housing bulk crickets?

[paperplanes]

i need to start buying crickets by the hundreds, i need to know what is the safest thing to keep them in, meaning, what will they not be able to climb up, or get out of? a glass container, like an old fish tank? plastic?

 

[mickeysmomma]

When I would but them in bulk, I put them in an old fishtank, with a screened lid. They couldn't get out. But boy they stink! LOL

 

[paperplanes]

im also worried about the odor. is there any way to combat the stench? i dont want to put it in my bedroom closet, cause my room will smell like garbage. i cant put them in the basement cause my sister sleeps down there.

febreeze?

 

[changilass]

Even getting a couple of hundred at a time I have to clean out the cricket keeper every 2 days or it stinks, can't wait till the dubias do their thing, all I can smell from them is the oranges I put in.

 

[erikalynn]

I don't find the crickets smell that bad, I have a 1000 in an old fish tank. As long as you keep it clean by cleaning out any dead bodies and changing the food before it molds it shouldn't be too bad.
I have the tank in my living room and haven't noticed any smell. I vacuum out the bodies regularly and do a subtrate change weekly ( I use paper towel)

 

[paperplanes]

does anyone know of any tutorials when it comes to keeping crickets?

 

[beardiebro]

If you go on YouTube there are tons of videos on there. You could also try google. There are different ways that people have found to be successful at breeding crickets.

 

[lightheart]

I'm using plastic tub(s), what I have read ventilation is good to the crickets so I have sides with mesh on the sides of my bins as well as the top. I don't notice a smell really with the crickets, I do a complete clean about every 5-6 days. Veggies and fruit gets changed every other or every depending on the type of food.

I wouldn't use an air freshener around them, would be afraid that it may kill them. If anything you could keep some charcoal bags and/or baking soda near the tubs to absorb odor, not 100% sure but I would think that wouldn't harm the crickets. I do the orange slices in my tub also like changilass said.

There was a neat idea on youtube where a guy hooked up a computer fan to his cricket tub with an intake/outtake valve type system and filters that he claimed had zero odor, maybe do a search there of odorless crickets or zero odor, odor free...

The only time I have had any to escape from the top of the tub is when I have stacked their cardboard housing too far to the top of the bin.

You can see how I clean my bins here http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightheart/sets/72157625755216338/

 

[paperplanes]

the purpose of your two tubs is to clean the other and just transfer them over right?

ive got a small aquarium about 15 gallons i am planning to keep them in. ive got a screen top that i can just lift off to open.

im looking to buy at least 250 at a time, do you know what size of shelter they will need?

you seem generous when you give them food. do you need to give them that much food?

 

[lightheart]

the purpose of your two tubs is to clean the other and just transfer them over right?

I do have an extra tub, no holes or anything that I use to dump the crickets in while I clean their tub but I also had 2 different tubs of crickets :lol: :lol: :lol: and just went out today and bought another tub :shock: ... I figured you pay alot on the shipping so I ordered really small ones that I'm going to grow... so I'm keeping alot of crickets!

I looked online, 15 gal is either L x W x H- 24x12x12 or 20x10x18... my tubs are (quick measure) 22x15x11; 24x15x14 and the new one is 25x15x17 I've been keeping 1000 3/4 inch crickets in the bigger tub 24x15x14 and have 2000 1/2 inch crickets in the smaller 22x15x11tub, I think that's too many crickets for the space, even as little as those 1/2 inch crickets are so I'm going to move a little more than half of them over to this new tub I bought, I can also regulate the heat so they grow faster/slower so I don't end up with them all at eating size at the same time. I would think that 250 would do fine in the size aquarium you have, would think you could house even more depending on the cricket size. The big thing with the crickets is standing room, you want enough cardboard, eggcrates, paper towel tubes that every cricket has a place to stand without standing on another cricket plus room to put their food. I've seen some pictures where poeple put the food under the housing but crickets poop a bunch as it is in their food, I think it would be worse if their houseing was over top of their feed.

I guess I am generous with their food, I could probably cut back on the amount of dry stuff I put in because they don't eat it all, most of their veggies get eaten in 2 days and that's with me adding a little more scrap everyday, an orange slice goes fast, so far I've had good luck with the crickets though and they are all nice and juicy when we go to feed them to our dragon. It morbid because we do feed the crickets to the dragon, but keeping the crickets is almost like having another pet in the house, our one son has fur allergies so other than fish which can't be touched, the crickets give the kids something to take care of and "pet". I guess I spoil the crickets too.

Some folks use lights for temp regulation in their cricket tubs, we keep our house warm, 72-76F and where I keep them on the floor has a heated basement under it so they aren't getting drafts. I do move them further/closer to the airvent. Now that I have this new plan to grow crickets I'm going to have to watch their temps more and possibly increase it.

If you are going to use a regular aquarium screen those holes are big compared to the window screen mesh, I'm using needlepoint craft mesh which is bigger than the screen mesh, not as big as the aquar. tops though. If you are going to be keeping crickets under 1/2 inch I might go with a different top especially if the crickets can get close to the top and you don't want any loose crickets in your house. That siad, the one local pet store here in town keeps all their cricket aquariums without any tops, the tiny ones, the small ones and the big ones, I'm sure they have loose crickets though.

 

[paperplanes]

i didnt know they needed to be heated either. ah. i only want to do this to save money. its like im paying five bucks every three days to feed the beardie. thank you for your help

 

[nicolenreakus]

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... ex/010.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... ex/008.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... ex/006.jpg
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc4 ... /005-2.jpg

This is how my cricket tub looks. I use cricket quencher, squash (every two days), and Ghanns cricket chow. They seem to really like the squash. The smell isn't bad. I keep it in the living room. I keep a 50 watt flood light on them about 10 hours a day because I order 3/8 inch size and they need more light. Overall, I am saving A LOT of money compared to going to the pet store every other day and spending $15. My first 1,000 crickets lasted me three weeks! I am very happy with that.

 

[paperplanes]

cant seem to view your pics.
the only things im worried about is storing them, and providing heat and light

 

[Vacren]

I would say to forgo the crickets altogether and raise up a roach colony. As long as your house stays below 75, you won't have to worry about infestation. They have no smell (dubia) and are very easy to keep. I've heard that discoids and lateralis are also good to keep.

 

[paperplanes]

my mother will not allow roaches of any type in my house