when can I start feeding large crickets

[nathantaxel]

I bought a juvinile male last week at a herp show and got a bunch of medium sized crickets there which he ate regularly. Today I went to my local pet store to get more and they only sell pin heads and fully grown. I got the pin heads and he is not showing any interest in them at all. I think he is a little small to feed the large crickets to, what should I do? Also I have had trouble getting him to eat outside of his habitat. I know I am supposed to feed him in another area, but he wont eat unless I put them in there with him. The pin heads are so small I dont know if he will find them. Thanks for the help.

 

[patrickb]

The general rule is not to feed them anything larger than the space between their eyes. That means the width of the feeder, not the overall length of it. It might be a while before you can feed adult crickets. Have you considered ordering your crickets online? They are much much cheaper if you can buy them in bulk online and keep them for a few days as well. Checkout this post viewtopic.php?f=18&t=95707 with a little advice on where to look for online vendors for crickets, and even how to keep them.

You don't absolutely have to feed him in a separate enclosure, though it makes it easier to see how much he is eating and the big point, to remove any crickets that weren't eaten. You do not want to leave crickets in there with him overnight, as they may munch on him and cause wounds that could get infected plus stress as well. That is the main reason for feeding in a separate enclosure.

 

[nathantaxel]

The general rule is not to feed them anything larger than the space between their eyes. That means the width of the feeder, not the overall length of it. It might be a while before you can feed adult crickets. Have you considered ordering your crickets online? They are much much cheaper if you can buy them in bulk online and keep them for a few days as well. Checkout this post viewtopic.php?f=18&t=95707 with a little advice on where to look for online vendors for crickets, and even how to keep them.

You don't absolutely have to feed him in a separate enclosure, though it makes it easier to see how much he is eating and the big point, to remove any crickets that weren't eaten. You do not want to leave crickets in there with him overnight, as they may munch on him and cause wounds that could get infected plus stress as well. That is the main reason for feeding in a separate enclosure.

does this mean that because the large crickets are long and thin it is fine to feed them? Spike has gotten intrested in the pin heads, but we have gone through the 100 i bought in about three days, so I am starting to think we will need to move to the larges.

 

[NegativeCreep]

You really should consider ordering online. Even as a juvie, they can eat huge amounts of crickets/proteins, so you will save a bundle. Not to mention, when you order from a reputable cricket farm, they come in various sizes, so you can get the exact size you need (or a size smaller to accommodate for cricket growth while you keep them). It really does make a difference, though, when you look at 2-3¢ per cricket in comparison to 7-10¢ at a pet store.

 

[nathantaxel]

You really should consider ordering online. Even as a juvie, they can eat huge amounts of crickets/proteins, so you will save a bundle. Not to mention, when you order from a reputable cricket farm, they come in various sizes, so you can get the exact size you need (or a size smaller to accommodate for cricket growth while you keep them). It really does make a difference, though, when you look at 2-3¢ per cricket in comparison to 7-10¢ at a pet store.

I agree that ordering online would make the most sense, but I am not sure that it would work for me right now. I live in Northern Ohio where it is very cold and I am afraid most of the crickets would die in transit and they would be sitting on my front porch until I got home from work. Do you think it would still be possible considering these conditions?

 

[NegativeCreep]

Most cricket farms ship them out with insulated heat packs to keep them warm. It would be worth checking, though, to make sure that they can withstand the really cold temps you have there.

I have them sent to work since there isn't anyone to receive them at my house. Most farms won't guarantee the crix if someone isn't there to receive them, either... Do you think you could have them sent to a friend's house, or your job, or family member's house?? hmm...

 

[mad482]

I recently adopted a 7 mo , 10 1/2 " bearded female. She ate 3 med crickets at her previous home the morning of p/u.The pet supply only had large crickets, of which I bought 30. Now she'll only eat 1 or 2 a day. Are these too big ? How long will these last ( nutritionally )& should I also provide an alternate source of protein ?