Why did all my crickets die??

[macyb-vancouver]

Yesterday I bought about 100 crickets from the pet store I have always gotten them from. I have never had any problems, but this morning I went to feed my cham and every single one of the crickets was dead. They were pretty big, some had wings and some didn't Does anyone know why this would happen? I did nothing different in terms of housing, gutloading or storage.

 

[Jordan S]

Usually when crickets are large, they will die since they are old. I've had the same problem with big crickets once, and then I just started buying small crickets since they don't die as fast as the big ones. Hope this helps!

 

[macyb-vancouver]

I can't imagine they all died overnight from getting old, but thanks! The pet store is replacing them for me, so we'll see if it happens again or not!

 

[Virgil1972]

I had that happen a couple of weeks ago. I bought a dozen small crickets and they were all dead but one overnight.

 

[oneillchameleons]

Just my two cents but whenever I have to buy crickets from a pet store, they never survive as long as the ones I buy from online breeders, or the ones I breed myself. I have a theory that the bins they keep crickets in at the pets stores don't get cleaned as well or as often as they do in my house, or at a breeding facility. Therefore crickets come in healthy, get put in a dirty bin to catch whatever disease/bacteria is in them, then by the time you get them home they succumb to said disease/bacteria. I have another theory about carbon dioxide poisoning from being put in a closed plastic bag (which is how most pet store sell them) but you never know. The crickets I breed always stun me with how much healthier, active, and long lived they are though.

 

[macyb-vancouver]

They did come in a plastic bag, maybe I left them in there for too long! I tried ordering crickets online, but it turned out to be a hassle and it was more expensive. Maybe I will look into breeding my own.
Thanks!

 

[Jordan S]

Do you have any favorite online breeder? I may buy a couple so I could breed them. I tried breeding some from the pet store but I have 2-3 die each day even though they're in a suitable habitat.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

i have the same problem and i actually asked the pet store why by the time i get home half are dead and this is what they say. Crickets are bred from the south like florida and what not so they always have to stay warm (like 90's) so most die from being to cold. Also if you dont have a lot of room in your cricket keeper they often will get in fights and attack each other