# Cricket water dispenser?



## singhm29 (Jun 28, 2009)

Does anyone happen to know how to make a diy water dispenser? Ive seen and tested some concepts with just poking pinholes in the bottom of a container of some sort and placing a papertowel underneath but this fails once the papertowel is fully saturated and ends up soaking the rest of the place. Wet crickets= dead crickets!


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

I have used waterers used for chicks. Just cut a ring from foam and put it in the trough, this will stay hydrated while keeping the water in the dispenser (often a mason jar). This type has always worked great for me. You could also just put a sponge in there and wet it often, or put orange slices in there. I would recommend the chick waterer though...much less hassle.


----------



## erik s (Apr 12, 2010)

Go check out rainbow meal worms...go to their supply section...that may give you some ideas...I personally use "water bites"...less mess and your bugs don't drown in it!


----------



## singhm29 (Jun 28, 2009)

I do have a little water dispenser but the wall around the water area is pretty high for the smaller crickets to get up..I may modify that somehow but these ideas sound interesting. The chicken waterer I have heard but im still trying to find a place to get one. Sorry I didnt really get what you meant with the mason jar, do you use this with some foam on the bottom to keep the water from spilling everywhere? My goal is to have something easily replacable weekly that wont rot! Erik it seems rainbowmealworms no longer exists? there site redirects me to some random page.


----------



## erik s (Apr 12, 2010)

No rainbow mealworms....shows you how long its been since I've bought from them!!!...just Google chick waterer...or check" Strombergs"...they are a poultry supply company...


----------



## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

simple way

plastic shipping container or similar, cut a chemical free sponge to fit fully inside it...

take a 16oz bottled water container, turn it upside down into a center 'hole' or X cut into the middle of the sponge....

done.

can you picture it?


----------



## singhm29 (Jun 28, 2009)

Gotcha, will try that out. I should stay away from the dollarstore then for nonchemical sponges, where do you grab your sponges?


----------



## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

A chick waterer is best (for retaining water)with a sponge cut to fit the water ring.It will still get funky and you will have to wash or change the sponge.You can get a waterer at strombergs or murry mcmurry hatchery online.I just use zuccini or squash and change it when needed.It hydrates the crickets and gives them nutrition as well.I use this method to breed crickets.

Lou


----------



## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

I bred crickets and this is the easiest way using household items....

Items needed:
12oz or 24oz(if you have the room) soda bottle
mayonnaise, peanut butter jar lid, or cut the bottom off of a small sour cream, cream cheese, or buttur bowl
hot glue gun 
drill and drill bits
razor blade
cotton balls


Drill 4 holes in the cap of the bottle, 2 on the top side by side and two on the bottom.
Take the cap off and put a spot of hot glue in the center of the bottle cap and place it on the mayonnaise lid but hold them in each hand and pull on the bottle cap to ensure that there is space between the cap and the mayonnaise lid for good flow.
Then but a glob of hot glue between the cap and the mayonnaise in 4 place opposite of where you drilled you holes...don't put the glue where the holes are cause this would restrict flow.
Fill the lid around the bottle full of cotton balls.
fill your bottle full of water and screw on your mayonnaise lid onto the bottle and sit it down and squeeze the bottle a bit to get the cotton balls wet and you have a waterer that won't drown your crickets.

you will have to change out the cotton cause they fowl it up and it will get stinky and when you do so you just flip the water dispenser over and sit the bottle right side up and screw off the lid...be sure not to squeeze the bottle too much or when you invert the water dispenser it will drip.
Don't worry if you did it right the cotton won't fall out or drip.

I bred crickets for many months and this is the best system I could find and I have adapted it from this...


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I just use quartered or halved sections of oranges or other citrus. It eliminates the fouling of the sponge or other absorbent materials, is readily accepted, doesn't provide a place for phorid flies to get established (or attracted to) and if fruit flies get on it, it gets tossed in with some frogs or discarded. 

Ed


----------



## kickedinthevader (Jan 30, 2011)

This all seems like a lot of work... why not just use water crystals? Maybe I'm missing something. They are super cheap, and a single oz. (A dollars worth) fills a gallon milk jug.








Pm me if you need any. I have a TON.


----------



## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> I bred crickets and this is the easiest way using household items....
> 
> Items needed:
> 12oz or 24oz(if you have the room) soda bottle
> ...



Looks alot like a chick waterer you can get for a couple bucks and no hassle




kickedinthevader said:


> This all seems like a lot of work... why not just use water crystals? Maybe I'm missing something. They are super cheap, and a single oz. (A dollars worth) fills a gallon milk jug.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



These water crystals work marginally.I've lost crickets with using these.I've been breeding crickets for years and still have the best results with zuccini, sqaush,or even pumpkin.Pumpkin has to be changed more often though.


Lou


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Polyacrylamide gels have been reported to cause impaction in animals that are able to ingest any of the gel either before it hydrates (if the material isn't mixed sufficiently) or particles that have dried out (including those found in soil mixtures). In frogs there is an anecdotal report on Cadadart.org (see Canadart.org • View topic - Anionic Polyacrylamide Warning (Cricket Water Gel)) from a necropsy and there are institutional reports in other animals see BioOne Online Journals - Polyacrylamide Gel Ingestion Leading to Fatal Intestinal Obstruction in Two Birds in a Zoological Collection. It should also be noted that unpolymerized acrylamide is also toxic so if there are sections that are degraded or not properly polymerized, the insects as well as the frogs are at risk of acrylamide toxicity. 

Ed


----------



## kickedinthevader (Jan 30, 2011)

Wow that's crazy. They are pretty much what almost EVERYONE in the reptile world uses to feel their crickets and roaches. Iv been using them for years without any issues. Also have read in many places that the right type of crystals are completely non toxic.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

kickedinthevader said:


> Wow that's crazy. They are pretty much what almost EVERYONE in the reptile world uses to feel their crickets and roaches. Iv been using them for years without any issues. Also have read in many places that the right type of crystals are completely non toxic.


Once a large number of people start to use them is when you start to get the issues documented. 

As for the toxicity, it is only non-toxic if it is all polymerized. It isn't a question of the right type, this is a direct function of the material used to make the gel. 

Ed


----------

