Mass cricket death--help?

[Tammy McLaughlin]

Hopefully when they warm up - it may stop? Sorry ...What a pain !!!!

I have had small batches of crickets die off fast; and I take care of them all the same way. Sometimes it's just a sickly batch.
Don't put any new cricket stock with the dying ones
I purchased 1000 small crickets 3 weeks ago. ( they are in 3 big bins) the area they are in is the mid 70's.
I can count on one hand how many have died.

Common reasons for them dying:
Not enough ventilation - They need LOTS of space, LOTS of air holes or screen top, and things to hide in. ( ie empty toilet tissue or paper towel roll)

Too low a temp...................but it sounds like you have correct that.

Soiled bins continue to remove the dead ones as often as possible. Keep things really clean.
-I keep a separate spare/clean bin to rotate crickets from a soiled bin into the clean bin
I have to do a bin switch today...i'll take a pic and post it here later.

They will drown easily. The cotton ball/water idea is a good one!

Consider not using the flukers and change to some homemade food. There are recipes in the link I sent earlier today.
Plus .......they're not picky

Keep us posted.
Lynn

One question? What do you line the keeper with? I use newspaper.
I have also read about a cricket virus going around. Read it somewhere in here.
Tammy

[flybyferns]

I do no use a liner.
I don't think it's a good idea for them to eat the newsprint !

As promised ...here are some photos from yesterday's bin-switch


left -- clean bin ( tulle fabric under lit keeps the occasional ff escapees out ) right-- lid w/ air holes

L - dirty bin R ---- air holes on the side of the bins

more useless cricket helpers! 'fur balls'

I would highly recommend NOT employing any 'fur balls'.
They are useless ! But sweet ( that's Chewie and Cubby ....my boys... )