Breeding Crickets

[Randy]

i'd just like to know how do i breed crickets? how do i differentiate between male and a female? where do i keep them and what substrate and what condition is best for them to lay eggs ? i need those pinhead for my little scorplings.,, usually how many and how long it takes for them to hatch ?
ehh.. hope u dont mind me asking such a question..

 

[Linda Bowers]

I have just got done researching raising crickets. One thing that I did was do a search on yahoo for "raising crickets." That gave me a lot of info. Basically they like it warm (75 degrees Farenheit). I feed my crickets oat bran which can be bought in the grocery store usually in the bulk section or health food section. Any plain whole grain is good for them (oatmeal and cornmeal will work too). They must have fresh water -- use a little saturated sponge in a plastic lid from yogurt, or use soaked paper toweling. I guess crickets can easily drown. I keep mine in a plastic tote box (they can't climb out of the slippery box) on top of my freezer in the basement (it's warm up there). Give them egg cartons to hide in. They will deposit eggs in damp (not saturated) soil. I put a container with potting soil in it for them to lay their eggs in the plastic tote (soil depth about 3 inches). A mature female will have a stick (ovipositer) sticking out of her butt. I'll look up the sites I used and give them to you.

 

[Linda Bowers]

Here are the two sites that I got most of my information from:

www.skylab.org/~chugga/cricket
www.anapsid.org/crickets.html

Like I said, there are many more sites if you do a yahoo search or a google search. I hope this helps. Good luck! Wish me luck too because I'm raising mine for salamanders and newts.

 

[genious_gr]

ehh.. hope u dont mind me asking such a question..

Actually, some of us do.
There is a search function. Use it and if you dont find what you are looking for, ask a more specific question. There's a very old Greek saying that goes like "Move your hand, along with Athena". It means when someone is helping you, you gotta help yourself first. You can't expect him to do it alone.

There are endless threads about cricket breeding, and many many sites with even more ideas.


Cheers
Panos


Ps
Forget the crickets, get some roaches. They dont stink, reproduce like crazy and dont chirp at night.

 

[xelda]

I agree, get roaches.

Crickets reproduce like crazy, but you have to keep their enclosure clean or else they will die easily. Roaches, on the other hand, will thrive even if you neglect them.

I've noticed crickets will nibble on any moist sponges you use, so I recommend using fresh vegetables instead. That way you're gutloading them at the same time rather than feeding them something that can be a potential hazard for your T. They'll also eat styrofoam even when there's food present, so make sure you use paper egg cartons.

If you use potting soil, make sure it doesn't contain any fertilizer or treatments. Peat moss would probably make a better choice. Just keep it slightly moist and warm (85-90+ degrees) so the eggs will hatch more quickly.

 

[Randy]

i get lost of roaches here in my home.. but ppl in my country hates roaches, they're dirty, gross insects, and i wouldn't wanna catch a wild roach for my T and Scorps cos insecticides are almost in every houshold here in malaysia to prevent ants, lizards and roaches from coming..

 

[genious_gr]

ppl in my country hates roaches, they're dirty, gross insects,

That sounds like every other country of the world

The ones living in gutters really are dirty and gross cause they are possible carriers of diseases. But the ones that live in captivity and have been bred for ages are not like that.

 

[Bloodletting]

Best roaches to get?? quickest breeders?? cheapest and best place to get them.

Thanks,

Scott