:( My first bad experience w/crickets.

[Syn]

Normally I've had a great time with crickets from a certain big name company, but this is the first time I've had any real issue with them.
It took me 30 minutes to get home, a little warm in the car but nothing to where the crickets should/could over heat.

By the time I got them home they looked like this:

Now 72 large crickets at the price of 12c each.. all dead, that's almost $9..

I would really like to get my money back but.. I think they have don't have a live arrival policy.. so not much I can do there... I don't even know where the receipt is anyways.

Can't say I didn't think this would happen.. I'd love to breed crickets but they are too loud and I just hate the idea of them.. I'll stick to roaches once I can get a colony started again...

 

[jamncristian]

eewww...... cricket stew

 

[Syn]

eewww...... cricket stew

Pretty much.. and what really has me grossed out is the fact I've accidentally forgotten crickets overnight and it hadn't gotten anywhere close to this.
As a matter of fact I only had around 10 deaths.. this has me a little worried about this store's quality of crickets...

I guess the extra humidity after all those storms doesn't help. I really don't know what to call this though.

 

[pssh]

Start breeding wormies? I like my lateralis roaches. None have gotten out in the month and a half that I've had them. Oooor, if you can get ahold of some walking sticks, they would breed like crazy.

 

[Syn]

I can't really find a real supplier for walking sticks - not too sure I could persuade my mom to allow me to breed them either.
The small colony of lateralis I have right now creep her out enough.
Right now I am feeding them dog food so they will breed faster, so feeding them off is out of the question right now.

I have considered breeding worms, and have looked into it.. but like all breeding projects it takes a while to get started.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

That happens where there is no ventilation in the bag. Humidity caused by the crickets themselves is what killed them not the quality of cricket. 30 min in a bag like that is plenty of time to kill them. That combined with the AZ heat you are screwed.

You would be much better off using a cricket keeper or brown paper bag.

 

[pssh]

I imagine hornworms would be easy? Get some tomatoe plants, collect the eggs from the leaves, and buy some chow for when they hatch.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

And BTW... if you are paying $.12 a cricket you must be buying from petsmart or petco? I am guessing???.

Anyway if you got them from one of those stores they are probably from ghann

 

[Syn]

That happens where there is no ventilation in the bag. Humidity caused by the crickets themselves is what killed them not the quality of cricket. 30 min in a bag like that is plenty of time to kill them. That combined with the AZ heat you are screwed.

You would be much better off using a cricket keeper or brown paper bag.

I will probably end up doing that from now on - but it didn't get hot. I am just out $10 now and it's frustrating. Silly crickets for creating humidity I suppose.. all I know is I bought crickets from another store a few days ago and did not have the humidity problem.. I think the bag could be to blame as well?

I imagine hornworms would be easy? Get some tomatoe plants, collect the eggs from the leaves, and buy some chow for when they hatch.

I have honestly never seen a horn worm around here.

And BTW... if you are paying $.12 a cricket you must be buying from petsmart or petco? I am guessing???.

Anyway if you got them from one of those stores they are probably from ghann

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

I think the bag could be to blame as well?

It could be they just didn't let enough oxygen in the bag too. Maybe the person who blew into the bag is full of hot air <---- my attempt at comedy. LOL

 

[Syn]

OHOHOHO I get it because being full of hot air means they are clueless when it comes to some reptiles... Ryan you kill me!

I will probably invest in a large cricket keeper for this reason... blah, anyone have a used one? Spending $25 on a large (I think that's the price?) is just killing my wallet.

 

[jamncristian]

you can buy some hornworm eggs from great lakes hornworm
and grow them outside

I can give you tips on breeding them

 

[canzoman]

OHOHOHO I get it because being full of hot air means they are clueless when it comes to some reptiles... Ryan you kill me!

I will probably invest in a large cricket keeper for this reason... blah, anyone have a used one? Spending $25 on a large (I think that's the price?) is just killing my wallet.

Yeah this happens with large crickets especially 70 of them in the bag. But still they should have put more air in the bag.

They should have also said if you are driving far to open the bag and let some more air in then sealed it again.

 

[Syn]

you can buy some hornworm eggs from great lakes hornworm
and grow them outside

I can give you tips on breeding them

I will try that when it starts cooling off. My only problem is the cost of the food for them.

Yeah this happens with large crickets especially 70 of them in the bag. But still they should have put air in the bag.

They should have also said if you are driving far to open the bad and let some more air in then sealed it again.

I hadn't even thought about it, I had been told this a few years ago but.. well, I haven't had that problem because I hadn't gone to this retail store in a few months... or had this problem.

 

[canzoman]

I will try that when it starts cooling off. My only problem is the cost of the food for them.


I hadn't even thought about it, I had been told this a few years ago but.. well, I haven't had that problem because I hadn't gone to this retail store in a few months... or had this problem.

Yeah that stinks.

Can try CPR on the little guys...

 

[Syn]

You would NOT believe the smell.... *hurls*

 

[FredChameleon]

Start breeding wormies? I like my lateralis roaches. None have gotten out in the month and a half that I've had them. Oooor, if you can get ahold of some walking sticks, they would breed like crazy.

aren't walking sticks poisonous? i've seen some in my back yard, large one's and small ones but do not have the nerve to actually try to pick one up.....

 

[jamncristian]

I will try that when it starts cooling off. My only problem is the cost of the food for them.

you can feed them mulberry leaves and bell peppers, it will just make them grow slower
you can also experiment with other greens such as dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, etc. I am pretty sure they would rather eat that than nothing. besides they are not as picky as silkworms

don't buy a cricket keeper
they are way too overpriced and can kill
the crickets too

just get a small rubbermaid container
cut a large hole on the top and one of the sides
and hot glue gun screen (preferably one that crickets wont be able too chew through) on the holes
there you have and efficient cheap cricket transporter

 

[kiltheduck]

You didn't happen to place the bag on the drivers seat before getting in the car and driving home, did you? That would explain a lot.

 

[kongchi]

Those instructions on the bag, looks like a Petsmart Bag to me.