cricket help

[New Beardie Daisy]

have 250 1/2" crickets coming how do i prepare for them how do i keep them

 

[Hdrydr31]

Awe cricket housing.... I raised them for 5 years. let me type some info up and I'll get back to you.

 

[Hdrydr31]

have 250 1/2" crickets coming how do i prepare for them how do i keep them

Get yourself 2- 30 gal storage bin with a lids, cut a large part of the top and put screen taped on...you should also do some rectangle holes in the bin covered in screen there too Place these holes towards the top....Get some egg flats or egg containers, paper towel rolls plenty for them to have space if too crowded they will fight with eachother. Water dish tops of mayo jars water crystals work really well same with the screw on top to peanut butter tubs, I use the bigger one for the food. What I used was rolled oats, white corn meal, carrots, romaine lettuce...you can feed them the same stuff as you feed your dragon... Afterall it's going for it anyways so gut loading.. They are SUPER sensitive to strong odors/chemicals. Heat I used reg light bulbs that give heat that are in those metal work lamp deals, for during the day and I used the red lights during the night. I had the lamps on timers. Temps they prefer 75-80F the humidity needs to be low! that's the biggest killer of them 30-40% lower on that # is the better, they need it to molt but when you buy in bulk (I used to do 500 at a time) they give off heat themselves..
I am OCD so I cleaned them daily shake out the egg containers, and remove everything dishes and food.. then all you need to do is tilt the container over the empty one and let them go into the waiting container (so not to dump out the dead ones or poop or molt...) then wipe down the bin with water make sure it's REALLY dry then arrange the tub again. the food and water should be on the cool side of the container..so arrange the lights to be coming from 1 end that's where the egg cartons should be. The poop and dead crickets are what make them smell bad that's why I cleaned them out every day..

Remember they are sensitive bugs, odors, high humidity, the egg cartons they will nibble on so be careful about recycled ones...pesticides (wash your greens and such) I gave mine organic veggies they did better. The males are the ones that make the noise. Remember to not leave any crickets in with your dragon at night as they can and will chew on your dragon.. I think I got it all

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

oh wow thanks a lot. a bunch of info for me to process

 

[Hdrydr31]

oh wow thanks a lot. a bunch of info for me to process

lol it is ask any you need

 

[PatsyB]

Get yourself 2- 30 gal storage bin with a lids, cut a large part of the top and put screen taped on...you should also do some rectangle holes in the bin covered in screen there too Place these holes towards the top....Get some egg flats or egg containers, paper towel rolls plenty for them to have space if too crowded they will fight with eachother. Water dish tops of mayo jars water crystals work really well same with the screw on top to peanut butter tubs, I use the bigger one for the food. What I used was rolled oats, white corn meal, carrots, romaine lettuce...you can feed them the same stuff as you feed your dragon... Afterall it's going for it anyways so gut loading.. They are SUPER sensitive to strong odors/chemicals. Heat I used reg light bulbs that give heat that are in those metal work lamp deals, for during the day and I used the red lights during the night. I had the lamps on timers. Temps they prefer 75-80F the humidity needs to be low! that's the biggest killer of them 30-40% lower on that # is the better, they need it to molt but when you buy in bulk (I used to do 500 at a time) they give off heat themselves..
I am OCD so I cleaned them daily shake out the egg containers, and remove everything dishes and food.. then all you need to do is tilt the container over the empty one and let them go into the waiting container (so not to dump out the dead ones or poop or molt...) then wipe down the bin with water make sure it's REALLY dry then arrange the tub again. the food and water should be on the cool side of the container..so arrange the lights to be coming from 1 end that's where the egg cartons should be. The poop and dead crickets are what make them smell bad that's why I cleaned them out every day..

Remember they are sensitive bugs, odors, high humidity, the egg cartons they will nibble on so be careful about recycled ones...pesticides (wash your greens and such) I gave mine organic veggies they did better. The males are the ones that make the noise. Remember to not leave any crickets in with your dragon at night as they can and will chew on your dragon.. I think I got it all

Wow, I thought I took good care of my crickets I guess I was wrong!

I keep mine in a 10 gallon breeder tank with a metal top. They always have dry cricket food and water crystals and I feed them ends and stems from my dragons salads. Lot's of egg crates for them to hide in, I rip them into smallish pieces so I can shake them into a cup easily, and toilet paper rolls. I flip the egg crates over each day to knock out the poop and once a week I scoop up the poop, and dead ones and wipe off the bottom with a wet paper towel. I find that if you stack the egg crates on one side of the tank and work on the other side, the crickets will stay away from your hands! I have mine in the basement with a light on during the day, it's maybe around 70 degrees then cools off at night. I know to breed them they need WARMTH though, which is something I haven't been able to provide. I'm noticing my lights are flickering now with the addition of a 3rd bearded dragon.

 

[Hdrydr31]

lol your fine PatsyB I found that bigger containers kept them from eating eachother but then again getting them 500 at a time I at times had 700-1000 at any given time.. Lower the temp the slower they grow, higher the temp the faster they grow and breed.