Crickets too big!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jay0818

Member
So I've hit another problem - my shipment of feeder crickets were too big! I had ordered a smaller size, but received crickets of 1/2" and up! I plan to buy new feeders, but I only have enough of his small crickets from last week to last through today! I had this problem at a pet store as well, and a solution I was offered was to cut them up, but I only had to do so for one meal.

Will he be alright making it through a few days of cut up crickets, or will that lose too many nutrients? I plan to buy another kind of feeder this week, but I have to wait for shipment.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Show us a photo of the dragon so we can see how large it is cf the crickets .

Essentially if the crickets are smaller than the distance between the dragon's eyes it's fine to feed them.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I would suggest you switch over to dubia roaches - see if you can feed what you have for the crickets and switch to the dubias - they are alot better for him anyway and way easier to keep - you can keep them in a tote or 10 gallon aquarium and feed them carrots apples strawberries squash -- they dont stink and they dont chirp--
Karrie
 

Jay0818

Member
Original Poster
dR65olz.jpg


The picture is from a couple days ago. He's about 7 1/2" long. A lot of the crickets are bigger than the space between his eyes, and a few are a good 3/4" and up and theres a couple that are the length of his whole head!

I plan to switch him over to dubias or reptiworms (I'm still deciding which - it may come down to which he prefers to eat) but he's going to have to eat crickets for a few days in the meantime.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I had to google reptiworms --- those are nutra grubs or blow fly larvea I think they are also called - those you wont haft to dust as they are full of calcium but they are very small and you will haft to feed quite a bit of them --- you will figure it out ---
Karrie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Jay0818":1wg4ecjx said:
dR65olz.jpg


The picture is from a couple days ago. He's about 7 1/2" long. A lot of the crickets are bigger than the space between his eyes, and a few are a good 3/4" and up and theres a couple that are the length of his whole head!

I plan to switch him over to dubias or reptiworms (I'm still deciding which - it may come down to which he prefers to eat) but he's going to have to eat crickets for a few days in the meantime.

Put the oversized crickets into a sample bottle or plastic jar with a screw on lid , and freeze them if you don't plan on breeding your own crickets.
The frozen crickets can then work as a emergency source of insect protein when he's a few months older if you run out of live insects.

Silkworms up to 1 inch long are an excellent staple feeder (don't need to dust them either).

Blowfly gents (maggots) are excellent and don't need dusting. They like catching and eating the flies when they emerge from their pupa too (a cricket feeding rock is perfect to put some pupa in , as the flies emerge they'll make a sound that will attract the hatchling who will be able to grab the flies as they crawl out the whole (meant for crickets …. I do this with BSFL pupa and my hatchling figured it out very fast and would be waiting for the fly to emerge).
Blowflies produce smaller lavae, but fatter faster flies.
gents/maggots
blowfly-maggots.png

pupae & flies
blowfly.png



BSFL (get the 2nd instar versions in the order, the 3rd instar are good too) ,don't need to dust these) , again the flies are a great feeder too. Species Hermetia illucens
bslf-life.png


Crickets , I'd be ordering 1/4 size (about 26 days old = 6 - 8mm long) for him , order enough to give 3 feeds per day for 2 weeks at a time.
 

Jay0818

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":piztzu20 said:
Jay0818":piztzu20 said:
dR65olz.jpg


The picture is from a couple days ago. He's about 7 1/2" long. A lot of the crickets are bigger than the space between his eyes, and a few are a good 3/4" and up and theres a couple that are the length of his whole head!

I plan to switch him over to dubias or reptiworms (I'm still deciding which - it may come down to which he prefers to eat) but he's going to have to eat crickets for a few days in the meantime.

Put the oversized crickets into a sample bottle or plastic jar with a screw on lid , and freeze them if you don't plan on breeding your own crickets.
The frozen crickets can then work as a emergency source of insect protein when he's a few months older if you run out of live insects.

Silkworms up to 1 inch long are an excellent staple feeder (don't need to dust them either).

