Cricket feeders, important info. Please Read!

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Gail

BD.org Addict
Looks like there is a cricket virus spreading across America, some of you have probably already seen issues with crickets dieing. This may be a virus crickets breeders can't recover from and they are looking into a new species of cricket. Only problem is the new crickets are very aggressive, you need to be able and tell the difference and when ordering online, make sure to ask for the domestic brown crickets.

http://www.geckotime.com/jamaican-field-cricket-gryllus-assimili/
 

MrWhite

Sub-Adult Member
Nice article..

I just got off the phone with my cricket breeder (I had to place an order) and they are not seeing an unusual death rates with their crickets. They are also not breeding any type of cricket except the standard american brown cricket.

I use http://www.millbrookcrickets.com
 

Gail

BD.org Addict
Original Poster
That good, I hope some breeders are able to keep their colonies virus free. I know some members on here are having massive cricket dies offs, both from internet orders and petstore bought.
 

danab

Hatchling Member
I heard about this over a year ago (after experiencing die offs from petstore crickets and seeing the inside of their cricket bins) and that is one of the reasons why I started growing my own feeders. Even if some breeders are virus free, some of them are trying to help support cricket breeders who have lost their stocks so supplies of different stages of crickets from them can be limited at times too. So have at least 2 cricket sources just to be safe. UK folks seem to be doing OK with the other more aggressive species of crickets but I'll pass on all crickets if I can.
 

ocrage

Hatchling Member
one of, if not two of my local pet stores seem to have switched to these. i was wondering why these crickets i was getting lately for my pacman frog have been so beastly and when i grab them i can feel how hard they are biting the tweezers. ive even said to myself "thats a strong bite"

good thing i feed them individually to my pets and watch them eat them.
 

Chair76

Hatchling Member
omg i glad i just started breeding my crickets. my it hit me already cause for some reason they die. they have water all day food and places to hide, and on top of that enough room. but im not sure if mine has hatched yet or their just infested with some kind of other bug. heres a pic of some possibly eggs but i cant tell. maybe a little too big for one pinhead
img0913-1.jpg
Theirs other maybe pinheads in their about half that size moving around in their but i cant get the to come out of the soil if thay are pinheads, or mite! i hope not. Oh, and their white.
 

clear

Sub-Adult Member
I am not going to call any names. But a few large breeders have/had the cricket virus but told their customers that they did not. One of these breeders even released statements on their website claiming they didnt have it, they finally came clean after a private person had their crickets tested and they came back with the report saying they had the virus.

If your seeing unusual die offs in your crickets. I would mark it as the virus.
 

CiaraAlexisOnFire

Juvie Member
I recently bought these crickets from a pet store!
I was getting bitten and attacked by the crickets and I had no idea why until now. They are so freaky and vicous!
My bearded dragon I think actually got sick after eating them. He started acting funny after he ate them. Never again will I buy those :shock:
I'm so glad this article was posted.

Is the cricket virus harmful to reptiles? might be a dumb question, but just want to make sure.
 

danab

Hatchling Member
CiaraAlexisOnFire":p55a4esw said:
I recently bought these crickets from a pet store!
I was getting bitten and attacked by the crickets and I had no idea why until now. They are so freaky and vicous!
My bearded dragon I think actually got sick after eating them. He started acting funny after he ate them. Never again will I buy those :shock:
I'm so glad this article was posted.

Is the cricket virus harmful to reptiles? might be a dumb question, but just want to make sure.


The virus is specific for that species of crickets and will not harm your reptile.
 

SoulFyre

Member
Glad I saw this post. I was finding it very strange that my crickets were just randomly dying several a day, small and large. My beardie won't touch them, maybe he knows there is something wrong with them. Think I will just stick to supers and mealies for now. Oh and I got the crickets from PetsMart.
 

Jess

Extreme Poster
My crickets don't seem to have been affected (I get them from Pet Supplies Plus). I think I only had 3 or 4 die over 2 days. So I'm grateful for healthy crickets right now, LOL. :D

It seems like superworms are being sold out faster though... I wonder if people are buying those instead now.
 

blue11

Sub-Adult Member
I have switched BlueBelle off crix and onto repti-worms, superworms, and hornworms...
crix not only just freak me out, but after getting a taste for the worms above, she isnt showing much interest in them, which works for me!!!
 
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