keeping crickets?

[bambichik39]

So, I ordered some great roaches from the Roachguy, but no longer can keep them. I am planning on selling them cheap on craigslist to get rid of them quick, and want to know how to keep large quantities of crickets. Would a plastic storage container (similar to what you would house the roaches in) work for large quantities? I'm going to a reptile show in a few weeks and want to buy a thousand. Long story short, I found an ADULT dubia in my SHOE today (with my foot in it). So, the roaches have to go. I'm not sure how they are getting out, or what, but I know between myself and my mom, roaches are no longer an option. I'm still freaked out about it! Anyone else buy crickets by the 1000 and get them to live?

 

[Screamin99]

What I did with my crickets was I used a 10gallon glass tank with a screen lid. No heat or lights needed as long as your house isn't too overly hot/cold.

Place Egg Crate upright in one end of the tank and then place food on the other side. I used Fluker brand cricket food and drink.. I used a combo of their dry and orange cubes just put some of both over directly on the glass. Then opposite from that I would just put some of the water gel formula and let it be. With the egg crate being upright this will allow them the most room and ability to climb and move and also dead crickets/droppings will go to the bottom of the tank and be sure to lean them somewhat against the front or back of the tank so that it doesn't slide or fall into the viv and crush some of them.

Cleaning was simple just shake off the egg crate and set it outside the viv. Then with all the dead/live crickets in the tank tilt it to the side where the food is. all of the dead and live crickets will be packed into that corner. Simply sit the tank back down and most of the live crickets will run to the other side. scoop them out and place them in plastic gallon sized zip lock bags with a few pieces of egg crate. Clean the tank with hot water and some sort of cleaner.. dry it out really good and then put things back.

I did this until my dragon wouldn't eat crickets anymore. I Would buy about 1000 a month or every 6 weeks there for the longest time and I would usually have 100 or 200 left over at the time each order came in.

I just started trying to raise superworms myself, hopefully this goes well as it seems SUPER easy (lol I made a funny) and lazlo will eat about 6-10 a day right now.

 

[bambichik39]

Thanks! My beardie, Pablo, LLOOVVVESSS Superworms. I bought 100 at a reptile show a few weeks ago and he goes nuts- also eats about 10 a day and it makes it alot easier to feed- but I read on the feeding site that they should only be given occassionally... Is it okay to use them as a stable?

 

[Screamin99]

Ive read by many on this site that supers are okay to use as a staple as long as the dragon is over 16inches otherwise they should not even eat them due to a kink in their digestive tract that later gets stretched out at around the 16" mark.

They are SUPER easy to get going too.. I spent 30 dollars on a small 3 drawer setup and two 8 bin fish tackel box sets. So I have 16 supers singled out and ready to start the cycle haha.

 

[Kaiser]

Just a heads up: crickets are probably one of the quickest live feeders available, and are notorious for escaping and turning up places you don't want them to be, ha ha. Anyway, good luck!

Also, superworms can be used as a staple, though some may argue that they're a little on the fatty side, so be sure to feed appropriately. Also, they should only be fed when your bearded dragon is approximately 16 inches or so, just to be on the safe side. You also kind of have to monitor how much your bearded dragon will eat when it comes to superworms, because some will gorge themselves and have a negative reaction by either vomiting or diarrhea. Otherwise, I think nutrition content-wise, they can be used as staples.

 

[bambichik39]

Thanks for the heads up! Pablo just turned two, so he does eat crickets a lot, I just have never purchased more than a few hundred at a time. I kept those in a 10 gallon tank, but figured a 1000 would be comfortable in the storage tub I have his roaches in (which fits perfectly in his stand I bought him). He sure does love his supers, but he'll have to wait until the next show for me to buy him some more. Petco is expensive, but its more the quality that kills me. They weren't near the size of the supers at the last reptile show. Anyways, I'd much rather find a cricket running loose than a roach, personally! Ha! Plus, the cats are good about killing the crickets, the roach must have been hiding out for awhile, sick! Thanks everyone!