Blowfly gents (maggots) are excellent and don't need dusting. They like catching and eating the flies when they emerge from their pupa too (a cricket feeding rock is perfect to put some pupa in , as the flies emerge they'll make a sound that will attract the hatchling who will be able to grab the flies as they crawl out the whole (meant for crickets …. I do this with BSFL pupa and my hatchling figured it out very fast and would be waiting for the fly to emerge).
Blowflies produce smaller lavae, but fatter faster flies.
gents/maggots
blowfly-maggots.png

pupae & flies
blowfly.png



BSFL (get the 2nd instar versions in the order, the 3rd instar are good too) ,don't need to dust these) , again the flies are a great feeder too. Species Hermetia illucens
bslf-life.png


Crickets , I'd be ordering 1/4 size (about 26 days old = 6 - 8mm long) for him , order enough to give 3 feeds per day for 2 weeks at a time.

That's sort of the problem I have at the moment - I ordered 1/4" but just about all of them look bigger than that. Some are so big they're chirping.

I think I'll buy the BSFL next, but what I have on hand is the crickets. I'm currently picking out the smaller ones to feed like normal, but I cut a couple crickets in the bowl and he ate them (when he realized they were in his bowl) is this acceptable until I recieved my new feeders? I may be worrying too much as it's only a few days and he's healthy but I want to be sure I'm doing what's best for him with what I have! I dust with calcium once a day and a multivitamin 5 times a *WEEK, but I do worry a bit about his protein intake.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Jay0818":byfjr0t0 said:
kingofnobbys":byfjr0t0 said:
Jay0818":byfjr0t0 said:
dR65olz.jpg


The picture is from a couple days ago. He's about 7 1/2" long. A lot of the crickets are bigger than the space between his eyes, and a few are a good 3/4" and up and theres a couple that are the length of his whole head!

I plan to switch him over to dubias or reptiworms (I'm still deciding which - it may come down to which he prefers to eat) but he's going to have to eat crickets for a few days in the meantime.

Put the oversized crickets into a sample bottle or plastic jar with a screw on lid , and freeze them if you don't plan on breeding your own crickets.
The frozen crickets can then work as a emergency source of insect protein when he's a few months older if you run out of live insects.

Silkworms up to 1 inch long are an excellent staple feeder (don't need to dust them either).

Blowfly gents (maggots) are excellent and don't need dusting. They like catching and eating the flies when they emerge from their pupa too (a cricket feeding rock is perfect to put some pupa in , as the flies emerge they'll make a sound that will attract the hatchling who will be able to grab the flies as they crawl out the whole (meant for crickets …. I do this with BSFL pupa and my hatchling figured it out very fast and would be waiting for the fly to emerge).
Blowflies produce smaller lavae, but fatter faster flies.
gents/maggots
blowfly-maggots.png

pupae & flies
blowfly.png



BSFL (get the 2nd instar versions in the order, the 3rd instar are good too) ,don't need to dust these) , again the flies are a great feeder too. Species Hermetia illucens
bslf-life.png


Crickets , I'd be ordering 1/4 size (about 26 days old = 6 - 8mm long) for him , order enough to give 3 feeds per day for 2 weeks at a time.

That's sort of the problem I have at the moment - I ordered 1/4" but just about all of them look bigger than that. Some are so big they're chirping.

I think I'll buy the BSFL next, but what I have on hand is the crickets. I'm currently picking out the smaller ones to feed like normal, but I cut a couple crickets in the bowl and he ate them (when he realized they were in his bowl) is this acceptable until I recieved my new feeders?

<<< yes so long as the eaten right away and left too long, crickets are much like prawns/shrimp, when dead they go off very quickly on contact with air , especially when it's warm.

<<< a jar of Repashi GrubPie is an a very good standby staple insect protein source to have on hand (for situations like this).

I may be worrying too much as it's only a few days and he's healthy but I want to be sure I'm doing what's best for him with what I have! I dust with calcium once a day and a multivitamin 5 times a *WEEK, but I do worry a bit about his protein intake.
 

Jay0818

Member
Original Poster
I hadn't ever heard of Rephasy, is it a good staple to leave with a baby? He won't eat if I watch during some of his feedings and I dont like leaving him alone with crickets at all, even if they'll be taken out within the hour.

In the meantime, I'll order that asap since it's on Prime and will arrive before new feeders!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank
Taking my beardie for a walk

Forum statistics

Threads
155,852
Messages
1,255,166
Members
75,935
Latest member
Carsed
Top Bottom