Housing
Crickets require proper housing to ensure their health and well-being. You can keep them in a plastic or glass container with a mesh lid to allow for ventilation. It's important to keep the container clean and dry and to avoid overcrowding. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least one gallon of space per 100 crickets.
You can also add egg cartons or cardboard tubes to the container to provide hiding spaces and surfaces for the crickets to climb on. This will keep them active and engaged, which is important for their overall health.
Temperature and Humidity
Crickets require a warm and humid environment to thrive. The optimal temperature range for crickets is between 80-90°F, and the humidity should be kept at around 50-70%. A heat source, such as a heat lamp or heating pad, can be used to maintain the appropriate temperature.
Emptying the Shipping Container
The best way to empty your shipping container is to cut the tape at the top of the shipping container, and open the shipping container inside of the tote. If you do not open the shipping container inside the tote, you may end up with a house full of crickets. Take each of the egg crates out of the shipping container, and shake the shipping container until all of the crickets fall out. Leave the egg crates in the tote, as it will give them a place to hide and climb.
Note: During the winter months, it is best to allow them to warm three to four hours before opening the shipping container. Crickets go into stasis when they are exposed to cool temperatures. They will sometimes appear to be dead, but will come back in three to four hours. Dumping them while they are still in stasis could cause injury to the crickets.
Feeding Crickets
Crickets require a balanced diet of protein and vegetables to maintain their health and nutritional value. Commercial cricket feed, fresh fruits and vegetables, and high-protein sources, such as dry cat food or fish food, can be provided. The diet should be supplemented with a source of water, such as a water gel or shallow dish, that is changed regularly to prevent bacterial growth.
There should always be food in your crickets container. If they are running out of food, then they are not getting enough.
Watering Crickets
There are many ways to water crickets. You can dampen a paper towel or sponge, and put it in the bottom of the cricket container. You can also give them water crystals. These water crystals are sold at many different stores in the gardening department. Just check the packaging to make sure that other ingredients have not been added to the crystals. For crickets that are over 1/4 inch, you can fill a jar lid with water, put some gravel in it, and place it in the bottom of the tote.
Retrieving Crickets
The easiest way to remove your crickets from a tote is using a paper towel or toilet paper roll. Leave a roll inside your container at all times. This gives them a place to hide. Crickets like to hide, and will gladly enter the roll. If the crickets are inside the roll, the only thing you need to do is get the roll out of the box, and take them where you need them.
Dusting Crickets
Some people dust their crickets with various supplements before feeding them to their pets. The best way to dust crickets is to take the paper towel or toilet paper roll with the crickets in it, empty it into a zip lock bag, put a little bit of the dust into the zip lock bag, close the zip lock bag, and shake it until the crickets are coated. After this, you should dump the contents of the bag into your pet’s container.
Gut Loading Crickets
If you want to gut load your crickets with supplements that are good for your pet, you should do it within 24 hours of the time you plan to feed them to your pet. If you do it longer before you plan to feed them to your pet, it could end up killing your crickets. This is because when you gut load your crickets, you are giving them supplements that are good for your pet. These supplements may actually shorten the lifespan of your crickets.
Other Considerations
- Crickets are very sensitive to chemicals. Makes sure that you keep your crickets far away from any chemical products, this includes things like hairspray, bug spray, paint, and cleaning solutions.
- Crickets like a clean environment. You should clean your container weekly.
- Crickets generally live between eight and nine weeks long. If you are ordering pinhead crickets, they are about two to three days old. If you are ordering full grown crickets, they are already about six weeks old. Keep in mind their lifespan when you are ordering them. Also, keep in mind that they will continue to grow after you get them. Crickets grow rapidly. If you are going to keep them a while, you should get a smaller size.
We hope that this guide will be helpful when keeping your crickets. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at support@buyfeedercrickets.com.
Legal Disclaimer:
The information provided in this care sheet is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice and guidance, and the reader assumes all risks associated with the use of the information. The author and publisher of this care sheet make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or reliability of the information provided. The author and publisher shall not be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages or other losses that may arise from the use of or reliance on the information in this care sheet. The information in this care sheet is subject to change without notice, and may not be up to date or applicable in all situations. By using the information in this care sheet, the reader acknowledges and agrees to the terms and conditions of this legal disclaimer.