# A possible cure to cricket smells?



## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Ok, just had an idea... probably a bad one, but it's worth throwing out there. Crickets smell. That's a fact; it's also a fact that they're loud. Well, I can't think of much to do about the noise level, but I have an idea about a possible suppression, or even end, to cricket smells. How about putting crix on a coco substrate, and seeding the substrate with springs? The springs would take care of the cricket poop and dead crickets, wouldn't they? Just an idea...


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## back2eight (Dec 19, 2005)

If that would work, then great - I'll do it too! The springs need a moist substrate, though, which may not be good for the crickets. I have mine on a completely dry enclosure with the only moisture in the food they get, like oranges or potatoes. I tried keeping a container with moist soil for breeding, but it was drying out way too fast, needing to be misted three times a day and that was too much trouble.


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

back2eight said:


> If that would work, then great - I'll do it too! The springs need a moist substrate, though, which may not be good for the crickets. I have mine on a completely dry enclosure with the only moisture in the food they get, like oranges or potatoes. I tried keeping a container with moist soil for breeding, but it was drying out way too fast, needing to be misted three times a day and that was too much trouble.


I don't think the moisture would be horrible for the crix... I don't see the problem with it, anyways. I think it's worth a shot. I may try it out in a couple of weeks; if you try it out, lemme know how it goes!


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

It would make too much hassle separating the big from the small ones (unless you don't care what size they are). The adults will lay eggs in the substrate as well, meaning you will end up with pinheads mixed with the adults, I wouldn't bet on it taking care of the smell either.
Interesting idea though.

The best way to take care of cricket smell is to keep their container clean.
I breed crix in a 5 gallon bucket, no substrate, with a stack of egg carton to one side, on the other side, I have an 8oz container with soil in which to lay eggs, next to that is a sour cream container lid with their food. I clean the bucket, and put fresh egg crates in every 5 days, and replace the food every other day, and don't have a smell problem.


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Dancing frogs said:


> It would make too much hassle separating the big from the small ones (unless you don't care what size they are). The adults will lay eggs in the substrate as well, meaning you will end up with pinheads mixed with the adults, I wouldn't bet on it taking care of the smell either.
> Interesting idea though.
> 
> The best way to take care of cricket smell is to keep their container clean.
> I breed crix in a 5 gallon bucket, no substrate, with a stack of egg carton to one side, on the other side, I have an 8oz container with soil in which to lay eggs, next to that is a sour cream container lid with their food. I clean the bucket, and put fresh egg crates in every 5 days, and replace the food every other day, and don't have a smell problem.


I thought about the crickets laying. I figured that the springs might eat the eggs... dunno though. I feed crix to my geckos, but am selling my geckos soon. It was just an idea.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

It may be worth a try...If you set it up the way you mention, and take the substrate out say every week or so, and let the pinheads hatch (if they dont get eaten) when you shake them off the egg cartons, maybee you will get a delicious blend of pinheads and springtails (you could add isopods to the mix as well).


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Dancing frogs said:


> It may be worth a try...If you set it up the way you mention, and take the substrate out say every week or so, and let the pinheads hatch (if they dont get eaten) when you shake them off the egg cartons, maybee you will get a delicious blend of pinheads and springtails (you could add isopods to the mix as well).


I think it'd be better to add the isos to the mix after the substrate is taken out of the container, because the crickets probably wouldn't hesitate to eat a molting iso. I've even seen grain mites consuming a molting iso. I HATE MITES.


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## back2eight (Dec 19, 2005)

All I am feeding crickets to is my tomato frogs. I ordered 1000 of them a while back and they are lasting a long time. I am not cleaning out the cage. It is outside, though. The temp is getting up into the 90s already. It was too much trouble to try to breed and keep a container of soil moist, so I stopped trying to do that. They were laying eggs in it, but I never say any pinheads so I don't know where I went wrong. Possibly they were escaping, I don't know. Since they are outside I am not worried about the smell. I haven't figured out how to clean it without getting rid of the crickets too! After I have used them all I will dump everything out and clean it that way. My darts are just getting FF and springtails.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

back2eight said:


> All I am feeding crickets to is my tomato frogs. I ordered 1000 of them a while back and they are lasting a long time. I am not cleaning out the cage. It is outside, though. The temp is getting up into the 90s already. It was too much trouble to try to breed and keep a container of soil moist, so I stopped trying to do that. They were laying eggs in it, but I never say any pinheads so I don't know where I went wrong. Possibly they were escaping, I don't know. Since they are outside I am not worried about the smell. I haven't figured out how to clean it without getting rid of the crickets too! After I have used them all I will dump everything out and clean it that way. My darts are just getting FF and springtails.


It is not uncommon for the pinheads to take a month to hatch...
What I do is take the container out after a week and either put a clear lid on or put it in a plastic bag, so it dont dry out, and to keep the pinheads in, then when you see them hatch, put them (and the container) in cricket quarters.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

> I don't think the moisture would be horrible for the crix... I don't see the problem with it, anyways.


When I was looking into breeding crickets for my beardies a few years ago, I read the moisture will promote either a virus or bacteria, I can't remember, that will wipe out an entire colony. I read this on Kingsnake, so maybe it's questionable, but it'd be worth looking into. 

Also, if the substrate were changed weekley, wouldn't you have a hell of a time keeping enough springtails in the new bedding?


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

defaced said:


> > I don't think the moisture would be horrible for the crix... I don't see the problem with it, anyways.
> 
> 
> When I was looking into breeding crickets for my beardies a few years ago, I read the moisture will promote either a virus or bacteria, I can't remember, that will wipe out an entire colony. I read this on Kingsnake, so maybe it's questionable, but it'd be worth looking into.
> ...


I think it would defeat the purpose if the bedding were changed weekly. The purpose would be to lessen the need of cleaning.


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

I've been waiting for someone to give that out (and been lookin). It will does and can work under the right temprate agrrement depending on the locale of species. I use a small sterlite container to house/breed in 9",:",:", or so add cups off soil/sand mix


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Some of my thoughts on keeping cricket smell down...

Try a "Matt Mirabello Fly Box" for crickets! I have tried a similar set up and I like it a lot  This box was originally built for two reasons - to keep flies at optimum temperatures for production, and because some culture medias REEK to high hell. It can, and does, work just as well for crix. Eggs are still best removed to a warmer spot, but it works very well for pinheads who need a constant temp to do well.

For faster and better egg incubation, set them on heat tape to warm them up. Kept at room temps they take significantly longer to hatch, and could have lower hatch rates as well.

Other than that keeping them clean (I don't use bedding, just swap containers - replace egg crate on a regular basis) is really the way to go.


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

If you line the bottom of the cricket container in charcoal it helps alot to keep the smell down, but you will still need to clean that eventually.

Jordan


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