Where are my cricket babies?

[Trohr]

Hey guys, hope your all doing well.

For about three weeks now I have had a small container of dirt that I pulled from my backyard sitting in my cricket enclosure. The first week that I put the container of dirt in the enclosure I tossed about 30, hand picked, female crickets in and all of them laid eggs. I spritzed the dirt with treated water when it looked dry- it probably gets dry a heck of a lot more than it should- and turned the dirt over a bit so it stayed fluffy. I let the dirt sit with the other crickets the entire time instead of separating it.

I have yet to see any cricket babies.... When I sift through the dirt I don't see many eggs anymore either....

Will adult and juvenile crickets eat their own eggs? Sometimes I caught them digging deep holes in the dirt, but I assumed they were just trying to get their eggs as deep as possible. Am I letting my dirt get too dry? Should I try using potting soil instead?

[Kurt]

It looks a little too dry.

[Trohr]

It looks a little too dry.

Yeah :/.... This is about how it is most of the time. It was dirt from an alley in the back of my house- pretty cruddy stuff. I'll try a light potting soil next time around, and separate the dirt from the rest of the crickets after a few days go by.

[Kevin1]

I've tried breeding crickets, didn't have much luck either. I heard cocofiber is a good incubating medium for cricket eggs though.

[Tom Highum]

What about vermiculite? It holds moisture very well.

[Trohr]

What about vermiculite? It holds moisture very well.

Hmmm.... I think vermiculite alone might be too wet, but coco fibers along with vermiculite might work- I've dealt with both quite a bit before. Maybe i'll do a vermiculite, potting soil, coco fiber mix. The idea of free crickets sounds so dang good! I hope I get this right the next time around.

[Kurt]

I put two containers of coconut fiber in my adult cricket bin last night. I plan on taking them out and setting them up in a cricket keeper tomorrow. We will see what happens.
I have also started some waxworm cultures as well.
I am already culturing bean weevils and two kinds of fruit flies.

[Trohr]

I put two containers of coconut fiber in my adult cricket bin last night. I plan on taking them out and setting them up in a cricket keeper tomorrow. We will see what happens.
I have also started some waxworm cultures as well.
I am already culturing bean weevils and two kinds of fruit flies.

Bleeeeegh, weevils- I bet I already have a horde of them in my pantry somewhere.... Keep us all updated on the coco-fiber-crickets. Im going to try getting myself a ton of female crickets together tomorrow if I have the time.