Help! Crickets keep dying by the dozens.

[TheLivingLegend]

Ok, I have a large lee cricket keeper, temps are kept between 71-78, they eat dry bug burger and flukers calcium water cubes. I plan on switching to dino fuel in a couple weeks at the most. I clean the cage everyday with scorching hot water. The fridge did get out of wack and the water cubes got frozen, but theyre thawed out now. Im losing at least a dozen crickets a day, I buy 100 at a time. HELP MEEEE!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Not enough ventilation and overcrowding if using the large cricket keeper. Crickets die easily if it is too humid or if they are crawling all over each other. Those cricket keepers are really only good for small amounts of crickets, and at that size won't support more than 30-50. You need a new container for them or they'll just keep dying.

This method of keeping crickets has worked well for me.

 

[ibdragons]

I put a low wattage bulb in there like below 40w it helps a lot . Good luck

 

[Hoj]

agree with ferrit, a large rubbermaid works well. I use a deep one like 30" and leave the lid off. I have maybe 25-50 out of 1000 die off

 

[Thezillaman21]

simple solution make dubia your staple. they are less of a hassle compared to crickets. and just uses crickets if you happen to stop by the store.

 

[TheLivingLegend]

Not enough ventilation and overcrowding if using the large cricket keeper. Crickets die easily if it is too humid or if they are crawling all over each other. Those cricket keepers are really only good for small amounts of crickets, and at that size won't support more than 30-50. You need a new container for them or they'll just keep dying.

This method of keeping crickets has worked well for me.

Awesome! Thank you ferret, the cricket keeper instructions say the large ones can hold 150 medium crickets, or is that a bloated number? Ugh, I really like using these cause Ive noticed that crickets get stacked up when using egg crates and the poor guy on the bottom can't get out from under them. Thank you!!

 

[torquasprings]

Ok, I have a large lee cricket keeper, temps are kept between 71-78, they eat dry bug burger and flukers calcium water cubes. I plan on switching to dino fuel in a couple weeks at the most. I clean the cage everyday with scorching hot water. The fridge did get out of wack and the water cubes got frozen, but theyre thawed out now. Im losing at least a dozen crickets a day, I buy 100 at a time. HELP MEEEE!

I second what Thezillaman21 said. Crickets stink, die off easy, have more chitin (sp?) that's harder for your pet to digest, jump, there's a risk that they may bite your animals if you free-range them, etc. Dubia are what I switched to for these reasons and more.

 

[nightanole]

I second what Thezillaman21 said. Crickets stink, die off easy, have more chitin (sp?) that's harder for your pet to digest, jump, there's a risk that they may bite your animals if you free-range them, etc. Dubia are what I switched to for these reasons and more.

Ive been seeing this alot lately. So you replace crickets with dubia. So what makes up the chameleon food pyramid now? I use a combo of crickets/dubia/superworms. If i stop crickets im looking at a 50 50 mix or odds are 80% dubia. I think thats against the rules

 

[bradley]

It always generally comes down to ventilation. If you have too many crickets they can sweat which raises humidity. Some die which releases ammonia causing others to die and it goes on. Excess humidity can also build up from uneaten wet food. The more ventilation you have the better. Also keep them clean. I clean mine out every week and have maybe one a week die off out of about 50 or so.

 

[lovepicasso]

I keep 500 in a large Rubbermaid container, I have a 60 watt bulb over them and plenty of egg crate and toilet paper rolls for them to hide in.....I feed Fluker's cricket food and the yellow gel from flukers for liquid, also give them some veggies every once in a while.

 

[torquasprings]

Ive been seeing this alot lately. So you replace crickets with dubia. So what makes up the chameleon food pyramid now? I use a combo of crickets/dubia/superworms. If i stop crickets im looking at a 50 50 mix or odds are 80% dubia. I think thats against the rules

I don't believe in using any one particular insect as a 'staple' because this is not what nature would provide them. My Chams get, horn worms, silkworms, Phoenix worms, butter worms, and occasionally flies, wax worms, and mantids.

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

I keep 500 in a large Rubbermaid container, I have a 60 watt bulb over them and plenty of egg crate and toilet paper rolls for them to hide in.....I feed Fluker's cricket food and the yellow gel from flukers for liquid, also give them some veggies every once in a while.

You should get rid of the flukers period, you'd spend the same amount of money and ease with making veggie cubes and orange slices, not to mention much better for your chameleon.

 

[bradley]

I feed mostly frsh veg but repashy bug burger is great made up into cubes or as a powder.