# Cricket colony for tarantula keep dying



## bjbrokaw (Aug 30, 2008)

I have spent 40 dollars on crickets so far and two colonies I setup have died. Using a large rubbermaid container with ventilation holes. Cardboard for them to hide. Fish flakes and cat food and water is a wet paper towel changed every day. Potting soil mixed with coco bedding for eggs but they all keep dieing on me and no eggs are being laid. :wall:


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## Snipes (Aug 30, 2008)

Make it easy on yourself and get roaches. Discoidalis roaches don't climb or fly but won't breed as fast. Blatta lateralis breed better but you're in worse shape if they get out. Trust me, it's worth the investment


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## Kris-wIth-a-K (Aug 30, 2008)

This is how mine stay alive.  When I do have them I keep them in a 50G tank with substrate to dig and a few cardboard things to hide.  I use realy fruit and that sems to be the key to the survival.  I have heard of everything else but that seems to work.  Another thing is keep them cool. Once they overheat they die.


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## Le Wasp (Aug 30, 2008)

I accidentally started a cricket colony in my bearded dragon tank.  The substrate was sand and I had a dixie cup with small holes in it to give a slow drip of water into a shallow dish.  The crickets fed on whatever I fed the dragon, usually collard greens, etc.  Pretty soon the female crickets laid eggs in the moist sand and pinheads started showing up.  I used them to feed slings, but now I changed the substrate in there.  I'll probably miss it since it was such an easy way to get feeders for slings.


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## WyvernsLair (Aug 31, 2008)

If you are buying mature adults, chances are you are getting them literally at the end of their life cycle when they are supposed to die.  Once a cricket is mature you have a week or two at best before they start dying on you. If you want to get crickets for breeding, but also have some to feed to other animals at the same time then I suggest you buy a bunch of crickets at the pre-wing stage as well as the winged stage so you have the best of both worlds. The mature crickets are laying eggs and dying while you feed the pre-wings to your animals. If you have left overs on the pre-wings they will continue to grow and mature and start breeding for you.  

When I need crickets simply for bulk egg laying reasons (when it's time to restart a colony from scratch or when I need more tiny crickets than I usually produce), then I buy a 250 ct box of 7/8" from ReptileFood.com. I KNOW that in under a week most of those crickets (the older adults) are going to be dead and the rest (the slightly younger adults) will be dead the following week. I don't care about the deaths in that case because I wanted them simply for egg heavy females to dump eggs.  If I have any animals that need to eat when I do that type of purchase order, then I sort through and feed off just the male crickets so I can keep as many females dumping eggs for as long as I can. It is important that when doing this it also means you have to be scrupulous in keeping the container clean of dead crickets (I remove dead crickets every day). I also have 3 egg laying dishes that I replace every other day. The egg filled ones have a lid put on and then put in the refrigerator so that I can then control the hatching.

Other reasons for sudden deaths could be temperature related. You do not want to keep them too cold or too hot (75-85 F is what you want to aim for). Also, does your rubbermaid container have a few holes drilled in? that isn't good for them.. keeps the humidity too high and the air flow stagnant and they die. You need a good size section in the center of the lid cut out and then screen put into it.  A good rule is, if there is ever any moisture condensate on the lid or sides of the container then there is not enough ventilation. My 2 main cricket containers have full screen lids - no solid portions.  Baby crickets (1/16 to almost 1/4" size), however, are kept in containers with a tiny bit of humidity as they are prone to dessication unlike larger/older crickets.

Ok with that aside.  The diet you are feeding them is not good.  Too much calcium in it makes it hard for the crickets to molt and I think the taurine isn't good for them either. Plus the carnivore based cat food isn't healthy for an insect that is mostly an herbivore.  You should invest in a good quality cricket diet.  Timberline Fisheries sells nice size bags of food fairly cheap. I usually buy (3) 6 pound bags of the dry food and this lasts me about a year. I store it all in the freezer and fill a small jar to use as needed for the week (does real good at minimizing problems of grain mites, moths, etc.).  Also a wet paper towel is NOT enough to provide needed moisture for the crickets.  Gel water is good. diced up carrots are good. I usually soak a chunk of carrot in water overnight in the fridge and then dice it up the next day before giving it to the crickets. I also regularly use gel water as a supplemental source of moisture for my crickets. I sometimes like to alternate the moisture sources: 1 day they get carrots, then for 2 days they get gel water.  The gel water is replaced each day because you don't want to encourage bacterial growth from occurring due to cricket fras (poops) that have gotten into the gel water tray....crickets are soooo not litterbox trained. sigh.


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## Diggy415 (Sep 1, 2008)

ive had good luck with a 30gl rubber maid, lined with newspapers, a small container with potting soil and moss kept moist and egg cartons to hide in , lids that contain oatmeal and fishfood, eggs are being laid and this is the second generation ive got going now, mealworms are taking off in a 10 gl with soil and wet moss and hides as well, same food also...


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 2, 2008)

I switched from paper towles to potato for water and no more have died. Maybe some chemical used to make the paper towels was killing them?


