# How I keep my crickets and why Banded crickets are better than timberline



## IShouldGetSomeSleep (Sep 23, 2021)

I keep my crickets in a tub in which I created Mesh covered holes, for substrate I use a cheap brand of unscented clay cat litter. I have a cricket water reservoir Printed from a design on thingy-verse and sealed with thin superglue. I feed fluckers cricket meal mixed with a little Repashy C+.








After experimenting for 2 years this is the best setup I have found. Keep the tub bone dry. 
WHY BANDED CRICKETS ARE THE SUPERIOR CRICKET.


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## solidsnake (Jun 3, 2014)

I had tried raising/keeping crickets while I was into praying mantises a while back. They were stinky, loud and took a fair amount of maintenance. I wish I would’ve known that there were different types of crickets. 

I’m sure some of the members who use crickets as feeders will find this interesting too.


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## IShouldGetSomeSleep (Sep 23, 2021)

solidsnake said:


> I had tried raising/keeping crickets while I was into praying mantises a while back. They were stinky, loud and took a fair amount of maintenance. I wish I would’ve known that there were different types of crickets.
> 
> I’m sure some of the members who use crickets as feeders will find this interesting too.


Don't get me wrong banded crickets are still like crickets... just a little better. The main reason I switched from Brown to Banded is because unlike the brown crickets who even though already surrounded by other crickets still feel the need to chirp. Banded crickets will hardly chirp provided that they are not alone. Only when one escape's into the room do I hear them.


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## IShouldGetSomeSleep (Sep 23, 2021)

Oh and I forgot to say this... I can order 250 3/4 banded crickets and the tub only gets gross at around the 4 to 5 week mark. By then I'm ready for the next batch. As far as deaths go this last replacement I only counted 10 legs, so around 5 deaths out of 250 is great.
"I use legs as a measure of deaths because while the crickets will eat the dead they leave the backlegs alone unless they are starveling and have no other food.
Now if I had to say what was more pleasant fruitflies or crickets I would answer 100% flys. The main reason? if some flies escape while feeding they won't make it out of the room and will dry out and die only to be vacuumed up later, crickets on the other hand... go everywhere.


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## Herpin Man (Apr 11, 2018)

I switched to banded crickets a while back, and I strongly prefer them. Since the adults are a bit small for my African fat tailed geckos, i have to feed more of them, but that is well offset by the fact that they live much longer than the standard crickets.
On the down side, far fewer vendors sell the banded crickets. I cannot fathom why that is.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I prefer domesticus for the size. I've lost many of both species both in shipping and holding. Crickets in general can be a problematic staple food, and I try to avoid them for anything but occasional variety.

FWIW, many vendors other than that mentioned sell domesticus.


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## Robru (Jan 1, 2021)

Here I also feed the Acheta domestica (size 2). Not as main food but as an extra. They don't make much noise yet, and they don't grow fast. Although they don't actually get a chance to grow among the Phyllobates terribilis frogs.


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