Cricket overload - what to do?

[target]

I feel a bit silly posting a question like this into this board, but hey, life is short and weirder things have been asked here I am sure. So, here goes.

I have only one tarantula, a juvenile B. vagans, which I adore and try to care for at the best of my ability. My problem, however, does not concern this lovely spider at all, but rather the crickets it eats. To put it simply, I have way too many of them. Every other week, I go to the petshop and purchase a tub of their silent crickets. The pet shop in question is rather generous, and regularly each tub contains 30+ specimens. This is rather a lot, concerning that despite being an insatiable glutton, my B.vagans will only get through seven or so in two weeks due to my aversion to powerfeeding. I meticulously clean out my large cricket enclosure every two weeks, and that means the leftover crickets have to go somewhere.

So, what should I do with the hordes of crickets? As far as I can see, my options are as follows:

1. Buy another spider. I would love to do so, but my husband is an arachnophobe and says one is enough for now. However, should I be able to change his mind, which species would you recommend? It would have to be a prodigious eater and relatively non-aggressive, even though I don't intend to handle my tarantulas. Definitely no fasting species, since his main function would be to eat crickets.

2. Flush the leftover crickets down the toilet. This option does not attract me, since it feels like I am wasting their lives (and my money!). Feeding the crickets to my spider is of course equally cruel, but at least it is a worthy death for the little buggers - which going down the toilet definitely isn't.

3. Release the crickets into the wild. Attractive option, although I am wary of causing some ecological disaster by flooding the surrounding areas with non-native crickets. I live in the countryside in southern England - does anyone know whether crickets would survive a British winter?

4. Any suggestions? :razz:

 

[cacoseraph]

Other Options?

So, what should I do with the hordes of crickets? As far as I can see, my options are as follows:

1. Buy another spider. I would love to do so, but my husband is an arachnophobe and says one is enough for now. However, should I be able to change his mind, which species would you recommend? It would have to be a prodigious eater and relatively non-aggressive, even though I don't intend to handle my tarantulas. Definitely no fasting species, since his main function would be to eat crickets.

4. Any suggestions? :razz:

is your husband uncomfortable with all bugs, or just the tarantulas?

As you can see on the boards, there are a host of other predacious invertebrate options. Praying mantids, scorpions, centipedes, whipscorpions, tail-less whip scorpions/vinegaroons.

If you spend some time online you might be able to find something that not only is your husband able to tolerate... but you just might be able to find something to fascinate

It has been my experience in life that almost any bugiphobe can be converted

i don't mean this in a militant sense, at all... and i expect to one day encounter someone who i can't... cure

But i expect if your tarantula is an important part of your life and your husband is open to a little, er, experimentation, you might be able to find *something* that suits you both.

also, there are vertebrate pets that eat crickets. my little 10 and 12 year old brothers have a leopard gecko, and that guy eats a lot more than a tarantula, i can tell you i don't know anything "real" about reptiles though, so i more introduce them as a food for thought, rather than a suggestion

 

[Mike H.]

If crickets are well fed and well ventilted they will live for quite a while, put some peat for substrate and a small dish of dry ground up dog food another small dish of fresh fruit in a kritter keeper, also put in some egg cartons for them to hide in..and let them eat and get nice and fat...change the fruit and veggies every 2 days and there you go, this way you wont have to buy so many crickets..

Regards, Mike

 

[nightbreed]

I'd go for the "get more T's" option Get yourself some Avics, even arachnophobes seem to like pinktoes, they helped my wife get over her fear of T's (I never thought I'd hear my wife utter the words "ahh aint it sweet" while talking about a spider )

Dont worry about being cruel to cricks, they feel no pain, though I do agree its a bit of a waste.

 

[cacoseraph]

If crickets are well fed and well ventilted they will live for quite a while, put some peat for substrate and a small dish of dry ground up dog food another small dish of fresh fruit in a kritter keeper, also put in some egg cartons for them to hide in..and let them eat and get nice and fat...change the fruit and veggies every 2 days and there you go, this way you wont have to buy so many crickets..

Regards, Mike

this option is also VERY attractive because it will help your tarantula to hopefully get better nutrition. the aphorism (i don't know what that word means, it just "sounds" good here) that "you are what you eat" is some what true of crickets. initially you would be introducing more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals through the contents of the crickets' stomachs being digested by the tarantula, but eventually after the crickets molt and go on about their life eating your healthy food it is possible (and i personally think likely) that their body tissues as a whole would be more nutritious for the spider.

just make sure to wash fruit & vegetables REALLY well, as a spider that can live for 10-20 years (not yours, specifically, just in general) has a LONG time to bio-accumulate pesticides and other toxins

 

[blacktara]

I discovered the same problem

Just got my first T - dutifully bought a box of crickets and then started doing the math

I'm starting to think more spiders is the answer

I do have a stupid cricket story. That first box, I dropped two of the crickets into the T enclosure (he chowed down) and then, not thinking, stuck the box of crickets into the refrigerator.

