How to care for Crickets?

[Drake]

Last month I recieved 1000 crickets that I ordered off of cricketfactory.com. I kept them in a 10 gallon tank, with carboard crates, food, and water, which I cleaned regularly. Today when I went to get more crickets to keep for upstairs, I noticed that there is alot of them dead. My question is what is the proper way to care for them? I fed them collards, apples, fish flakes, cricket yummies, and sprayed the crates with water regulary. Should I get a bigger container next time or should I order less?


Thanks.

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Is the tank glass? Like an aquarium?

 

[Drake]

Yes. Should I keep them in something else, like a plastic container next time?

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Actually, I'm going to answer the question without knowing what type of tank you have. If you have a glass aquarium, you will get a larger death rate. Secondly, you shouldn't be spraying water in the crate. They get their water from the vegetables/fruits you give them along with the gutload you should be feeding them.

Here is the best way I've found on taking care of crickets with miminal die off AND inexpensive too.

1) Buy a rubbermaid tub at Walmart or some place similar that has a lid.
2) Cut a hole on top of the lid (I will post some pics below) and get some screen to cover the hole.
3) Cut some circle holes on the side of the tub, which tubes can be placed in for easy capturing of the crickets. I take the tubes out and then shake them in a cup for easy feeding.
4) Give them lots of carrots, oranges (but, I've found the fruit flies a pain and don't use often) lettuce, celery, eggplant (lol... I found by accident the crickets love eggplant), and any other type of vegetables for their water intake.
5) Find a good gutload.... I use Roach Coach from www.coastalsilkworms.com.

Here are some examples of a home made cricket container:

This works very well for me.... Hope this helps!

 

[Drake]

Wow thanks for all the info and pics Jenna! This helped me a bunch!

Thanks again!

 

[Prism Chameleons]

No problem! Here to help anytime

 

[Heika]

I have a very similar set up for my crickets, except for the tubes on the side. What a good idea! What did you use to cork the tubes?

Also, just a word of caution... crickets chew through fiberglass screen so you need to use aluminum.

Heika

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Actually, those are the tubes you find on the smaller cricket keepers you find in pet shops. I bought a few of those and use the carriers to take my panthers to the vet for check ups and use the tubes for the cricket boxes I made.

That way, I got two uses out of one .

 

[Drake]

Is there any place where you guys reccomend ordering around 500-100 Crickets? I ordered from Cricket factory but they only take checks (Which takes forever) or paypal, and Reptile depot. I was just wondering if you guys have any other places with good deals?

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Try www.reptilefood.com. You can order various size crickets in various amounts.

 

[Drake]

Thanks Jenna!

 

[Brad]

Drake,

I just noticed mulberry farms has added crickets, waxworms, phoenix worms, and butter worms! I purchase crickets locally, so don't have any other specific recommendations.

 

[Drake]

Thanks Brad, I'll check them out. I usually only buy a few dozen crickets locally to hold me over till I get the ones I ordered off the internet. Usually though, my local pet stores either have very small pinheads, or adult crickets that bigger then my chams head, so its easier to buy off the internet, and its usually cheaper.

Thanks again all of you!

 

[lele]

Premium Crickets

best quality and service I have ever gotten. www.premiumcrickets.com

 

[lele]

too many in one tank

Last month I recieved 1000 crickets that I ordered off of cricketfactory.com. I kept them in a 10 gallon tank,

I keep mine in glass tanks with minimal die off. Clean out the dead ones, keep the food fresh and never have more than about 250 (less if full adult) per 10 gal.

 

[jesseesperto]

Actually, I'm going to answer the question without knowing what type of tank you have. If you have a glass aquarium, you will get a larger death rate. Secondly, you shouldn't be spraying water in the crate. They get their water from the vegetables/fruits you give them along with the gutload you should be feeding them.

Here is the best way I've found on taking care of crickets with miminal die off AND inexpensive too.

1) Buy a rubbermaid tub at Walmart or some place similar that has a lid.
2) Cut a hole on top of the lid (I will post some pics below) and get some screen to cover the hole.
3) Cut some circle holes on the side of the tub, which tubes can be placed in for easy capturing of the crickets. I take the tubes out and then shake them in a cup for easy feeding.
4) Give them lots of carrots, oranges (but, I've found the fruit flies a pain and don't use often) lettuce, celery, eggplant (lol... I found by accident the crickets love eggplant), and any other type of vegetables for their water intake.
5) Find a good gutload.... I use Roach Coach from www.coastalsilkworms.com.

Here are some examples of a home made cricket container:

This works very well for me.... Hope this helps!

Tha is such a great idea...what kind of tubes are those.

 

[scooter4n]

Here is a good read>> http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/weblog/archives/000258.html

 

[Stuey!]

thanks lele, thats a great place to buy crickets. your right very nice service

 

[Stuey!]

Oh heres an easy way to store crickets, i just copied this from premiumcrickets.com.

"How should I store my crickets?
We see too many people spending too much money on buying cricket storage containers. There are some vendors out there charging up to $80 for a large cricket storage container. It's a waste.



Go to Lowes/Wal-Mart/Home Depot, and purchase a plastic clothes storage container. Get one that is about the size of a laundry basket. Pick out the clearest one possible to allow some light in for the crickets. The last time I was at Wal-Mart, I saw one on sale for $6.00.



Prepare your cricket container by placing the Kricket Complete feed on the bottom and spreading out. The place some of the cricket water on a shallow plate.



Empty the entire contents of the box of crickets that we send to you in the container. Inside the box will be egg crates - place those in your cricket container.



Don't discard your old toilet paper rolls. Put them in the cricket container. The crickets will crawl in them and you will have an easy way to transfer crickets to either your calcium duster or reptile cage."

im going to try this out on monday and see how it works.