Breeding Crickets-

[emandkel]

I had success with breeding one batch. The adults were in a 5 gallon tank with a bowl for food and a bowl of water crystals. I took a sandwich-sized rubbermaid-type container and filled it with moist coco-fiber. Make sure they can get in the container -- I put egg crate in and put a piece of egg crate leading in to the container. They will lay their eggs in this. Wait a week or two and make sure the soil stays moist but not soaked.

I have a 10-gallon tank setup with heating pads on the back. I took a shoe-box sized sterilite-type container and poked small holes around the top and a few holes in the lid for ventilation. I put a few small pieces of egg crate in there and then put the small container full of the coco-earth and hopefully cricket eggs in the container and again, put a piece of egg crate so they could climb out of the soil into the bigger container. I put the "hatching" setup in the 10-gallon tank right next to the heating pads.

I read that it takes a week for them to hatch. I kept the soil moist and it grew fine strands of white mold on it. I honestly gave up after about 10 days with no baby crickets and having the mold on the soil, but left it alone. In another week, I got a surprise -- baby crickets! They kept hatching out for another week or so. I had most die on me, though, I think they didn't get enough food and some would stick to the water crystals I scattered in there for their water source. I may try again.

[LauraCox]

Oh Crickets! I am on my FIFTH attempt right now... so i'm certainly no super-hero-cricket-raiser... In my experience it's all about the M/F ratio. I typically go to PetSmart (who I have a good relationship with) and ask if I may pick out my own crickets. I stand there and pluck up about 80% females. It takes forever and everyone laughs at me but I honestly don't care. Doing it this way and then basically following the instructions laid out by emandkel has worked OK. I typically can get 2 generations or so and then I have a mass die-off. :shrug: If I have a success this time, I'll let you know.

[sschind]

Breeding crickets can be very easy. Raising crickets not so easy. Getting the pinheads is pretty straight foreward. Pretty much like emandkel says a shallow container with moist soil, sand, vermiculite, cocofiber, peat moss (even long fiber will work but not as good) almost anything really that will allow the female to stick her ovipositor (the black stick hanging off her back end) into it and release the eggs. Depending on the temps hatching can take up to 2 weeks. My new cabinet stays about 88 degrees so i will see how it goes when I try it again.

Like I said earlier though it is not getting the pinheads that is difficult. It is raising them to size that can be tricky. They need fairly warm temps to grow quickly. They need enough humidity to allow them to molt properly but not so much that you get condensation. If it gets too dry they will dehydrate and die, if it gets to wet it may mold or they may drown in the water drops. I've got a new tip using a fine layer of vermiculite on the bottom of the rearing bin and spraying it lightly but I have not tried it yet.

If you need pinheads or maybe the next size up it can be worth it but if you are looking to get your own large crickets I don't think it will pan out without effort.

[sschind]

O I typically can get 2 generations or so and then I have a mass die-off. :shrug: If I have a success this time, I'll let you know.

What exactly do you mean by 2 generations. You get pinheads and those grow up and breed to get more pinheads? If so I'd like to know your technique because I have never had mine get over a 1/4" if that and it takes forever for them to get that big. I know temps play a huge factor in growth rate and I've mostly been keeping them too low but I have a new cabinet now that stays at 88 so I might try it again.