Crap! I'm all out of Pinheads!

schlinkey

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
296
Darnit! I was just starting to find these little bugs nice to feed my wee ones.. I'll have to breed my own so; do I just buy lots of adult crix (which i always do) then pick the females out after a while and put em in a container with moist soil? that it? how long does it take for the cricketeggs to hatch? how many pinheads can a female produce?

cheers
 

King_Looey

Arachnoprimate
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
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304
Simply chop up the bigger ones into little pieces. Works for most people.
 

Arachnopuppy

Arachnodemon
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Jul 22, 2002
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713
Either chop up the big ones or, if you want a moving prey that is small enough, get mealworms and allow them to turn into beetles and cut the head part out of the body. There should be 2 legs left, which allow the beetle head part to mover around but is small enough for your lings. I've been doing both methods and both work just fine.
 

Botar

Arachnoprince
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Joined
Aug 27, 2002
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Originally posted by schlinkey
Darnit! I was just starting to find these little bugs nice to feed my wee ones.. I'll have to breed my own so; do I just buy lots of adult crix (which i always do) then pick the females out after a while and put em in a container with moist soil? that it? how long does it take for the cricketeggs to hatch? how many pinheads can a female produce?

cheers
Instead of putting the adults in with moist soil, just put them on dry substrate and put a small container of moist soil in there that they can climb into. I'd put both males and females in there. Leave the container with moist soil/peat moss/vermiculite for a week or so and then put it in a separate smaller container with no substrate. Keep the humidity up in this container and you should have pinheads within a couple of weeks. I find it easiest to use a square container (or cricket corral) with a slick surface so you can pour some into a smaller plastic cup or glass and then dish them out one at a time with a small artist's paint brush.

Botar
 

schlinkey

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
296
ok thanks Botar, I'll try that. I dont use substrate for my crix though. Maybe Ill give em some peat. OOT: Wow a HUGE tegenaria spider's climbin on my wall! *puts in a delicup* sweet ;D
 

atavuss

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
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1,031
Originally posted by schlinkey
Darnit! I was just starting to find these little bugs nice to feed my wee ones.. I'll have to breed my own so; do I just buy lots of adult crix (which i always do) then pick the females out after a while and put em in a container with moist soil? that it? how long does it take for the cricketeggs to hatch? how many pinheads can a female produce?

cheers
I don't bother with pinheads, I buy 5 week old crickets 500 or 1,000 at a time, they will live for a few weeks.....long enough to get fed out before they die of old age, and to feed the tiny lings I take the back jumping legs off from the largest crickets and toss them in for the lings.
Ed
 

schlinkey

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 28, 2002
Messages
296
i didnt really ask for advice on general fooditems for my slings, i know (and have done so alot before all the pinheads popped up) that dead crix works fine. I just wanted some info about breeding the nasties myself ;) i actually found it a lot easier just dumping a couple pinheads, and watch em get pounced, than dissecting hyperactive/still thrashing adults, whcih get all stinky and moldy after quite a short while.
 

Botar

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,441
Not letting the moist substrate dry out during incubation seems to be the most critical point. I put the container with the egg-laying medium in a kritter keeper and cover it with cellophane and poke just a few holes. This keeps the humidity up while allowing a bit of fresh air. I've had good luck with this method.

Botar
 
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