Best alternative to crickets

[Daniel]

I need an alternative to crickets for my sub adult emperor scorpion. They chirp all night and its driving me crazy. What would be the best alternative to crickets that would provide the most nutrients? I have googled it and have found a few different answers, but I wanted to know what you guys think. Thanks.

 

[Hisserdude]

Roaches. They don't chirp, they don't stink, and most feeder species can not infest your home. They should have the same amount of nutrients found in crickets, if not more.

 

[Tenevanica]

Roaches really are your only alternative. If you're part of this community, in surprised you haven't already switched. Roaches are also much easier to breed and are SO CUTE!! I wouldn't be surprised if you started keeping flashier roaches as pets after you experience feeder roaches.

I recommend Turkestan roaches, or lobster roaches. They are both about the same size as crickets, and have all the appeals of the roach. You'll hear a lot about Blaptica dubia, but those reproduce too slowly for my tastes.

 

[Walter1]

Dubia roaches!

 

[Daniel]

Ok I will likely switch to roaches. My local petshops don't carry roaches as far as I know, so I would probably have to order them online. I was wondering also what about mealworms? Are they better than crickets? Because I can find those in stores.

 

[Hisserdude]

Some T's refuse mealworms, and mealworms burrow as soon as they come into contact with substrate. If there are live mealworms in the cage when the tarantula molts, they can eat your tarantula and kill it. I have never heard of roaches doing that.

 

[Daniel]

Some T's refuse mealworms, and mealworms burrow as soon as they come into contact with substrate. If there are live mealworms in the cage when the tarantula molts, they can eat your tarantula and kill it. I have never heard of roaches doing that.

Ok roaches it is.

 

[pannaking22]

As said, roaches are best. If all you have is one scorpion to feed, dubia might be best. Otherwise, you can try lobster roaches or Turkistan roaches, which reproduce more quickly and then sell off extras if your colony gets too large.

 

[8 leg wonder]

Some T's refuse mealworms, and mealworms burrow as soon as they come into contact with substrate. If there are live mealworms in the cage when the tarantula molts, they can eat your tarantula and kill it. I have never heard of roaches doing that.

Eublaberous sp will readily feast on molting or slow moving invertebrates. But that being said most roaches wont

 

[Hisserdude]

Eublaberous sp will readily feast on molting or slow moving invertebrates. But that being said most roaches wont

Well yeah, Eublaberus are vicious! But most roaches aren't as bloodthirsty.

 

[Ranitomeya]

In my experience, roaches have been the best alternate to crickets as feeders compared to other feeders I've tried. They're pretty easy to keep and breed, they come in a variety of sizes, they're quiet, and smell less than crickets. Roaches definitely have an odor, but it's nothing like the nauseating stench of dead crickets that clings to the very fiber of your being and different roach species tend to have different odors if you find you don't like what you're smelling.

You may still want to remove uneaten roaches from your enclosures like you would any other feeder. Most species are less likely to go after a molting tarantula since they won't be able to easily get through the webbing like mealworms, but it's always better not to take that risk.

 

[Czech prime]

I prefer grasshoppers to any other feeders (just because i find em "cleaner" than roaches and crickets) but i don't see many using them. Are they illegal to keep in the us or is there another reason?

 

[pannaking22]

I prefer grasshoppers to any other feeders (just because i find em "cleaner" than roaches and crickets) but i don't see many using them. Are they illegal to keep in the us or is there another reason?

I believe they are illegal to ship over state lines without permits and they likely aren't even allowed in some states. I'm also not sure how easy they are to care for compared to roaches or crickets, so that could be another reason why they haven't caught on in the US.

 

[Introvertebrate]

.............Are they illegal to keep in the us or is there another reason?

Yup. They don't want a repeat of the 1930s locust swarms.

 

[Tenevanica]

Yup. They don't want a repeat of the 1930s locust swarms.

Melanoplus spretus? What an interesting story that is. In the late 19th and early 20th century they were a real problem. Trillions of individuals would blanket hundreds of square miles, eating everything in their path. They were such massive eaters that they would strip the clothes off peoples backs and helped cause the dust bowl. There was actually a fine that people had to pay if the didn't spend X amount of hours attempting to control the locust. And then one year, the swarms never came. A seemingly invincible died out in the matter of a year, leaving North America the only continent (except Antarctica) without a major locust species. I'm sure the USDA doesn't want one again...

 

[Jacob Ma]

There was a reason behind those swarms, and not because people released them into the wild. It was the fact that settlers of the Midwest decided to suddenly plant tons of rapidly growing crops in their generally slow-changing environment. This triggers certain chemicals in their brain (serotonin I presume) to reproduce more, and the eggs that hatch have the tendency to swarm and become very nomadic. I don't think the USDA would have any problem with raising native locusts, as long as you aren't genetically modifying the species to become almost indestructible to only release them, in fact, people are encouraged to raise and eat locusts as they are plentiful and very nutritious. The hoppers are generally very peaceful, and even I only occasionally see them munching on field stalks or one on my bush.

People caused the boom in populations, not really the animals themselves. Why did they stop? Because their populations crashed of overpopulation, something we should all ultimately avoid.

Otherwise, locusts are probably the best feeders health and nutrition wise, although they may be a bit tedious (and annoying) to care for. They also do have a habit of kicking something in the face or biting them (as adults).

 

[Introvertebrate]

If they don't chirp or stink, they might be a better alternative to crickets. We just need a warm weather species, so we can culture it indoors year around. Some species from the south or south westem US.

 

[Czech prime]

If they don't chirp or stink, they might be a better alternative to crickets. We just need a warm weather species, so we can culture it indoors year around. Some species from the south or south westem US.

they definitely don't smell bad not even close to as bad as crickets do. I only use crickets for slings so i buy them weekly when i have to. And god even 4 of them in a fresh container smell horrible

 

[Jacob Ma]

@Introvertebrate, are you referring to locusts or roaches? Because roaches from the southwest grow REALLY slowly.

 

[Introvertebrate]

@Introvertebrate, are you referring to locusts or roaches? Because roaches from the southwest grow REALLY slowly.

Locusts. The whole thing about crickets is that no other feeder triggers a feeding response like they do.