Opening a box of crickets

[fresnowitte]

When I used crickets I had the same problems even when I'd use a large tank to dump them into. Toward the end of my cricket days I would have someone hold up a large trash bag and then hold the box well down into it before attempting to dump them. Then I could hold the top of the bag so it had a smaller opening then dump them into the cricket tank.

 

[nbaragon]

Hehe!! I am a Japanese -- It's easier for me to use chopsticks than metal tongs. I use chopsticks to feed all kinds of worms to my dragon too!

Thanks, Barbara, a large trash bag also sounds like a good idea!!

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

*is chuckling hard*
Oh dear. I hate to say it guys - but to your crickets-climbing-out problem you've got, I have a very very simple answer.

Make sure your box is reasonably deep, which it will be from what I'm hearing.
Take a large tub of vaseline.
Smear a thick band of vaseline about 2 inches wide all the way round the inside top.
Crickets, worms, roaches and most other insects can't get a hold on it, so they're not at all likely to get out!
Every so often use a bit of tinfoil to take off the top layer that gathers dust and muck and just slap on another layer.

Easy.
Watching Roaches fall back in their coolbox is very funny.

 

[nbaragon]

Ha! Vaseline -- I never thought of it!! That sounds really easy and clean. Thank you so much for the info!!!

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

More than a pleasure. Use the tinfoil like a razor to take off the top layer

 

[MAJ]

When my bearded dragon would still touch a cricket and I was buying them in bulk, I simply used cold to slow the crickets down.

I winter, it was easy... I left to box in the garage for 10 or 15 minutes, and then transferred them to my keeper. They were slow enough that even if there were a few escapees, they were very easy to catch. Once they came inside and warmed up, they would start moving again and be fine.

In summer, would be a bit more of a challenge. The refridgerator would do the job, although I am not sure I would want them in there (box or no box). Thankfully, my bearded dragon went on permanent cricket strike before we got to her first summer and I never had to deal with bulk cricket escapes in the summer.

Just don't forget about your box of crickets sitting in the cold garage!

 

[sddragons]

Just get yourself a big rubbermaid bin from target or walmart and just put the box in the bottom and open the flaps and dump them out. I do this twice a week with a 1000 in a box and have not lost 1 yet. The only bad thing is all the scraps (some dead crix and their waste) all go into my bin also.

I just can't help but wonder how everyone else is doing it. I've been ordering crickets online for a while now, but it's always such a hassle opening the package, trying to stop all these crickets from escaping, and moving them into my crickets cages. I have two large Lee's Pet Kricket Keepers: http://www.petco.com/product/12060/Lee-s-Pet-Kricket-Keepers.aspx

I do this in the backyard, but no matter how careful I am, 30 - 40 crickets always escape. (I usually order 1,000 of them at a time.) I'm horrified that someday my backyard will be full of these runaway crickets...

Also, I'm not exactly an insect lover (I only do this for my beloved dragon), and I don't really enjoy all these crickets jumping out of the box to my face... So, before opening the box, I'm always like, "Okay, take a deep breath, get ready... 1, 2, 3!!"

Does anyone know a good trick? Maybe using a large trash bag or something??