To the cricket keepers...keeping crickets alive?

[JordanAng420]

How on earth do you keep the darn things alive for more than a few days? I have them in a large cricket keeper & I provide them with all the gutload, hide spots, and water crystals they need and they still drop dead! Arghhhh!!! :furious3:

Of course, crickets are the favorite food in this house...and i'm not about to go ordering or buying crickets every 2 or 3 days or so...i'm still unemployed...this is why I originally stuck with mealworms, because everything else I keep dies! :main_angry:

Any suggestions?

 

[LizMarie]

Switch to roaches. I gave up on Crickets a long time ago, we just don't get along.

 

[acpart]

I get 1000 crickets in the mail every 2 weeks. Here' how I keep them (I probably have a lot more than you, so you won't need as big an enclosure):

10 gallon tank with screen lid

1-2 pieces of eggcrate: it's very important that the crickets have a place to hide and also that each can stand in its own space or else they'll smother each other or something (that may be your problem)

1/2" of gutload on the bottom

several dishes of water crystals.

This works well for me. Some of what looks like dead crickets may also be shed skins. There is some die-off but not alot. I found, though, that 2000 crickets will only last me 3 weeks (instead of 4) probably because it's too crowded for them.

Aliza

 

[JordanAng420]

Switch to roaches. I gave up on Crickets a long time ago, we just don't get along.

Oh boy...i'm not sure how well that would go over. LOL. I am so scared of those things, I called my mother at 4am one morning 'cuz there was one on my wall...and i'm almost 28...she told me to kill it & she went back to sleep...it took me about an hour to be able to get near it :main_laugh:

anyways, if I did that, here's another question...anyone know what kinda roaches are legal to be sent to me here in FL? I'm pretty sure there are a few species that are illegal to ship...

 

[LizMarie]

Oh boy...i'm not sure how well that would go over. LOL. I am so scared of those things, I called my mother at 4am one morning 'cuz there was one on my wall...and i'm almost 28...she told me to kill it & she went back to sleep...it took me about an hour to be able to get near it :main_laugh:

anyways, if I did that, here's another question...anyone know what kinda roaches are legal to be sent to me here in FL? I'm pretty sure there are a few species that are illegal to ship...

I was the same way but after a few months I've warmed up to my roaches. The worms just weren't producing as fast as I'd like. I can't touch them with my hand BUT i don't mind looking at them and feeding them as long as I have my handy 10 inch tweezers handy . I know you can't have dubia but there are at least two species that are legal in Florida. I know snakegirl had roaches in FL not that long ago wish I could remember the species.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Our method takes up more space than you might want to give up but it works for us. We use a tall plastic storage bin. Depending on the size of the crickets, anything with smooth plastic sides that are apx. 20"+ would work. We don't use a lid but they can't climb the sides so they can't escape. We keep them on a thin layer or crushed corn cob or walnut shell bedding and egg crates. They eat Cody's Progutload which I leave in piles around the container and have potatoes for moisture.

 

[BGalloway]

I keep mine in a kritter keeper with oatmeal bedding and lots of eggcrate, the guys at the store call it a "cricket palace", the more surface area the better. I feed assorted fresh vegetables with tons of leafy greens. And clean out the dead crickets/sheds regularly.
I've noticed that adult crickets seem to have a limited lifespan, you could try switching to 3/4 size crickets, you might need to feed off a few more per feeding but they should, theoretically, live longer.

 

[VitalTears]

I get 1000 crickets in the mail every 2 weeks. Here' how I keep them (I probably have a lot more than you, so you won't need as big an enclosure):

10 gallon tank with screen lid

1-2 pieces of eggcrate: it's very important that the crickets have a place to hide and also that each can stand in its own space or else they'll smother each other or something (that may be your problem)

1/2" of gutload on the bottom

several dishes of water crystals.

This works well for me. Some of what looks like dead crickets may also be shed skins. There is some die-off but not alot. I found, though, that 2000 crickets will only last me 3 weeks (instead of 4) probably because it's too crowded for them.

Aliza

nice info +1

 

[Kizerk]

I buy 500 crickets every 3 weeks or so, and I have 2 20 qt plastic tubs from Walmart w/ out lids they're $3 each. I put all 500 in one tub. I throw in a couple of cartons (you NEED these otherwise the crickets will trample themselves you can ask local bakeries if you can keep their egg cartons) I throw in a couple of carrots, occasional dog/fish pellets. For water I have a plastic lid and i wet a paper towel, fold it up and place it in the lid and just mist it when needed.

Crickets need to be clean, so every day or other day I shake the cartons out and place them into the other tub which should be clean. I dump all the live crickets in there and wash out the old, dirty tub and dry it out for the next time I clean the crickets. Every day there's around maybe 8 crickets that are dead so. Hope this helps

 

[JordanAng420]

Well, I think my problem was the egg carton. I was only using one small piece for 50 large crickets, no wonder they were dying! I went back to the pet store and they just GAVE me 2 giant things of egg carton, and they told me I could come get some whenever I want at no charge! Woohoo! So I put about 3 or 4 more pieces of egg carton in the container with them and so far, only one died last night as opposed to the 8 or 9 of them that usually die. My crickets now have a "cricket mansion" and they seem happy.

I am also removing the dead bodies and shed skin immediately after I discover them. Seems to help quite a bit. I didn't even think about making sure the tub was cleaned and disinfected. I need to start doing that too. Thank you all so, so much! You all have made my life a lot easier.