Timely help would be appreciated: Maggots in cricket container

[Kmoonleaf]

So... It's about 11pm here, I normally feed Mordin (my White's Tree Frog) at about 4pm but I totally forgot today was a feeding day until now. Upon realizing that I forgot, I promptly opened up the cricket container, and shook out into his bowl: 2 live crickets, and 2 dead crickets. The dead crickets were completely crawling with small white maggots D: It was absolutely disgusting. Last time I fed him, when I opened the cricket container, a few fruit flies ( or gnats, or something similar ) flew out, so I'm guessing that's where the maggots came from.

My question is, is it safe to feed Mordin the live and healthy crickets since they were in close quarters with the maggots and might have a few on them? (will eating the maggots hurt him? could they be parasitic?) Or would it be better for me to just not feed him today and go get new crickets tomorrow?

I buy crickets a dozen at a time and keep them in a large yogurt container with air holes/damp sponge/water crystals/calcium powder, and about once a week when I run out of crickets I just get a new container so I don't have to bother cleaning anything out. I usually get a few dead crickets per week, but this has never happened to me before. This week I bought my crickets from PetCo instead of the local pet shop where I normally get them. And PetCo charged me 75cents more than the local shop so... no more PetCo crickets for me!

[Kmoonleaf]

I'm just throwing the whole container out. I opened it up and there were 2 live crickets, no more dead crickets, and a couple of fruit flies. It's a waste of 4 crickets and Mordin will have to wait for food... but since the flies weren't supposed to be there, I don't want to risk him eating any of the maggots.

[DigitalPunk]

Feeding him the live crickets most likely would be fine, but if you can buy new crickets tomorrow he wont mind waiting a little while longer for food

[Mentat]

...I buy crickets a dozen at a time and keep them in a large yogurt container with air holes/damp sponge/water crystals/calcium powder, and about once a week when I run out of crickets I just get a new container so I don't have to bother cleaning anything out ...

Crickets offer little to no nutrition unless gut loaded and they have to be dusted in supplements even if fed the CA added commercial feeds. Recommend gut load them with lettuce, carrots, and cherios cereal 24-48 hours prior to feeding frogs. Crickets should be smaller than distance between frog's eyes to avoid impaction. More on supplements use in here: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html.

A medium (around 10-12 in. long) plastic critter keeper makes for a good cricket bin. Good luck !

[Kmoonleaf]

Okay.... A new problem has arisen. Yesterday I went out and bought a dozen new crickets, and put them in a new container. Fed 3 crickets to the frog yesterday, and today I'm considering giving him an extra one as a treat so I open up the container and.... all but two are dead, and the bottom of the container is filled with this sort of sickly-sweet vomit-like substance?? It's so disgusting. I've removed the dead crickets and washed out the container, but could there be something wrong with the remaining two? I have no idea what caused this D:

[Kmoonleaf]

update: I left the remaining crickets in the clean container on my counter for TEN MINUTES while I went to go do something, and they BOTH DIED. I guess I don't have to worry about whether or not they can be eaten anymore, but this is completely baffling.

[DigitalPunk]

Get a bigger container and give them some paper towel tubs or toilet paper rolls to climb on. Put a couple baby carrots in the container and just a few water crystals. Throw the carrots away every 2 days and replace with new ones.

Crickets will crush each other if kept in to small a space with nothing to climb on and as Carlos said you need to feed your crickets and dust them with Calcium and a Multivitamin supplement.