Can Crickets Survive On Just Oranges?

[Cylifornia]

I don't have a frog just yet, but I plan on getting a White's Tree Frog this summer, just absorbin all the info I need.

When I get my crickets, cna they survive solely on orange slices? I don't really wanna spend alot of money on cricket food (I hear its expensive, fact or fiction idk.) but yeah, my main question is about the oranges.

[demon amphibians]

I want to say yes but as a rule of thumb when it comes to feeders it is always good to offer more then one food item. crickets are hard to keep so i would imagine you would have to be some what particular on what you feed them. I am just going off of what i know of culturing much easier insects than crickets. Whether they can survive off one food item or not they will do much better with a variety. other cheep options could be carrots or lettuce.

[UncleChester]

Dry cat or dog food is an inexpensive option. Here's a care sheet on how you can keep crickets: Frog Forum - Culturing Crickets - Care and Breeding of the Common House Cricket

[fish4all]

Egg layer mash, chicken scratch, chicken mash, or whatever they call chicken feed up there will work great and is really cheap. Add extra scraps form whatever you eat of fruits and veggies and you should be set. Water crystals also help to provide water if you don't feed anything moist.

[Cylifornia]

ok so just a recap: Chicken feed, carrot slices, apple slices and oranges will work? but not just one by itself. so like carrot slices and orange slices and they will get their water from the oranges as well?

[unkempt1]

Everyone is going to do something a little different, based on what's convenient.

I myself also have a bearded dragon, so I've put something together that's best for both of them. I have to stay away from dry stuff like dog food and chicken mash, but what I have read from a lot of experienced hobbyists is that's ok for a lot of frog species. Just not for dragons. So I use collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, and prickly pear (all of those are really cheap and easy to get down here in Texas at most grocers). I very rarely include mangos, apples, bell peppers, and sometimes carrots. These are all things that my wife and I eat regularly, so I pass on the scraps to them. The crickets tear them apart!

edit: to answer your question, yes, all of those items will give them hydration. I also include a Flukers orange cube since I work long hours some days, and that makes sure they always have something to drink since they usually go for it last.

[demon amphibians]

If you have a large amount maybe 500 and up you may want to consider water crystals. The ones where you have to add water yourself. It would save you money in the long run. And is insures that your crickets will always have moisture. Either way all the advice given is excellent.

[unkempt1]

Great point! I should add I only use the more expensive orange cubes because I already had them. Bought them in my newbie days as a cricket and roach rancher so I'm just trying to use them up.

Water crystals are twelve dollars and change for pretty much a lifetime supply at Lowes. Just make sure you get the ones that don't contain fertilizers or pesticides.