The importance of Cork bark

[Jellybean]

For those of us who feed our geckos crickets no other object has made quite as big of a difference as having a medium sized piece of cork bark in the cage. Prior to purchasing one, the crickets would often times congregate around the lizards den possibly stressing him out or worse yet biting him. Upon placing a good sized piece of cork bark in the cage all the crickets now congregate around the piece of wood on the opposite end with a few that will roam around the tank. By using this method I have rarely ever had to remove excess crickets the lizard did not eat because 9 times out of 10 they would stay on the opposite end of the cage and the gecko often times would just head over to the piece of bark if he was hungry.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Interesting

 

[smsararas2]

That's really cool to know. I am just finishing up a new tank set up for some of my girls and was planning on putting some in there.

 

[latshki]

oddly enough its true, i have a cork bark hide in a few of my leo tanks and all of the crickets chill on top of the bark and the leos just come to the buffet

 

[Northstar Herp]

I can testify that it's pretty true too. It's also my experience that crickets tend to congregate in my Uro tanks on the tops of vertically oriented logs at the top of the tank more than on the floor.

I'd also like to say publicly that I have a sneaking suspicion that the "crix will chew my gecko" is made up. Maybe it's happened, but the likelihood is pretty slim, IMO.

 

[acpart]

I've never caught crickets chewing on a gecko, but I have caught mealworms chewing on one of my gecko's tails whenever I accidentally leave one in there.

Aliza

 

[latshki]

i had a video of a cricket attacking and killing a mealworm beetle!

 

[GeckoGathering]

corking crickets

By using this method I have rarely ever had to remove excess crickets the lizard did not eat because 9 times out of 10 they would stay on the opposite end of the cage and the gecko often times would just head over to the piece of bark if he was hungry.

Helps some cricket problems, as a piece
of potato or carrot would also do.
I have no idea if crickets get a food value
from cork but where my worries would be
is if the uneaten crickets start eating
the gecko poop.
Then it's possible for a pin worm problem.
IMO uneaten crickets should always be removed.
Take care. Hj ​

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Helps some cricket problems, as a piece
of potato or carrot would also do.
I have no idea if crickets get a food value
from cork but where my worries would be
is if the uneaten crickets start eating
the gecko poop.
Then it's possible for a pin worm problem.
IMO uneaten crickets should always be removed.
Take care. Hj ​

You're right about that! Dang poop eaters!

 

[PaladinGirl]

I try to avoid this problem by being really anal (no pun intended) and cleaning up the poop as soon as mine goes. I keep an extra strip of paper in his poop corner and just swap it out with a fresh one. But he poops at exactly the same time every day so I know when to watch. Not saying other people don't clean their leo's poop enough, but it does take care of the crickets' nasty poop-eating habit for me. They're such gross little bugs. You know they even eat each other if not fed? Or so I heard.

 

[GeckoGathering]

HUM-BUG

I try to avoid this problem by being really anal (no pun intended) and cleaning up the poop as soon as mine goes. I keep an extra strip of paper in his poop corner and just swap it out with a fresh one. But he poops at exactly the same time every day so I know when to watch. Not saying other people don't clean their leo's poop enough, but it does take care of the crickets' nasty poop-eating habit for me. They're such gross little bugs. You know they even eat each other if not fed? Or so I heard.

Yes Angie, that's probably the best way.....
until the crazy part of our brains convince
us to go to 30, 50, 100, ??? of the
little alien faced magnets.
Then the poop brigade tends to not show
up on a daily basis.
By choice Crickets prefer rib eye,
mount rainier cherries, tomatoes,
macadamia nuts,......oh sorry,
that's me.
IMO....cricks, be gone.
"Humor feeds the brain"
Take care. HJ