A Cricket Question

[mpinsky]

I have two questions about crickets that I need answering. It's not too terribly pressing because Shenron's brumating and thus not eating much, but it is something I'd like to have my mind put at ease.

I've been at college for a little over a year now and my parents have not been using the dusting forumla like I normally do. As such, the powder has just been sitting there on my shelf for a little over a year now unused. Is it still okay to use it or does the powder expire and I should just get a new one to be on the safe side? Should I dust superworms also?

Also, my mother is uncomfortable with having a seperate cage for my feeders. We used to do this, but crickets would jump all over the place and I'm just not comfortable ripping their hind legs off (I know they're food, but it just seems a bit...cruel). As such, the only way to gut load the crickets is to put the gel in the cage with the lizard where either one of two things will happen. A.) Shenron will eat the dusted crickets before they're even gut-loaded, or B.) later, when he's full, the crickets will be eating the gut load gel but once Shenron gets hungry, he'll grab the cricket along with a ton of gut load gel. Is that safe for a beardie to do (keep in mind I still have that extra 20 gal tank I used when he was a baby before he was moved to his 50 gal so I can put the crickets in there with some convincing with Mom, hopefully)? Should I gut-load the superworms as well?

Okay, so that was really two cricket questions and two superworm questions, but you get the idea. :wink:

 

[clear]

AFAIK the dust does not go bad, and yes you should dust superworms.

What type of gutload are you using? How I gut load my feeders is just by tossing in some greens into the enclosure of the feeders. Mostly the greens that you would feed to your beardie. Yes you should do the same for superworms.

 

[mpinsky]

The gut load is Fluker's cricket gut load jel. It comes in these yellow cubes and looks a lot like Jell-O. Would the greens be better? Because, for the most part, the crickets don't seem to go after the vegetables in Shenron's enclosure. Can the crickets and superworms be housed together or should I purchase a seperate small tank for them?

 

[NegativeCreep]

Do you mean you want to store the crickets inside your beardie's cage? Long term? No, crickets should only be put in the cage for immediate consuming. The crickets will nibble at his skin and eyes which can lead to open sores and blindness. They love eyes because of the moisture. You can keep super worms in a plastic food storage container, from what I understand. Get a larger container for more worms. You don't need any special gutload for the crix. Just keep some water crystals in there and feed them the same greens that your beardie eats. They will eat it, and the greens will keep the crix well hydrated, too.

Check your supplement's bottles and see if there is an expiration date. Supplements for humans go bad, so it makes sense that they would go bad. It just dawned on me that I have never noticed an expiration date, but it could be on the bottom.

Why would you have to rip off the legs? Is your beardie healthy?

 

[mpinsky]

Well, as I said, I have the 20 gal. tank still, so I can easily store the crickets in there.

I don't believe Shenron is ill, just lazy. He'll definitely catch them if he wants to, but he normally just waits for them. I was recommended by another member (a mod, I think), to try removing their back legs off or putting them in the fridge for a few moments so they'll slow down. He doesn't exactly need them modified in that way, but it might make it easier for him.

I checked the supplement container and it does not have any expiration date that I can see.

Water crystals? What exactly are they? I've learned from experience that the crickets tend to drown themselves in his water bowl, so I'm starting to put a shallow dish in (like a food container top) of water. But as I said, he's brumating, so currently he's not eating anything, so we haven't recently gotten crickets.

Do the superworms need anything specific or can I give them the same thing I give the crickets?

 

[scalesandtales]

you dont need to remove their legs.. do not keep them in the same tank as your beardie they will bite him/her and cause stress and wound. Keep them in a separate tank and just throw in your people left overs. Some lettuce, an orange, some wet cat/dog food. or a piece of chicken. and throw in an egg crate (rip it into a few big pieces) , the cardboard that your eggs come in. when it is time to feed your beardie just get a ziplock bag, open it, and shake the egg carton inside the bag and there ya go. The crickets are in the bag without touching them. If you want to slow them down a bit. put the bag of crickets in the fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes.

 

[mpinsky]

The eggs my family buys do not come in the cardboard packaging. Instead, they are more in a light smooth styrafoam. Can I use that instead or should I only use the cardboard egg crate packaging?

 

[scalesandtales]

you need the cardboard. In the mean time crumple up some newspaper and use that, and some toilet paper/paper towel rolls too. They need 'furniture' to hide in.

 

[NegativeCreep]

The eggs my family buys do not come in the cardboard packaging. Instead, they are more in a light smooth styrafoam. Can I use that instead or should I only use the cardboard egg crate packaging?

The crickets I order generally come with enough egg crates. If not, I just throw in some extra toilet paper rolls.