# Dead Crickets



## shannnak (Dec 14, 2006)

Hi All,

I'm having a problem with my crickets. I buy 40 at a time, which is supposed to last for a week. However, after a few days they always die. I have them in clean vases that are dry and I obviously feed them. It's getting really annoying to have to go buy crickets every few days. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Shannan


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## Fishinfl321 (Aug 10, 2006)

I'm not that experienced with crickets, but it could be temperature or dehydration, not sure though.


Troy


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

are they getting plenty of ventalation?


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## shannnak (Dec 14, 2006)

They unquestionably have enough ventilation. I don't know about dehydration - The exotics store where I bought them said to make sure that the crickets were not damp, so I have been making an effort to keep the vase they are in dry. Do you know how much moisture is too much?

Watch, this will end up getting as complicated as keeping the frog's temperatures steady!


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## Fishinfl321 (Aug 10, 2006)

I have seen small sponges or vegetables that hold water kept with crickets to hydrate, but I don't know for sure. Maybe someone else will chime in.

Troy


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

How big of crickets?
They should always have a source of moisture, be it from fruits and veggies, a water dish, or what have you.


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

They dont like it humid, but they still need water. I use the orange cube things you can get any any petstore, and they last for awhile.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

SusannahJoy said:


> They dont like it humid, but they still need water. I use the orange cube things you can get any any petstore, and they last for awhile.


Some info to consider if you use gel like substances for cricket or roach hydration:
http://www.dartden.com/viewtopic.php?t=1626


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

> SusannahJoy wrote:
> They dont like it humid, but they still need water. I use the orange cube things you can get any any petstore, and they last for awhile.
> 
> 
> ...


The orange cubes have more of a apple constancy though, not very gel like, are they still bad? I thought that only referred to the little rock like things that turn into gel with water?


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## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

I buy by the 1000 usually 3/8 inch, I have corn meal and carrots in there as food, Carrots because they don't rot or mold, just dry up, corn meal because it doesn't mold as easily as oatmeal. 

If the have lots of ventilation, a source of water (ie the carrot), and food (corn meal, cricket feed, oatmeal) then I would ask, what do you clean the vessel you have them in with?

EDIT: By the way if you buy by the 1000's you'll spend less then you do on 4 dozen a week.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

I still have a lot to learn about keeping crickets, but the one thing that helped keep mine alive the longest, was an adequate supply of water. I tried several methods and the best and easiet so far was to use an 8oz deli container, cut a small "X" in the lid(about 1"x1"), pack in some cheese cloth and pull a couple inches of it throught the "X". Fill the container with water and spread out the cheese cloth wick on the lid. Don't drape the cheese cloth over the lid or it will siphon the water out of the container into a puddle.
This lasts me about a week before I have to refill the container. When the wick gets grungy, cut off the nasty part and pull out a couple more inches.

EricG.NH


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## kj (Jan 15, 2006)

Keep them in a geo-viv (dont know what you lot accross the pond call them sorry) Little plastic containers wiht a plastic clip on lid with loads of vent's in them and a plastic see-though flap in the middle of the lid  
Keep them on a bran substrate add a bit of bug-grup if you like, then feed fresh fruit and veg everyday taking the old out. Also get an old waxworm tub or like the same, place some cotton wool in there and damp it so when pressed water comes out of it. Change it when needed and add check there is enough water everyday.

This works for me and others i know and i know people that add a tub of compost in the geo-viv and the crickets breed in there


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Keep crickets dry and at about 80F. Make sure they have hiding places like eggcrate - otherwise they will happily cannibalize each other. I feed mine carrots and oats. Then, I got sick and tired of the noise and smell of crickets, and bought some Blatta lateralis roaches, and have been much happier.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

I was going to suggest that as well, Zach.
Eric, great idea for the watering fixture!


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Good to know my psychic powers are as strong as ever :lol:


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## Fish_lover0591 (Dec 16, 2006)

uhh roaches :shock: ? they eat them ? wow frogs are more complicated then i thought lol. I don't think they are for me. But i'm still going to be here to cheer you all on  .


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Hehe, once you go roaches, you never go back. The primary food for my darts are FFs and springtails, but my leucs appreciate fresh latteralis nymphs every week or so. I also breed bearded dragons, so crickets get kind of expensive, and roaches breed like crazy, eat less, stink less, dont make noise . . .


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## shannnak (Dec 14, 2006)

Okay, I spent $30 at the pet store on various products and contraptions to make the lives of my crickets better before I feed them to the frogs.

I got special containers for keeping crickets and bought the orange cube stuff. I'll keep you updated on their progress!

Also, do you guys sprinkle your crickets with vitimins every time you feed? That's what I was told to do, but I fear I'm drowning them in the powder. 

Also (last time, I promise) - what is this about roaches????

Thanks!
Shannan


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I dust the prey animals at every feeding. 

In Europe, its popular to use roaches as feeders in addition to/instead of crickets. I was able to acquire 50 adult Blatta latteralis from a fellow crested gecko keeper, and tried them out. They dont breed as fast as crickets until they get established (a couple months) but then really start pumping out the offspring. They dont stink like crickets, arnt anywhere near as messy (I clean the culutre out maybe 2-3 times a year!), dont require a bottom substrate to breed, dont make noise, and this variety cant climb glass/smooth plastic or fly. I feed them apple slices and cat food, keep them between 80-90F, and spray the enclosure (a 40gallon rubbermaid without any ventilation) a couple times a week. Best thing, they lay egg cases, that can easily be removed and hatched seperately, so its easier to have nymphs to bowlfeed to your darts. 

When these things get going, they get going! I went from 50 to several thousand in under 6 months. My crested geckos and bearded dragons love the larger roaches.


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## linket22 (Jan 9, 2007)

hi there this is my first post lol, in work we use chinese lettuce to feed pin head crickets, and high protein dry dog food ground up in a coffee grinder mixed with some calcium powder, or you can use powdered milk. the chinese leaf is also there drink as its mostly water anyway. this works well, or you can use half petri dishes fill with damp paper towel, if you use sand paper to score the sides of the dish the pin heads can just climb in and out. As said before give them plenty of places to hide, scrumpled up kitchen paper is good for this. Our adult crickets just get the ground up dog food and calcium and chinese lettuce as moisture in there diet. Hope this all makes sense im English after all. thanks.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

pieces of orange work well also. 

Ed


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