Why are the crickets bought in stores so different than the ones in the wild?

[Diamonds]

Hi,

I'm having a wild cricket problem in my bedroom. They're big, black, ugly, and nearly impossible to catch or kill. The crickets I feed to my inverts that are store bought are so much smaller. Even the largest cricket from a pet store would be torn apart by one of these black crickets.

Are store bought crickets genetically modified or something? Never seen them in the wild before.

 

[cacoseraph]

well, they weren't made with recombinant dna or anything like that, but they were selectively bred

probably the most notable difference between domestic crix and others is how fast domestics can breed. i think domestics can have 4-6 full generations in a year and most normals just have a regular breeding season and only do 1-2 a year

 

[Widowman10]

different species for one...

 

[moose35]

aren't feeders european crickets?

moose

 

[Matt K]

TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT species of crickets:

Big black one is the Field Cricket: Gryllus assimilis.

The one commonly used as a feeder cricket is the Grey's Cricket: Acheta domestica.

Neither one was selectively bred or genetically modified. This is the way they naturally occur. Both breed in captivity the same number of generations per year roughly. The Grey's cricket makes an ideal feeder as it is softer bodied, mid-sized as crickets go, and may carry more material in thier gut after feeding. So, easy to eat = good feeder insect.

 

[cacoseraph]

i'm pretty sure i read they were selectively bred

 

[spiderfield]

They're not native to your area of N.A., so you won't see them naturally-occurring. And as mentioned already, they look different because they are two separate species, simple as that. Here's a link to a distribution map:

http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/crickets/Adomest.html

 

[blazetown]

If you want to kill them put down sticky roach traps or release some house geckos.

 

[LadyVenom]

I have these horrible creatures called Cave Crickets all over my house. My mother is always telling me to catch them and feed them to my animals, but obviously I know better. They get BIG, and instead of jumping straight, they jump like straight up 3 feet in the air. They're round and have long legs and honestly almost look like a frog with spider legs. They tend to come in the winter mainly, but ugh, they are so gross.

end rant lol

 

[Matt K]

I have these horrible creatures called Cave Crickets all over my house. My mother is always telling me to catch them and feed them to my animals, but obviously I know better. They get BIG, and instead of jumping straight, they jump like straight up 3 feet in the air. They're round and have long legs and honestly almost look like a frog with spider legs. They tend to come in the winter mainly, but ugh, they are so gross.

end rant lol

Want to sell a few "cave crickets?

 

[codykrr]

I have these horrible creatures called Cave Crickets all over my house. My mother is always telling me to catch them and feed them to my animals, but obviously I know better. They get BIG, and instead of jumping straight, they jump like straight up 3 feet in the air. They're round and have long legs and honestly almost look like a frog with spider legs. They tend to come in the winter mainly, but ugh, they are so gross.

end rant lol

yeah i have hundreds in my garage! especially during the winter months. and watch out because one time i caught one and it bit me and the pooped on me...haha. they got so bad, that i litterally let o hundreds of baby jumpers in my garage, along with the big brown garage spiders....needless to say i have tons of spiders in my garage.

and matt if you want some i can send you all you need man.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

If you want to kill them put down sticky roach traps or release some house geckos.

NO NO NO NO NO

I can guarantee the only things that will result are wasted dollars and dead geckos. If the geckos have the run of the house...where are they going to get water? How will they be able to thermoregulate properly?

House geckos come from tropical environments. They need humidity to thrive. Unless it rains in your house on a regular basis, any geckos released in a house outside their native range(ie Canada) will die in a few days due to dehydration.

Also, I'm assuming that by house gecko you mean Hemidactylus frenatus, which don't even get large enough to take on full grown crickets like the ones the OP is seeing in her room.

 

[revoltkid]

lol if you have a cricket problem just let my beardie run a few laps around your house hes a cricket/roach eating machine! lol
jk i know better not to feed WC lol

 

[spiderfield]

NO NO NO NO NO

I can guarantee the only things that will result are wasted dollars and dead geckos. If the geckos have the run of the house...where are they going to get water? How will they be able to thermoregulate properly?

House geckos come from tropical environments. They need humidity to thrive. Unless it rains in your house on a regular basis, any geckos released in a house outside their native range(ie Canada) will die in a few days due to dehydration.

Also, I'm assuming that by house gecko you mean Hemidactylus frenatus, which don't even get large enough to take on full grown crickets like the ones the OP is seeing in her room.

That's not entirely true:
http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/h.turcicus.html

There's actually a small group established in my mom's neighborhood in Los Angeles County. Hydration in an urban setting is definitely not a problem for these guys. There are numerous opportunities to obtain moisture, from their prey to outdoor dew to a wet sink. The Palm Springs area as well can get pretty hot and dry in the summer and really cold in the winter, they are well-adapted to seek out habitable areas in order to survive (i.e. thermoregulate) indoors and/or outdoors.

 

[whitewolf]

LOL Here you guys are trying to put them in your houses and I'm still trying to get them out. So far I'm ok with the beardies but I still scream over these and those dang anoles.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

That's not entirely true:
http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/h.turcicus.html

There's actually a small group established in my mom's neighborhood in Los Angeles County. Hydration in an urban setting is definitely not a problem for these guys. There are numerous opportunities to obtain moisture, from their prey to outdoor dew to a wet sink. The Palm Springs area as well can get pretty hot and dry in the summer and really cold in the winter, they are well-adapted to seek out habitable areas in order to survive (i.e. thermoregulate) indoors and/or outdoors.

Well he's telling her to release them in her home in, according to her sidebar, Manitoba...where they aren't established...where they shouldn't be established. If they're in your area and you're catching them for your home...I don't have a problem with that. It's buying them and releasing them that's the problem at hand.