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Pammygirl   Aminalcwakerz   HVAC-TEK   Pammygirl   HVAC-TEK  
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 #1144381


Pammygirl
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 Cricket Help??

Hi everybody!
I’m thinking of trying to breed crickets, and I’ve been reading through all of your cricket posts. I usually buy 1000 crix at a time, and keep them in a big rubbermaid tote, with the lid sitting kinda crooked on it for ventilation. (I found out the hard way that high humidity+crickets=dead bugs.) What I get out of reading all this is that if I just throw a ziploc bowl with damp soil (can I use potting soil and mist it each day?) in there for a week, then transfer the bowl to a medium sized plastic container with holes drilled in the lid and an undertank heater so it’s 85*, I can breed my own crickets? Is it really that easy?? I’ve tried breeding silkworms, that was a miserable failure and I currently have a bunch of nasty a$$ lobster roaches that just completely disgust me (I’ve changed my mind about the roach colony...believe me you don’t wanna try it..I can’t even touch them! lol) But I desperately need a self-replenishing stock of feeders for beardies. I have two adults, one hatchling that’s 5 days old, 23 more hatching any day now, and 25 that should hatch in a month or so. I’ll buy crix if I have to, but it would be great if I can figure something else out, even if only as a supplement to what need I buy. I currently feed my crix fish food and oranges. I’m going to add carrots now...what else is one of the best things for them? I tried the wet paper towel thing, and with 1000 crix in there, they just poop all over it if I don’t change it 3 times a day. Are the oranges enough for them to drink? Where would I get that inflatable water crap at? The pet store where I buy my crix has the green cube things, but they eat through that in a week, so it’s too freakin expensive. (30 bucks every two weeks on crix and 7 for the cricket bites) Any help would be appreciated...I have no idea what I’m doing, so a detailed rundown would be great...I’ve kept crickets for a year now, so I’m not totally new to it, and when they die, I just go buy more, but obviously I’m doing something wrong, because I pick out at least 30 bodies every other day.

Thanks alot!!
Pam
01/23/07  05:35am

 #1145490


Aminalcwakerz
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   Message To: Pammygirl   In reference to Message Id: 1144381


 Cricket Help??

hey, for the food, i don’t even bother buying all that expensive stuff. I’m a college student, so money is tight for me. When i cook, I just give them the veggies im not using, and I buy a few carrots, small potatoes, and i rip a few leaves of lettuce off the bunch. They eat through it pretty quickly. Good thing they’re not picky eaters! As for the water, the moisture in the veggies and potatoes are good enough. I used to use the damp toilet paper method, but you’re right. They pooped all over it... it got so digusting I abandoned the whole idea. Now all i do is toss in my scraps from cooking and they do fine =) as for breeding, Im doing it for the first time right now. However, it’s been almost 2 weeks and none of them hatched yet =( I think it’s because they’re too cold. I read that they need to be incubated somewhere from 80-90 degrees F. It’s like... 70 here.. so I added a spare heat pad underneath. Hope this helps and saves you a ton of money!
01/24/07  12:57am

 #1145580


HVAC-TEK
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   Message To: Pammygirl   In reference to Message Id: 1144381


 Cricket Help??

Quote:

I’m doing something wrong, because I pick out at least 30 bodies every other day.


Crickets only live about 6 to 8 weeks, depending upon the temperatures. You may not be doing that badly because groups that hatch at around the same time tend to die around the same time. What will tell you is the size of the dead crickets. If they are all full grown adults, it might just be old age. However if you find a good number of smaller dead crickets, it could be a problem with your setup.

As for your question, yes its almost that easy. You should consider setting apart a group in a separate container for use as breeders. That is just my personal preference. I feel that in groups of 100 or less its easier to handle the breeding bins. Easier to clean and easier on the dirt pans.

Chris
01/24/07  03:31am

 #1145615


Pammygirl
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   Message To: HVAC-TEK   In reference to Message Id: 1145580


 Cricket Help??

Thanks for the help...I’ll separate out some and put them in another tote...do you do half female/half male, or more females?
01/24/07  04:42am

 #1146231


HVAC-TEK
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   Message To: Pammygirl   In reference to Message Id: 1145615


 Cricket Help??

I need mostly pin heads and small crickets. When I started my breeding system, I simply kept the population up to a certain number. Replacing the dead crickets with new adults. I wasn’t really concerned with the ratio of females to males. It worked well for me and my breeding hobby took off. However the more females you have, the more eggs will be laid. The more successful your hatchings will be.

Since I need only pin heads and small crickets, once they reach a certain size their lives are safe. I take care of them in a medium container until they reach puberty at which time they are moved as a group into the breeding tub where they mingle with the adults.

Chris
YankeeRose
01/24/07  05:26pm


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