Crickets

[BugBoy99]

Greetings,


How are you doing?


I just started a colony of crickets, so that I can have enough pinheads for when I next have froglets (I am currently raising Ptychadena tadpoles).

My female crickets are laying many eggs, and in about seven days, I should have pinheads.What I would like to know is what does everyone else feed their pinhead crickets? How do you water them?

And, is a diet full of water-rich foods, such as watermelon, orange, and potato okay to fulfill the water needs of your crickets?


Thanks,
Joh

[unkempt1]

You can feed them anything you would feed regular sized crickets. I feed mine mustard greens, turnip greens, and collard greens. Also sometimes an occasional apple or mango. These are regular sized ones, but I can't see pinheads having different dietary needs.

That aside, pretty much any fruit or veggie will have enough water. I don't use water crystals for them. Just make sure that if you are gut-loading, to feed them what you want your frog to get out of them.

[BugBoy99]

Hi Unkempt,

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I appreciate it.

I will definitely be giving that a try.

[flybyferns]

Greetings,


How are you doing?


I just started a colony of crickets, so that I can have enough pinheads for when I next have froglets (I am currently raising Ptychadena tadpoles).

My female crickets are laying many eggs, and in about seven days, I should have pinheads.What I would like to know is what does everyone else feed their pinhead crickets? How do you water them?

And, is a diet full of water-rich foods, such as watermelon, orange, and potato okay to fulfill the water needs of your crickets?


Thanks,
Joh

Hi,
I would consider using a prepare ( ie flukers ) cricket food as well.
If if recall- they should NOT be maintained on the gut load.
The variety you have planned is great !

I just set up this ( fiber glass screen idea ) I used tropical soil in the container.
The screen is flexible enough to get the ( trimmed ) lid back on.
I used the low 'glad' container---but they still need a little ladder to get onto it.

Female Crickets Laying Eggs - YouTube

My girls are still a little too young; but it looks like it works well !

Lynn

[BugBoy99]

Hi Fly By Ferns,

Thank you for the input.

I usually prefer not to use prepared foods for things like crickets, and tadpoles. Mostly, because we do not have a reliable distributor in South Africa(or else our pet shops don't order from them). As a result, our prepared products are imported, and cost a fortune. Thank you for the idea though.

Wow, that is a very nice screen that you've made. I'm still attempting to find a screen that is small enough. For now, I have a very "caveman" looking screen. I didn't have small metal screen, so I took a larger one, and simply bent it over the top of the container, and then placed another layer on top. The Crickets seemed to have been in their storage cage for a while. As soon as I put in the egg-laying container, five females descended upon it. Then there was never less than five females laying eggs at a time. During one stage, there was 21 females laying eggs(I bought them full grown)! So, I'm hoping for success.

I removed the container this morning, because some crickets were finding their way underneath the screen and I worried that they might eat the eggs. And, I'm going to prepare fresh sand for them now. I placed the container right next to their egg cartons, so they just walk over.

Thank you so much for your input.
Joh

[flybyferns]

Here are 2 photos of my current try at that idea in the YouTube video.



Lots of soil- it has to be as close to the screen as possible.
I noticed this AM- They are actually using the over-hanging screen to climb up.
(handy dandy ladder)

[flybyferns]

Hi Fly By Ferns,

Thank you for the input.

I usually prefer not to use prepared foods for things like crickets, and tadpoles. Mostly, because we do not have a reliable distributor in South Africa(or else our pet shops don't order from them). As a result, our prepared products are imported, and cost a fortune. Thank you for the idea though.

Wow, that is a very nice screen that you've made. I'm still attempting to find a screen that is small enough. For now, I have a very "caveman" looking screen. I didn't have small metal screen, so I took a larger one, and simply bent it over the top of the container, and then placed another layer on top. The Crickets seemed to have been in their storage cage for a while. As soon as I put in the egg-laying container, five females descended upon it. Then there was never less than five females laying eggs at a time. During one stage, there was 21 females laying eggs(I bought them full grown)! So, I'm hoping for success.

I removed the container this morning, because some crickets were finding their way underneath the screen and I worried that they might eat the eggs. And, I'm going to prepare fresh sand for them now. I placed the container right next to their egg cartons, so they just walk over.

