Cricket Killer

[skifflexie]

I am having an awful time keeping crickets alive. No matter if I buy them from Petsmart or a local pet shop. I bought 80 medium crickets the other night and the next morning I had maybe 5 alive.

Here is my current set up:

10g tank
I've tried bare bottom and paper towel bottom
Flukers cricket food & Flukers cricket quencher water gel
Paper towel rolls and egg carton

I clean the deads out everyday and also wipe down with a damp cloth.

I'm in Missouri and its currently winter and we have our heater only set on 55' since my roommate doesnt want it on. My room is upstairs and stays roughly 60-65 at night.

Originally I was told my house is too cold. Especially since they are in my closet. So I used an old under the tank heater I had laying around, it didn't seem to help. So I stopped that, and on black friday I picked up a new light fixture for the 55g set up I'm working on. So I used an old 75 w infrared bulb for the crickets.... it seemed to help a little but I still lose 95% of the crickets.

When they are dying the are normally lying on their backs with their legs in the air and shaking... I don't know if I'm still doing something wrong, or it's some kind of virus....

P.s

I know that Dubia Roaches are much easier and are less work/mess but I rent and its totally out of the question, also I have a huge fear of bugs myself, and I doubt I could take care of them... I hardly handle the crickets, I especially hate the bigger ones....

Here is a photo of the cricket set up... I took it while I was in my bathroom, cleaning the entire tank. I put the bulb package and food containers in so you could see the brands/types I am using.

 

[Soulwind]

Can you try keeping them somewhere else?

Do you have any mothballs or aromatic wood items in the closet?

Exterminator been around anytime in the past 6 months or so?

Honestly, since you've tried keeping them warmer, it sounds like

they are being poisoned by something in the environment to me.

 

[skifflexie]

Can you try keeping them somewhere else?

Do you have any mothballs or aromatic wood items in the closet?

Exterminator been around anytime in the past 6 months or so?

Honestly, since you've tried keeping them warmer, it sounds like

they are being poisoned by something in the environment to me.

I don't have much choice unless I put them in my room. And the downstairs would be way too cold.

The only thing it could possibly be in my closet would be two stick and refreshes but I have a really large closest is a double door walk in. I could easily fit a twin sized bed and side table in it.... I'll remove the fresheners and see if that helps. I do have a wax burning sensy in my room, do you think could hurt them?

Before I got my lizard when I first moved in we had water beetles and crickets downstairs, we asked them to have an exterminater come, but they never did. This is a brand new house we are the first occupants.