:( My first bad experience w/crickets.

[Elizadolots]

Was there egg crate in the bag? I don't see it in the picture.

While we sort of think of egg crate as "hiding places" it also keeps the plastic away from the insects and gives the insects the ability to get away from the masses.

I've had Petco people not put egg crate in. When I buy from Petco, I'm driving for 20-40 minutes depending on traffic (It's enroute for my daily commute). If there is no egg crate I always take a moment to find some scrap paper to crumple up and toss in with them. Yes, I re-blow the bag!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Petco people not put egg crate in. When I buy from Petco

If I rememeber correctly the PETSMART here doesn't put egg crate in either but I havn't purchased from PETSMART for some time now.

 

[Syn]

Was there egg crate in the bag? I don't see it in the picture.

While we sort of think of egg crate as "hiding places" it also keeps the plastic away from the insects and gives the insects the ability to get away from the masses.

I've had Petco people not put egg crate in. When I buy from Petco, I'm driving for 20-40 minutes depending on traffic (It's enroute for my daily commute). If there is no egg crate I always take a moment to find some scrap paper to crumple up and toss in with them. Yes, I re-blow the bag!

Yes, it is in the bag. If they don't put it in I make them reopen it and put some in.

 

[Elizadolots]

Good for you Syn. There just has to be something else that caused this because I've gotten my fair share of "infected" crickets and they have never started dying off until the next morning.

**edited because I went a bit insane**

 

[Meximeleon]

Petsmart sometimes pisses me off they give me an attitude when I ask for egg crate >:l

 

[Syn]

They are normally really good with the egg crate.. this specific store which I will not name.

 

[pssh]

I've never had crickets mush to that degree, but I have had them start to get funky like that... its like they started to suffocate and the moisture made it icky and the other live ones were mushing them down into eachother... sort of.

 

[Syn]

Didn't have a chance to take these back today. Oh well, $9 gone.. Need to get crickets tomorrow because I don't want to let all my little ones go without for too long.

 

[Meximeleon]

Yea that sounds like a good idea. haha

 

[Elizadolots]

Moisture is almost certainly part of the issue...and that "human blow the bag" thing is certainly a potential source. If the clerk didn't understand, he/she might have done the "HUUUUUH" blow one uses to fog glasses for cleaning. That might be enough.

When buying crickets from PETSMART I've seen the clerks use the compressed air to inflate the bag. That does seem to be a better idea as it takes "stupid" out of the equation.

Syn, don't hesitate to mention the fact that you lost your entire purchase on the short trip home. It might inspire the clerk to add extra crickets to your new order, or to write you up for less than you ordered. It's a "no lose" scenario, so go for it.

 

[Syn]

The employee at this store didn't blow into the bag, they did a weird quick movement up and got a bit of air in, but obviously not enough. Weird trick but normally gets enough air in.

I will probably do that.. but they can get in trouble for adding extra.

 

[Elizadolots]

I've never, ever had the person at the register question the quantity listed on the bag.

I admit that when it comes to Petco, I'm in the golden zone. The stores here are pristine. I've yet to see a chameleon. The store I get my crickets from doesn't even carry reptiles...but this is the home of Petco, so I get to bask in the wonderfulness.

But, I have bought crickets from Petsmart. When we just had the frog, that was the closest store and, on occasion, it's been the most convenient. The register person never, ever questioned the count of the crickets.

Besides, the clerk can contact a supervisor and get the OK to give you more. I once questioned the viability of a cup of Phoenix worms. The clerk called a supervisor who said I could take 2 cups for the price of 1 (I didn't accept that, I just left).

 

[Syn]

Okay, I'll keep that in mind for future reference. Thank you.

 

[Meximeleon]

That trick your talking about is used a lot by saltwater fish stores and such to get air in the bag.

 

[AReptile]

How long did it take for all the crickets to get like that? I have a 20-25 min drive back from the petstore and ive left them in the bag after being home and still never saw a massacre like that. Then again i only get 30 large.

 

[Syn]

In the first post it mentions it taking me 30 minutes to get home...

 

[AReptile]

Lol my bad I read the whole thread and forgot the original post by the time I went to go post -_-

 

[Syn]

At least you read it all before posting - bet that took some time.

 

[ajacobson]

I've never, ever had the person at the register question the quantity listed on the bag.

I admit that when it comes to Petco, I'm in the golden zone. The stores here are pristine. I've yet to see a chameleon. The store I get my crickets from doesn't even carry reptiles...but this is the home of Petco, so I get to bask in the wonderfulness.

But, I have bought crickets from Petsmart. When we just had the frog, that was the closest store and, on occasion, it's been the most convenient. The register person never, ever questioned the count of the crickets.

Besides, the clerk can contact a supervisor and get the OK to give you more. I once questioned the viability of a cup of Phoenix worms. The clerk called a supervisor who said I could take 2 cups for the price of 1 (I didn't accept that, I just left).

Ditto, I checked a thing of meal worms and they were mostly dead, the supervisor told me to grab 2 more little containers for free. I would have kept the crickets and brought them with me when I went back. I'm crazy about stuff like that

 

[Lovereps]

Hornworm warning

Just in case anyone reading this thread is unaware.
Hornworms (a.k.a. Tomato Worms) are highly toxic when they have been feeding off tomato plants. The leaves of tomato plants are poisonous to chams (and humans, too, actually).
This is why it is important to feed them something else, like the hornworm chow that Mulberry Farms and others sell.

Note: I now see that Syn mentioned the tomato plant toxicity.