Thank you so much for your input.
Joh

Joh,
It is fiberglass screen ( it is kind of like fabric) that is available in lg rolls at a big box store here in the US ( ie Home Depot)
Maybe it can be purchased on line , a hardware type store, or even a general store ?

[BugBoy99]

Nice. Very handy having those extra little pieces for them to climb on. I considered using nylon mesh(which is readily available), but I think they'll eat it. I'll have a look at the fiberglass mesh, though. Thank you. Have you noticed if they try to eat the mesh over the soil?

[flybyferns]

No ........they are not eating it.
I don't think they would eat nylon either. cotton - yes !
They love cotton; so I would assume they would go after more 'natural' fibers.
There is a fabric called 'tulle' that would work as well. ( which is also nylon as well)
What ever is used has to have an opening the egg shaft will fit into comfortably for them.

[BugBoy99]

Thank you. In that case I will go and buy some surplus nylon mesh. It is easy to use, and I can buy it for some 50 cents for a kilogram.

Oh, and Happy New Year :-D

[BugBoy99]

I will post some photos of my setup, once they're a little more established. Thank you so much for everybody's help.

[unkempt1]

I will post some photos of my setup, once they're a little more established. Thank you so much for everybody's help.

Please do! I don't breed crickets (just roaches), but I never realized what went into breeding them! Hehe I may give it a try just as a hobby. What can I say? I like to tinker.

[BugBoy99]

Haha, join the club. I've kept millipedes, roaches, giant land snails, beetles, roaches, mealworms, fruit flies, birds, cats, dogs, hamsters, rats, rabbits, frogs(of course), fish and I can't remember what else... It's what we live for. Will post photos soon.

[BugBoy99]

Okay, here are my first photos. I had a yikes moment last night, when I found three crickets under the screen. SO, I tried something different. I cut the inside out of a margarine containers lid, placed the netting(from an old fishing net) over the container, and then placed the outside of the lid over the netting. It is working great!


Container for egg-laying

Female cricket exploring the container

I might modify it later.

JV

[fish4all]

The fiberglass window screen works great, I used it many times when I raised crickets.

As for feeding the little ones, I moved the eggs into a smaller container and fed them in a very small plate I turned upside down so the bottom rim held the food in place. I mostly used egg layer mash for all my crickets and had them breeding too fast to feed off to the mantids I had at the time. I fed them anything I could get as far as vegetables and fruit. For water, I used crystals in a shallow plastic can lid with window screen over the top. They would like water off the screen and the crystals with zero drownings.

I will see if I have any pictures from back then. It was a long time ago and I don't think i will be raising them again, the smell just got too bad with a big colony even cleaning it out once a week.

[BugBoy99]

Thank you fish4all. I think that, for now, I'm going to let the cricket breeding thing go. We basically live in mold paradise, and my egg substrate keeps getting covered in mold. I haven't managed to hatch one batch of eggs due to the mold.

[fish4all]

Don't give up, don't use a substrate! It isn't needed. And the stuff is called plastic canvas.

I live in a mold haven also. I raised crickets through 6 generations. I ever used a substrate and it worked great. Anytime I have ever tried a substrate with insects it always molds here unless it is the middle of summer and the few weeks it dries out completely around here.

[BugBoy99]

Okay, so what do you use if not a substrate? Where do the crickets lay their eggs?

[fish4all]

For egg laying I used straight sand, nothing added. And I boiled it to sterilize it. To prevent mold I also sterilized the screen, the container and the lid. Coconut coir fiber is also sterile. The key is to keep the mold out. Don't leave any wetness in the container from food or water. Use water crystals, they actually prevent mold. Use carrots, celery, and other moist but not wet food. No cucumbers, don't use really ripe or bruised apples, avoid excess wetness at all costs. Humidity is key, I know, but keeping the entire cage as dry as possible works. Change out egg crates monthly, weekly if needed.

For the eggs, use a sterile container with no substrate to put the egg container in. Make sure it stays humid but keep it dry from all excess moisture on the lid, bottom and anywhere else.

And my crickets liked to stash food, find it and get it out.

For the baby crickets, put a piece of plastic mesh on the bottom so they have some traction and can get to the food and water crystals easily. You can do this in the adult cage also if you find they are having trouble moving around on the bottom.

The humidity is an average 85% here and doesn't drop below for very many days a year. They call Washington state the Evergreen state for a reason. If it isn't a tree, grass or weeds, the moss and algae will make it green.