How do I keep crickets alive?

[BeardieBaby]

Hi everyone! I am having a big problem with keeping my crickets alive. I gut load them with bearded dragon pellets and with special flukers cricket water but it seems that about 15 die each day. Someone told me to keep half a potato to help suck up the toxins but the potato just goes moldy very fast! I am spending lots of money on these crickets so if anyone has any ideas or advice on how to keep them living longer I would appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[blazedragon]

it could be your crickets health when you get them. i have only lost very few and i order 500 at a time.. i have them in a tote i got at wal-mart and keep them fed and watered

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, as stated above. Could be the health or even the age of the cricket. Maybe try a different source for crickets or try ordering the next size smaller.

Moisture, too low or high temps, inadequate ventilation and over crowding will kill crickets.

 

[Bushmaster11B]

There is a "Common Brown House Cricket" disease going on Nationwide now. If your crix stink unlike they usually do, DON'T feed them. Fluker's Cricket Farm has this disease in their Crickets right now however they will deny it. I used to buy from them. I would invest in a roach colony. They don't stink, make loud noises, they don't poop in their food and they are selective where they poop. Plus they are way meatier and have higher protein than crix.

 

[Germ]

I would invest in a roach colony. They don't stink, make loud noises, they don't poop in their food and they are selective where they poop.

No, the nymphs just live in & eat their own poop (Frass). lol

 

[Bushmaster11B]

Gross but true.... RECYCLE, BABIES!

Back on crix, I was ordering 500 at one time and I had a 40-60% die off with correct gut-load and temps. Crix are only good in my opinion for small babies.

 

[dhall79]

I get my crix from Arnold's cricket farm. I've ordered from a few places. These seem to be the best for the money. I don't feed my crix anything but raw red potato wedges. They get enough water from the potatoes too. So not water dishes or sponges. Very little dead loss.

 

[Chrisw]

Hi everyone! I am having a big problem with keeping my crickets alive. I gut load them with bearded dragon pellets and with special flukers cricket water but it seems that about 15 die each day. Someone told me to keep half a potato to help suck up the toxins but the potato just goes moldy very fast! I am spending lots of money on these crickets so if anyone has any ideas or advice on how to keep them living longer I would appreciate it! Thanks!

My crickets never die. I feed them a cricket diet and sometimes vegetable or water crystals as water source. The way to keep them alive is to keep them in a lot of room. Make the enclosure dry as possible. Humidity will kill them.

 

[TarynLee]

I find that the water crystals are key. Is that what u have?

 

[TarynLee]

But honestly I don't use crickets as I too have found them such a pain in the arse to keep. And keep alive! Lol

 

[HeartsToTheBeardies]

Where are you getting your crickets from? If you are getting them from a pet shop, they made have no been kept in the best condition before you got them. I would order them off a website to insure good health for your crickets, they keep them in parasite - free farms so you don't have to worry.

Are you feeding your crickets any bug food? If not, I recommend bug grub by pro rep! It is amazing, all my crickets go crazy for it. It also is great for gut loading too, it is full of nutrition. Crickets are also known to eat each other when there is no food supply so, bare that in mind.

Are you giving them a water source? I would simply get a sponge and soak it in cold water and place it in your cricket keeper. If you don't have the correct sponge I would place a cotton ball or paper towel in water and place it in there. Don't make it too soggy. Water crystals are also a good option

How big is your cricket keeper? Make sure your cricket keeper is big enough to hold the crickets you have. If it too small, it will become over crowded, thus, making your crickets die. Notice when the death rate starts to decrease when the number of crickets decrease. I would recommend the large cricket pen by Exo - Terra, I use the small and it works fine for my 200 baby crickets. It also prevent them from escaping Which everybody loves!

Finally, make sure the temperature is correct. Many recommend 21-24 degrees. If it extremely hot, the humidity will rise, which is terrible for crickets as they do not do well with humidity. If it is too cold, they will freeze

Hopes this helps!