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## Senses-Tingling (Sep 2, 2008)

Well - all I can add to the convo is encouragement to keep trying. A old buddy of mine had a dart frog business and was very successful breeding dart frogs. He tried his hand at breeding crickets cause most cricket suppliers were not very good at supplying true pinhead crickets - which is what he needed for his young froglets. It took him about 14 months to get his system down - and this from a guy who breeds one of the most environmentally demanding species in the hobby. 
So - keep experimenting, keep trying. If the cricket suppliers can do it, we can.


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## blazetown (Sep 2, 2008)

crickets are one of the most pain in the ass random animals...half the time they sprout up everywhere where you don't want them even tho you can be trying to breed them with no success....I would say just keep trying.


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## Warren Bautista (Sep 2, 2008)

Just get some roaches. It may seem expensive at first, but once you get a colony going, There is no way you are gonna run out of pet food unless you spray a  can o' raid in the tank. here's a good sight, I ordered 25 roaches and got at least 40 from here: http://nyworms.com/roaches.htm


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## baf236 (Sep 2, 2008)

I would just leave the lid off the cricket container.  I find that the crickets can't climb the slippery rubbermaid containers.  By leaving the lid off you will get the best ventilation.  If they are able to climb your particular container you can put packing tape all around it a few times.  They can't climb packing tape - it's too slippery.


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## Meer (Sep 2, 2008)

I don't have a problem keeping my crickets alive, but I can't seem to breed them.  I've been trying for months and only had one random batch of eggs hatch.  What are you guys doing to get your eggs to hatch?


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## scottyk (Sep 2, 2008)

All paths lead to roaches my young seeker of knowledge...

Reactions: Like 1


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## jeepinwu2 (Sep 2, 2008)

$40!!! Like all have said get roaches.  For $40 you can have a never ending supply of lobster roaches.  Periodically I have to freeze some of mine to keep my colony in check.


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## Hedorah99 (Sep 2, 2008)

The only time I have been able to get a cricket colony going is when they breed on their own in a tank I don't want them in. Like everyone said, get some roaches.


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## desertdweller (Sep 2, 2008)

scottyk said:


> All paths lead to roaches my young seeker of knowledge...


Thanks for a great belly laugh!!!!!!!  I needed it.  The boards owe you one.


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 3, 2008)

Live with my parents because I'm 17 and they keep thinking of american roaches that will infest the house. It is impossible to convince them otherwise so I have to stick with crickets for now and some worms later.


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## Moltar (Sep 3, 2008)

Tell them crickets will infest a house more rapidly than tropical roaches. And roaches don't chirp.


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## Meer (Sep 4, 2008)

scottyk said:


> All paths lead to roaches my young seeker of knowledge...


You speak the truth oh wise master! :worship: 

Seriously, already got the roaches.  But unfortunately it's going to be a long time before my colony is established.  So in the mean time I'd like to get my crickets to breed so I don't have to keep buying them.


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## warwizerd_30 (Sep 4, 2008)

*similar question*

I really just dont like the idea of roaches, so im going to be trying the cricket thing


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 5, 2008)

I want to try roaches but my parents get all crazy about them. Roaches are much cleaner than the poop factories that keep dieing on me.


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## GOMER113 (Sep 5, 2008)

I, too, would encourage you to get roaches.  B. dubia are the only ones I've tried and they worked fairly well for me... except when they would burrow before the T could get to them.  The only reason why I'm back to crickets right now is because I thought that the females of the species were immature males, so I was mainly feeding those to my bigger Ts.  Needless to say, my supply was depleted.

I only had one escapee, and that was because I dropped it after I pulled it out of the tank and couldn't find it afterward.


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## PsychoChaser (Sep 5, 2008)

I would recommend B Latarelis if you have small sling, .5".  I highly recommend  B dubia.  The nymphs don't look too roachy, roach-like; an exotic beetle.  Separate the adults, the ones with wings, very roach-like, in a dark box.

My 2 cents


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## ShellsandScales (Sep 5, 2008)

Just breed roaches. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and many species of roach have very tiny young, similar size to pinheads. Plus crickets just smell so bad. I haven't cleaned my discoid colony since I started it in january and there is no foul smell coming from it.


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## Kris-wIth-a-K (Sep 6, 2008)

Make sure they dont get out then you have a serious roach infestation..  Thats why I like crickets.  I dont have to worry about them crawling on my toothbrush when I am not looking.... :drool:.   At least you can find a cricket when they "Squeek" and roach you are screwed unless you come out at 2 a.m. to see them crawling around on your kitchen counter.  lol.  no


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## ShellsandScales (Sep 6, 2008)

Thats why you don't want to breed lobster roaches or german cockroaches. That species may infest your house. However with discoids and hissers and many of the tropical larger roaches. They havea very very difficult time colonizing your house! There have been several times I have dropped or lost a couple of roaches over the years and the only thing you ever find is a dead roach. They dessicate quite easily it seems in your house. At any rate over the years I have never had an infestation problem.


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## C-Rock (Sep 6, 2008)

*Roaches? Ok.*

I'm burnt on the crickets. Sometimes they're hearty. Sometimes they die by the bunches...all black and smelly.  
After reading this thread, i'm going to try the roaches.
Which species is best all around?
Discoids and Hissers?
Any tips on keeping them happy and chubby?


