket in my hair. Fun.

 

[Bigsky]

I know this is a forum for chameleon related posts, but I have been searching on the Internet for this and I keep getting unclear answers or no answer at all. I bought some crickets for my leopard geckos and 2-3 crickets made their way out of the enclosure. I've had these crix for a few days and they haven't made any noise but I don't want these guys running around/reproducing in my house.

Can someone give me an estimation for how long these crickets will live in my house?? I don't have any food in the room that they are trapped in so they will be without food. How long will they live for in this environment?

They wont reproduce in your house, unless you have some plants growing in potted soil where they can lay eggs. Even so, the nymphs probably wont survive. If the crickets were full grown, they might live a week.
There are some sticky traps sold for mouse control that might catch them. I catch escaped crickets by placing a basking stone on top of an egg carton. Sometimes the crickets will be under the carton in the morning.

 

[brownie64]

Don't you hate the annoying way they find the perfect place too hide where you can't get too them. My cat has an annoying habit of nocking my cricket ben over to get to the little buggers.

 

[Damicofam6]

I have never lost more than about 5 at once and I usually find them within a day or two. The most common spot I have found them is underneath my bubbler for my turtle tank.

 

[KapitalJ]

Not sure if your new to reptiles or if your just super efficient about not letting crickets out. But for most of us lizard/ chameleon keeping people we are used to living with crickets running around. I can't even imagine the number of crickets I have loose.
If you only lost 2 or 3 I wouldn't loose any sleep. Couple years ago when my youngest boy was 2 he knocked over a bin with 1000s. Now that did suck for a couple weeks.

^^..This.. ^^

I had a big escape too... about 5-6 hundred got loose on me!!

 

[BKO Overdrive]

I got scared of this so i do all of it outside lol. However....one night i was washing the dishes and one came from the sink drain. But to answer your question. Id say a week.

 

[JaniP]

Don't worry about reproducing. 2-3 you probably wont even notice. Escaped crickets are just a way of life when you have reptiles, especially when you have the bulk boxes of crickets vs the little tubs of 100, we find at least one a day. The cat probably finds more.

For all my critters I get a box of 500 a week and ive started putting them in to their enclosures on my front stoop instead of inside - it helps reduce escapees a bit. Im not coordinated enough to get them out of the box without at least 10 getting away.

 

[Andee]

This is why I allow spiders to live in my house.