breeding_locusts_Australia

[kirby]

hey all..

here is Australia we not only pay a fortune for our feeder insects, but we have little variety. in regular supply we have roaches, and crickets and mealworms( :? ). superworms are 11c EACH and silkworms between 30c-$1 EACH when in season.

up untill now this was the limit of our selection, i found a supplier who has LIMITED supply of 'grasshoppers' on furthur investigation they were locusts. i hear they are more difficult then crickets to breed, and considering i have trouble with roaches... i need some help!


HOW do YOU breed your locusts?

 

[kirby]

bumpies....

(wow, this is the first time i have EVER bumped on this forum)

 

[RedInkAus]

G'day mate,

Even the locust are seasonal, unfortunately we are stuck with expensive and half dead crix or feeder roaches. Do you have a Colony of feeders? If not you can contact Brian Barnet from the herpshop and he could give you advise on how to establish one. I don't know about keeping a colony of locust the councils might have something against that as they are considered a threath by the DSE.

Cheers

 

[MissT]

When I tried it, this was the best account I could get
http://www.meades.org/locusts/locusts.html

Mine was an accident - one of the adult locusts I got as a treat for Abu, laid eggs - I used the info on that site to try to hatch them. The egg pods did grow but my neice knocked over the whole container and destroyed what was inside around 4 days before they were due to hatch!!!

Anyway, I used a heat mat, a small jar of damp sand - probably about 2.5 - 3 inches deep - and a medium sized 'critter keeper' - I think its about 12" x 6" as a starter... im hoping to set up a 10 gallon at some stage so I can make a proper attempt at it!!!

T

 

[kirby]

G'day mate,

Even the locust are seasonal, unfortunately we are stuck with expensive and half dead crix or feeder roaches. Do you have a Colony of feeders? If not you can contact Brian Barnet from the herpshop and he could give you advise on how to establish one. I don't know about keeping a colony of locust the councils might have something against that as they are considered a threath by the DSE.

Cheers

yeh, i do occasionally order through herpshop, although recently i get crickets from ARCade. it funds research and frog rescue, plus its cheaper.

im horrible at breeding anything, even the roaches die on me.. once i get them in the garage with a heat mat.. they 'should' be fine..

i have an incubtor set at beardie egg temps, it just so happens that locust eggs like the same temperature. with a heat mat, no humidity in a garage the locusts will breed all year.

 

[kirby]

MissT, thanks for that... but ive read it three timesover already.. LOL..

im going to go with a big plastic trashcan, with a heat mat under it. HOPEFULLY they cant jump out, and with mesh vents they will do fine.

plan to buy a cabbage every two or so weeks.. as they last AGES.. and they are cheap.

 

[RedInkAus]

Sweet mate,

Let us know how you go, I'm a bit undecided about setting up a roach colony. Don't want them getting into the house. Locust colony would be better, anybody know how to set up a cricket colony? Lucky though the Herpshop is just 10 mins away from my house i get most of my supplies from Brian and his real helpful.

 

[kirby]

woodies would rather live in your garden then your house. and the crickets will love your bathroom. locusts, apparently do the same.

i must admit, im not looking forward to the locust adults.. they are GIANT and look like demons. those legs freak me out.

crickets are cannibals so you need to stay on top of food and seperate them by size. the way they breed/lay/incubate/and grow is SO much harder then roaches, or locusts.

50 adult locusts will set you back around $35 which is REDICULOUS.. and i sure hope they breed well..

 

[MissT]

MissT, thanks for that... but ive read it three timesover already.. LOL..

And there was me thinking I was on the ball for once!!! lol!!

i must admit, im not looking forward to the locust adults.. they are GIANT and look like demons. those legs freak me out.

The legs arent so bad - the spitting is a much more undesirable trait - evil, evil demon things!!! They arent so bad tho - if I had the time I would be properly jumping on the locust-breeding-wagon - hopefully some day soon!!

Anyway, if you decide to go along with it, let us know how it goes - I hope to set up a colony of SOMETHING in the future and the OH wont allow roaches lol!!!

 

[kirby]

spitting? oh god, what have i got myself into..

 

[auntylolo]

Kirby, remember the dino on Jurassic Park who spat out that black goo to blind it's victims? It's like that

 

[kirby]

Kirby, remember the dino on Jurassic Park who spat out that black goo to blind it's victims? It's like that

NOOOOOOOO are you serious? that thing gave me nightmares!!!!

i dont want acid spitting frilled dino locusts !!!

i already have a seriouse morbid fear of stick insects... i hope their not like that either. *shudders*

 

[mwrinkle]

I thought reading this a bit of an irony that in the land of the bearded dragon, you have trouble getting them feeder insects! What is the most prevalent insect food source for them in the wild? Of everything I've read about them I have never seen a specific breakdown of thier wild diet!

 

[kirby]

I thought reading this a bit of an irony that in the land of the bearded dragon, you have trouble getting them feeder insects! What is the most prevalent insect food source for them in the wild? Of everything I've read about them I have never seen a specific breakdown of thier wild diet!

the vegetation is weeds like dandelion and the like, flowers and shoots. insects, beetles flying insects, common brown cricket, grasshoppers etc.

this is all from studying wild beardie poop. their diet in the wild isnt the best for them, as its all they can find. so their lives are shorter. thanks to great diet, uv and lifestyle. we've brocken the record of 16 yrs. to 18 yrs. compaired to the wild lifespan this is CRAZY...