EEEWWWWW!Bugs in the cricket container!!

[charlamanda]

I clean out the cricket container yesterday and noticed these really, really tiny bugs in it. I then looked in the cricket bowl in the frog tank and noticed there were a few it that too.
I don't know what's "normal" for crickets, but if I buy 50 crickets at least 20 die. I find this odd since the crickets I buy are the small ones and should live a bit longer than the larger ones, which I assume are older. I usually only have them for about 3 feedings around 5 days.
*Is this normal having so many die?
In the crickets container I have a paper towel I keep moist all the time, several types of food(monster cricket food, fish flakes and rabbit food pellets), as well as several papertowel rolls and good ventilation.
*Should I be concerned with these small bugs?
They are really small about the size of a pin tip, not the head!
*Could this be the reason so many of the crickets are dying?
*Should I be concerned for the froglets?
They are way too small for the frogs to eat and they may not even see them they are so small.
I don't think the bugs are from the food either. The moster cricket food was sealed will a metal pull top lid with a plastic lid over it and I just opened it less than 2 weeks ago. The rabbit food is also less that 2 weeks old and I haven't seen any bugs in there or in the fish flakes.
*Is this something I should call the pet store over or is this a benign situation?
Please help!! I am really freaked out, I hate bugs big time and don't want this to spread though out my home!

[bshmerlie]

Could you please post a picture of these microscopic bugs so we can help you determine what they are? Just kidding...I'm sorry I don't know what they could be. I've never seen anything like that in my crickets. I also have a pretty large die off...I always assumed it was that I didn't keep them warm enough or something. If you buy them in groups of 500 or 1000 through the internet they are really cheap and you'll be glad some die off. You can also share the extra crickets with a friend if you have someone else who might need them. Split the bill. If mine get too big I give them to my local independent reptile shop and she'll give me other supplies in exchange on occasion.

[Jace]

I know when I buy crickets, I get little bugs in them that I was told were the larvae of carpet bettles. From what I understand, these are completely harmless and merely a sign that things are not completely clean in the cricket colony. Without seeing an actual picture of what you have, I can only guess that you are seeing the same thing. I used to have a high mortality rate with crickets as well, but since I simplified the enclosure, I have had much better success. I don't use any papertowel or ground cover with mine, especially anything overly moist. I feed a combination of predone gutload cricket food that I add crushed catfood and fish food too; cricket jelly for water; and baby carrots and some leafy greens for extra gutloading.

[charlamanda]

Thanks, I feel a bit better now. I just got back from the pet store, I had to get more crickets for tonights feeding. I spoke to the store owner about the bugs and he is aware that he occasionally gets them in his order of 1000. He said about half of his stock die as well.
At least between your posts and the store owner I feel a bit better about this, just skeevs me!! I really hate bugs...a lot, hence the reason I love frogs, bats and bug zappers so much. Bats and frogs are much cuter though!!!
I don't have anything on the bottom either, just a folded paper towel in the corner for water and a small lid with food and new tp pt rolls. Hoepfully the little buggies can't get out!
LOL I can barely get any pics of my 1" frogs my camera sucks so bad!!! I'd need a microscope..anyone have a microscope for bug pics.
Sadly, I moved here 3 years ago and because I don't wotk, I really don't know anyone, and definatly nobody who would need crickets, but I wish I did. I may just order the crickets online, even if most die I'd still be saving money.

[Jace]

I don't mind most insects, but after dealing with so many crickets, they are not high on my list of favourites, that's for sure! They poop too much and smell. Bad combo! I love bats as well; they are amazing animals. I rescued a young one that was stuck between to wood slats at work and released it in a local park. Watching it fly and start hunting right away was a great sight!

[JimO]

They could be some kind of parasitic mite and might be the cause of you losing so many crickets. My understanding is that most parasitic mites thrive best in a moist environment. I tend to lose more crickets when the enclosure gets damp. I also see mold growing on the paper eggcrate. That's when it's time to put them in a fresh enclosure. I've also started keeping my crickets in a well ventilated tank with a screen top. The survival rate is higher. For water, I keep a saturated piece of paper towel in a small plastic cup.