Next day, I decided I'd try and feed spidey again - Opened the frig, expecting everything to be ok mind you, and pulled out a box of very motionless crickets. It took a minute, and then, the little dim light bulb went off

DOH!!!

 

[Orange_Demon]

send them to me in the post my T is always hungry

 

[mimic58]

I'd go for the "get more T's" option Get yourself some Avics, even arachnophobes seem to like pinktoes, they helped my wife get over her fear of T's (I never thought I'd hear my wife utter the words "ahh aint it sweet" while talking about a spider )

Dont worry about being cruel to cricks, they feel no pain, though I do agree its a bit of a waste.

I second that!

 

[NoS]

Freeze them or buy some chocolate.

 

[ScorpDemon]

how is your husband around reptiles? a leopard gecko would make a good addition.. and they will eat 2+ crickets a day.. and they are very docile.. they dont have enough legs for him to be afraid of.. and theyre pretty cool.. my girlfriend has one.. i love him to death

 

[cacoseraph]

Just got my first T - dutifully bought a box of crickets and then started doing the math

I'm starting to think more spiders is the answer

I do have a stupid cricket story. That first box, I dropped two of the crickets into the T enclosure (he chowed down) and then, not thinking, stuck the box of crickets into the refrigerator.

Next day, I decided I'd try and feed spidey again - Opened the frig, expecting everything to be ok mind you, and pulled out a box of very motionless crickets. It took a minute, and then, the little dim light bulb went off

DOH!!!

heh... but you *can* stick meal worms and wax worms in a normal fridge... so you weren't totally off base

cute story, though, and well told

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Get one or two adult Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, then tell your husband that you need them in order to get rid of all the crickets. Whenever you want more spiders, buy more crickets!

 

[rgfx]

I've had exactly the same problem, and I've pretty much used all the answers above!
I've bought more Ts, flushed em down the toilet and frozen them.
Freezing is definitely the best thing to do, I know you don't want any more Ts, but also, when the crix are frozen, they're easy to slice cleanly/break off legs etc to feed slings.
Also I can't see anyone who's scared of Ts, being any less scared of scorpions/whip scorpions etc.
I wouldn't have one of them ugly [edit]ers in my house either.

Mind you every so-called arachnophobe whos seen my dopey pinktoe, loves him.

 

[midianholic]

Why not drive out somewhere and set them free ?

 

[target]

Thank you for the suggestions. I indeed wish I could go and get another spider, but I suppose the divorce settlement would end up making it my most expensive purchase ever.

is your husband uncomfortable with all bugs, or just the tarantulas? As you can see on the boards, there are a host of other predacious invertebrate options. Praying mantids, scorpions, centipedes, whipscorpions, tail-less whip scorpions/vinegaroons.

Now there's a good thought. He is not too comfortable with any kind of scorpion/spider/centipede, but surprisingly finds the idea of mantids fascinating. I've never thought of a praying mantis before, but they do sound quite interesting and more importantly, my husband seems to agree. Perhaps we should investigate getting one of those.

If crickets are well fed and well ventilted they will live for quite a while, put some peat for substrate and a small dish of dry ground up dog food another small dish of fresh fruit in a kritter keeper, also put in some egg cartons for them to hide in..and let them eat and get nice and fat...change the fruit and veggies every 2 days and there you go, this way you wont have to buy so many crickets..

For me, the problem is the stench of the cricket container after two weeks, which is the reason why I have to empty the whole thing out and clean it thoroughly. The smell isn't that pervasive, but it just sort of offends my sensibilities (I'm a wuss like that). If I could think of a way to keep the container less smelly, then your suggestion would be perfect - and economical too. Would a few pillbugs in the substrate help with this at all?

 

[nightbreed]

I agree cricks stink, have you thought of using different feeders? roach's are supposed to be less smelly.

 

[Mike H.]

For me, the problem is the stench of the cricket container after two weeks, which is the reason why I have to empty the whole thing out and clean it thoroughly. The smell isn't that pervasive, but it just sort of offends my sensibilities (I'm a wuss like that). If I could think of a way to keep the container less smelly, then your suggestion would be perfect - and economical too. Would a few pillbugs in the substrate help with this at all?

Just leave the substrate very dry, this is how I keep my crickets and there is 100 % no smell, everyday I check for any dead crickets and if there are any I remove them, I usually keep about 2 to 3 dozen on hand and have had no smell at all...

good luck...

Regards, Mike

 

[Snakecharm]

I agree cricks stink, have you thought of using different feeders? roach's are supposed to be less smelly.

Yes, roaches don't smell much at all. =) Or at worst, they smell like the oranges I feed them.

What I want to know is why crickets smell like dirty gym socks.

 

[Chilopet]

Cant you just buy fewer crickets???

 

[ayeth]

if you want a voracious eater, go and buy yourself a very cute bearded dragon. they can eat 10+ crickets in a single sitting (or at least mine does). of course don't forget to feed them fruits and veggies.
if you try this option, you'll be wanting more crickets to sustain both your vagans and beardie