 

[Kaiser]

Thanks for the heads up! Pablo just turned two, so he does eat crickets a lot, I just have never purchased more than a few hundred at a time. I kept those in a 10 gallon tank, but figured a 1000 would be comfortable in the storage tub I have his roaches in (which fits perfectly in his stand I bought him). He sure does love his supers, but he'll have to wait until the next show for me to buy him some more. Petco is expensive, but its more the quality that kills me. They weren't near the size of the supers at the last reptile show. Anyways, I'd much rather find a cricket running loose than a roach, personally! Ha! Plus, the cats are good about killing the crickets, the roach must have been hiding out for awhile, sick! Thanks everyone!

You're welcome. For some very strange reason, I have an unusual fear of crickets. Almost every other insect or invertebrate, I'm fine with. Crickets...I don't know why, but I'm absolutely disgusted by them. But I ended up getting a bearded dragon and powering through a month or so of using crickets as feeders before finding Reptiworms, ha ha. Anyway, best wishes!

 

[Sashee]

I'm with you on the crickets. I'd rather lose one of them in the house than a roach. :lol: And like you, my cat will find any loose crix. Lol

 

[warnisha]

My crix are in a tote and we have no issues. We actually have babies now which is so cooL! so I am looking forward to having them kid of populate themselces. Any that escape have a short lived expedition in my house considering the cats get them quickly. I don't owrry too much becuase they don't live long without the cats grabbing them up. I get 1000 at a time and have had lots of luck keeping them alive. I just put lots of leftovers from my beardies salads and a piece of fruit also usually an orange or a kiwi....sometimes grapes. they seem to do well and I figure once I get a population/farm going I will have control over what they are eating and what is going into my dragons also. I never do smell them, I keep after their cage keeping clean, and change the fruit or greens daily and completly clean the tank as needed.

 

[bambichik39]

thanks for the tips! I am currently only buying about 5 dozen at a time (too expensive at petco and was feeding roaches), so i never put fruit or veggies in there with them (they didn't last long enough to really be fed). I'll be going to a reptile show April 10th, so hopefully they have them by the 1000 so I can give this ago. I more question though, are they going to be very noisy? We keep them in a coat closet now, and they will be moved to the roach bin until pablos tank in the same room. I'm hoping they just arent any noisier than they already are. Thoughts on this? The tote is in a cabinet below his tank, but it is open in the back of the cabinet for air circulation and electrical cord hookup.

 

[warnisha]

Ours aren't that noisy we only have a few adults tho but they do chirp some. You get used to them actually

 

[Kaiser]

thanks for the tips! I am currently only buying about 5 dozen at a time (too expensive at petco and was feeding roaches), so i never put fruit or veggies in there with them (they didn't last long enough to really be fed). I'll be going to a reptile show April 10th, so hopefully they have them by the 1000 so I can give this ago. I more question though, are they going to be very noisy? We keep them in a coat closet now, and they will be moved to the roach bin until pablos tank in the same room. I'm hoping they just arent any noisier than they already are. Thoughts on this? The tote is in a cabinet below his tank, but it is open in the back of the cabinet for air circulation and electrical cord hookup.

The adults will chirp. I don't know about how thousands of them will sound at a given time, but I know I had one adult get into my bag of small crickets once (so I couldn't just feed it off to my bearded dragon, who, at the time, could not handle such a large size), and that kept me up at night. Until I finally decided to chuck it outside. But I'm a very light sleeper, so who knows, you might not notice the chirping, or it might even be pleasant.

 

[flnatv]

I am repulsed by roaches as well. My son says that he will keep the colony, but I just don't think I can do that... yuck.
We keep crickets in a 20 gallon aquarium and they seem to do well... I also feed them greens, etc.. same things I feed my beardies.
As for noise... I only feed my dragon female crickets... my sons dragon and plated get the males... one hid in my beardies cage and chirped for 3 days, I ended up sleeping on the couch!!! We keep ours in a spare bedroom at the back of the house, so the cricket cage isn't really loud.

I also agree with the cats... we have 3 and they fight over who is going to stand closest when I open the cricket cage to gather crickets for feeding :0)

I am trying my hand at waxworms (for the occasional treat, plus my daughters tomato frog and gecko like them).... finally got 3 to pupate after 2months.

Good luck with the crickets... much better choice than the roaches (in my opinion).