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## Meer (Sep 7, 2008)

brachy.P said:


> Make sure they dont get out then you have a serious roach infestation..  Thats why I like crickets.  I dont have to worry about them crawling on my toothbrush when I am not looking.... :drool:.   At least you can find a cricket when they "Squeek" and roach you are screwed unless you come out at 2 a.m. to see them crawling around on your kitchen counter.  lol.  no


Actually, that is why I prefer roaches.  Crickets jump.  I have lost so many crickets in my house.  I'm sure they are helping to support the _L. reclusa_ population in my basement.   

However I haven't lost a roach yet.  Sometimes I let them crawl on my hand for fun, they're neat.  And so much easier to keep track of.


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## Diggy415 (Sep 9, 2008)

I JUST POSTED A VIDEO OF MY SET UP THAT is housing 2 generations under general discussions.


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## Senses-Tingling (Sep 9, 2008)

Hey, I have an idea - why don't 15 people answer the question of "how do i get my crickets to breed successfully" with the answer - "get roaches"? (sarcasm intended)
Roaches are the easier species to breed and maintain (I keep around 25 species), but that won't help a teenager who's parents refuse to allow roaches in their house. Or a wife who refuses. You can't blame a parent/wife for refusing to allow roaches in their house, even if their fears are misguided and based on stereotypes and lack of knowledge. 
It is hard enough for most kids to get their parents to allow for an exotic pet, especially an invert.


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## PsychoChaser (Sep 9, 2008)

*Bad genetics*

I was told by a petshop employee that most feeders are genetically inferior because of the inbreeding.  They are supposed to last more than a couple of weeks,even if you buy all of the cricket gear in the store.  I have talked to some people that have kept crickets over long periods of time, a year, but I guess they mix their stock like most roach feeder colonies.  Keeping a thriving colony of crickets will be real noisy.  I bought a small amount of large crickets and they chirped non-stop for days.  They bred leaving many babies in my OBT tank.  OBT was real irritated by the water to drown all the little crickets.


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## scottyk (Sep 10, 2008)

Senses-Tingling said:


> Hey, I have an idea - why don't 15 people answer the question of "how do i get my crickets to breed successfully" with the answer - "get roaches"? (sarcasm intended)


The sarcasm gets kind of ruined when you use inaccurate information to make your point. This thread was two pages in before the OP mentioned that he was a teen with parental issues. I count about 3 after that

I've also seen countless new posters start out saying roaches will never be allowed. After some encouragement and hard facts provided by helpful folks here, they are suddenly wanting to know where they can buy some...


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## Quickone4u (Sep 10, 2008)

Not meaning to thread jack here but what are everybodies thoughts on mealworms or any other kind of worm colonies for feeders? I've been reading up on breeding crickets or roaches for a little while, but also started reading about mealworms lately and was curious.


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 10, 2008)

Article on a superworm colony. I have never tried feeding with worms yet. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=15216


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## Quickone4u (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks. We may have to give that a try. Do you guys think mealworms rotated with crickets would be a decent diet for a T?


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## Remigius (Sep 10, 2008)

mealworms alone are enough. They're just not that fun to watch (the way they die is pretty boring  ). Some people use only worms, and are doing just fine. I used too, but since my spiders grown a bit bigger I decided to partially switch to crickets. Not exactly because of my Ts - I find hoppers to be more fun.


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## scottyk (Sep 10, 2008)

Someone just posted a good video of thier mealworm setup. Maybe someone who remembers what thread it was in can post a link....


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## WyvernsLair (Sep 10, 2008)

mealworms are easy to raise, but they burrow... if you don't see your spider catch and kill it right away then the larvae will be out of sight down into the soil and later can cause serious damage to a spider during a molt cycle.


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## WyvernsLair (Sep 10, 2008)

PsychoChaser said:


> I was told by a petshop employee that most feeders are genetically inferior because of the inbreeding.  They are supposed to last more than a couple of weeks,even if you buy all of the cricket gear in the store.  I have talked to some people that have kept crickets over long periods of time, a year, but I guess they mix their stock like most roach feeder colonies.  Keeping a thriving colony of crickets will be real noisy.  I bought a small amount of large crickets and they chirped non-stop for days.  They bred leaving many babies in my OBT tank.  OBT was real irritated by the water to drown all the little crickets.


That is a myth. the stock is perfectly fine genetically speaking. The real problem is the improper care of said feeders at the pet stores and then later when purchased and taken home and then likely continued to be cared for improperly.


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 13, 2008)

Well most of them died of age. Bud I was puzzled why it's been two weeks and no babies if they laid eggs. Got 25 more adults today and some pinheads. I observed the adluts for about an hour and noticed they kept laying eggs in the damp paper towel I have in there for water instead of the container full of substrate. :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:


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## mcliff1 (Sep 13, 2008)

All this roach talk finally convinced me to give it a go...ordered 125 B. Dubia...I better keep that lid on their future home!


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## bjbrokaw (Sep 13, 2008)

They can't climb slick surfaces so stick the roaches in a big rubbermaid sorage box.


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