Controling cricket odor

[sjcksnmnusa]

With the weather getting colder here in MN, I will be bringing my crickets in for the winter. Odor is a big issue. Has anyone had success in controlling the odor with some kind of bedding? I have read that vermiculite works. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

 

[jxl22]

Why not just switch to dubia?

 

[sjcksnmnusa]

I live with my daughter and she is OK with crickets but not roaches. Considering the crickets do escape now and then, I have the same concern. I know the crickets have a limited lifespan and my cats usually find the escapees, anyway. I don't know if that would be true of the roaches. My dragons are picky when it comes to new food and have resisted anything other than crickets, romaine, butternut squash, and mangos. I supplement with calcium and vitamins. They are older rescues and the vet says their diets are OK so I guess I will stick with them. Dubia's would be a lot easier, though. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[jxl22]

The roaches will not escape. they cannot climb the glass or plastic bins. I have one of the mealworm dishes that they sell at PS or PCO. the dubias can't even get out of that. Also they arn't as disguisting as it sounds. I was SUPER against roaches. untill i bought them. I don;t have to worry about some leftovers eating my BD, they can't jump or climb wich is awesome. i dropped on on the floor earlier and i picked it right up, couldn't do that with a cricket. And they don't smell or make that ANNOYING NOISE!

My BD wasn't eating. i was feeding crickets and he would barley go after them. i got $5 worth at a LPS threw them in, and he gobbles every single one in under a minute. He fricken loves them!. I ordered 12g small last week, and i just ordered 24g this week. hopfully my LEO will eat them too!

They're suppose to be easy to breed. I wouldn;t know personally but i'll be breading in the next month.

 

[jxl22]

Also roaches cannot repopulate outside of the enclosure. they're from a tropical(pretty sure) environment. unless you live in FL theres zero chance of them populating your house.

 

[kelii]

I, too, was against roaches. I even felt it was somehow morally wrong to raise them. I resisted getting them for around 2 months until I lost about 500 crickets due to mold. I didn't know they had died right away because I wasn't paying attention. By the time I had to clean up they were a putrid mass on the bottom of the bin :bleick: Needless to say, no more crickets EVER! I just love my roaches now. They don't smell, make noise, escape and stay neatly in a bowl in my dragon's cage.