cricket rookie for sure

[casper31]

Okay, so I just ordered my first bulk 500 crickets...and WOW! LOL....what a show....

so i obviously got a container too small for 500 crickets and the transfer was quite comical. My 9 yr old told me, "mom, that was a cricket fiasco." LOL I couldn't agree more.

So my question is this. What is an efficient way to transfer 500 crickets from box to container, because I definitely do not know. Thank goodness I brought them outside "just in case" I feel like I had thousands of them scattering...lol they were EVERYWHERE! I still feel like I have them crawling on my body... :shock:

I'm glad a have a sense of humor

 

[BeardieGrandma]

Getting the crickets out of the box and into the container is crisis management for sure. I order 500 6-week old crickets for my full-grown dragon and those things are big and beastly. So, same as you, Take it all outside. I keep mine in a 10 gallon tank. Open the box and dump it quickly into the tank, moving whatever egg cartons are in ther first. That gets most of them and then I sweep out the stragglers with my hand that are left in the box. My last time I only saw 3 get away...
oh and check yourself - I usually find one or two hitchhikers on me...

 

[RexsMom]

I have a pet supply store and we order 2000 at a time. We keep them in a big plastic tub with no lid, for you a rubbermaid tub would work, just make sure that the sides are totally smooth, no texture at all. Or you can cut a hole in the lid and put some screen over the hole. To get 2000 crickets into the bin we just put the box in the bin, open it and carefully take out the egg crates, then dump out what is left in the box. And you will have to check yourself, they like hitching rides.

 

[Paradon]

If you do it in a bin large enough to fit the box in it...you can avert the crisis. lol :wink: Just take your time and be patience... Dont' rush when you do this; it will only matter worse.

 

[casper31]

Thanks so much to all of you! I have empty 10 gal tank that I will try with the next shipment, if that proves to be a challenge I'll buy a bigger plastic container.
At least they are doing just fine now...LOL

 

[bunnyrut]

I don't have a giant container, I have a 10 gallon tank.

I put the tank in the bathtub and open the cricket box in there. i carefully transfer the eggcrates to the tank and use a bug vacuum (found at toys r us) to catch the rest of the crickets. it's a little time consuming, but the crickets can't climb out of the tub so i rarely have escapes.

but the first time we brought a box of crickets home we had our own fiasco. we had no idea how they were packed and my husband opened the box. we quickly sealed them back up and then my husband had the idea to cut a hole in the box and stick a tube there so we can get them out that way. they squeezed out of the space between the tube and box. spent the next couple of days catching random crickets.

 

[Paradon]

I use a translucent storage bin. Their sides are really smooth and the crickets can't climb over and escape. I'd buy the largest one you could find, if I were you. i usually do this in the garage; so if there is any escapee, it couldnt get in the house.

 

[casper31]

thanks for all the tips. I put the crickets in a 10 gal tank and so far so good. Lots less escapees!!

I may invest in the bug vacuum still. Sounds like a good purchase.

 

[casper31]

thanks for all the help...second order of crickets went much better!! 10 gal tank and a bathtub worked like a charm