Buying crickets online - size?

[LucisAbsentia]

most of them are chirping! Some dead ones that I'll have to clean out today, but I'm less concerned about the amount now.

 

[LucisAbsentia]

Hey! Alright, so I've had to order more crickets, because mine didn't last as long as I'd hoped (I think it's just the cold killed off a lot), but there was a mistake in my order and I've ended up with 1000 1 inch crickets. So a bunch of adults. At 14", will Gabriel be able to eat these safely?

 

[CooperDragon]

The adults don't last long, that's true. Even with the smaller ones I'd wind up with only about a month before they died off. The 1'' bugs shouldn't be a problem but just double check to make sure they're a reasonable size compared to his head and he doesn't have any trouble chewing them up well.

 

[LucisAbsentia]

Yeah, between him eating a lot and the amount that died in transit, it didn't end up lasting as long. This batch was better though! I will try it out this afternoon, see how he deals with them. Thanks, Cooper! I was just worried they would be too big.

 

[LucisAbsentia]

He seems to be doing alright even with the largest ones! From what I can see, anyways, although since they chew so fast, it's hard to tell. But he chews 'em up and keeps going, so I think he's alright. I'm going to keep a close eye out, if he gets impacted, I'll stop feeding them to him and help him get un-impacted.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Crickets can recover from that pretty easily. Only freezing cold usually kills them....or in the summer the heat will as well.

They'll also grow a lot faster and eat heaps more and seem more prone cannibalism if you don't keep the food coming if it's hot.

I also notice (here in Australia) that in summer tiny flies / wasps (?) invade the cricket holding tubs (I separate my crickets on delivery (bulk orders of 700 - 800 2/3 sized is my most regular order) into batches of maybe 70 per old (recycled) commercial cricket tubs) and after a week or so some tubs will have maggots infesting any dead crickets (I check my tubs every 2 or 3 days in summer unless I notice a smell and then I up the frequency to at least every 2 days.

I don't think the maggots are harmful to the crickets and crickets from tubs with a light infestation are fine to use as feeders. If I had very small baby skinks (maybe baby delicate skinks (my yard is full of these charming little guys) or baby water skinks (get lots of these each summer too) or maybe hatchling geckos (bob-tails etc) they'd be perfect feeder size.

 

[kingofnobbys]

my little ones are now 2 months old , so I now buy 25Day old, 1/3 and 2/3 sized crickets (in bulk).

The big 2/3s go to the bluetongues and Rex, the 1/3s go to the hatchies and Wriggles, I grow the 25days to 1/3 size then feed to the little guys. (the hatchlings and Wriggles).