I have too many crickets, I don't know what to do?

[Skymall007]

Odd story. So, we bought our baby 500 pinhead crickets from Armstrong. That is the smallest order I could make. The problem is that the pin heads seem so small he can't even see them. He won't eat them. So we decided to order a bit bigger, that 500 cricket order won't come for a few days. In the mean time I was at a reptile expo and needed to buy him some food, the minimal I could buy was 100 crickets.

I can't release them because that is money gone and more importantly, I am paranoid about introducing a new and potentially invasive species (I'm a bio major).

I have a friend with a pet praying mantis, so she will get some, but other than that I have no idea what to do.

I know this an odd question, but how do you guys deal with so many crickets? Is there a way to order fewer of them? I worry so much about where I get them (I learned of Timberline and Armstrong from reptiles magazine). I don't want to get crickets from just anywhere due to the virus going around and I want to make sure that Spock's crickets come from a reputable source that has researched their stock and their effects on reptiles.

I hope this hasn't been asked before, I tried to search about and didn't see anything.

Thank you guys for your patience (from both Mr. Spock and myself)

 

[ReptileAddiction]

500 will be gone in a week with baby. What some people have started doing (myself included) is freezing them. Just throw them in a bag and pop in the freezer. Let them thaw out and then feed them. Most dragons will accept dead crickets if you nudge the cricket to make it move.

 

[Skymall007]

Thank you so much!

 

[littleassassin2]

First off, love the dragon's name lol (does the spock hand thing). Anyway, what you could do is stick them in a bin and just feed them and the like until the grow to an acceptable size that you're dragon will pound them down. You may expect a big die off number when they reach that particular size but at least they won't be going to waste.

You could also sell them, let them grow and then breed them, keep giving them to you're friend, or just wait for them to die and throw them out despite the fact that that's money wasted.

edit: also, some companies sell for as few as 250 crickets/box but any lower i haven't seen.

 

[Skymall007]

Thank you ubers =) Thankfully the crickets are gone now and the new batch arrived. I am hoping to breed those. I might get some more pinheads to raise up as well. I wish I realized all these things before buying the crickets lolz.

Thank you for loving his name =) He lives up well to his name sake

 

[newmommybeardie]

Ok what do you do with the same problem but big Crickets (there to big for my baby Beardie) i have tried to sell them, give them away and no luck.

 

[littleassassin2]

Could just drive them somewhere and dump them out in the woods or something.

 

[newmommybeardie]

Could just drive them somewhere and dump them out in the woods or something.

I live i Ontario Canada im not sure wether that would be ok or not as they could be a species that could invade here.

 

[littleassassin2]

Let them starve to death? If you have a fire place you could dump them in there or a fire pit? I'm sure there's some sort of pesticide or bug product you could use, such as raid.

 

[krolmariusz]

BURN THE BURN THEM ALIVEE!!!!! MUAHAHAHHA


lol no jk :lol:

 

[Skymall007]

I have ended up having to drown them before because I was afraid of dumping an evasive species. It was awful doing it and I wouldn't want to burn them alive. I hate crickets, but a fast death is always best. You could use them for breeding perhaps? I wish I did that with mine.

 

[newmommybeardie]

I have ended up having to drown them before because I was afraid of dumping an evasive species. It was awful doing it and I wouldn't want to burn them alive. I hate crickets, but a fast death is always best. You could use them for breeding perhaps? I wish I did that with mine.

Good things come when you wait i guess. I was browsing on Kijiji and found a rescue group that rescue's Turtles and other Reptiles asking if anyone had any unwanted items or food to help with there rescues so i sent email telling them that i have Large size Crickets if they want them but the have to pick them up. I would rather try and sell to make my money but giving anything up to a rescue is a really good cause. So i will see if they are going to come get them.

 

[Skymall007]

That is wonderful!!!! I wish I would have thought of that! I hope they come pick them up. It might also be possible to ship to them. The large ones are more hardy.

 

[newmommybeardie]

That is wonderful!!!! I wish I would have thought of that! I hope they come pick them up. It might also be possible to ship to them. The large ones are more hardy.

I havent heard fromthem yet i think im to far away from were they are. That's a idea about shipping them to them i will see if they get back to me or not.