Cricket allergies...

[Tony]

Anyone notice this? OR experience this? I have had congestion and itchy eyes in the past, and had been trying to narrow it down. At first , since it was after feeding, I assumed it to be hairs...But after last night, it must be crickets. I was feeding 1/4" cricks to mostly small avic lings (not alot of hair there).. Spent some time in the room, with no reaction immediately afterward... Then it started-I had rubbed my eyes because it was so late and this reaction started, Extremely itchy eyes, congestion. I was more miserable than when I react to the cat. So has anyone else gone through this?
I hate to ask people to grab a couple handfulls of crickets and experiment....Maybe it's just the overall unclean conditions they live in....
At least I can be a happier keeper now .
T

 

[rknralf]

Tony,
I've wondered in the past about crickets and possible reactions to them, but just shrugged it off as being overly silly. Your post makes me think a little more seriously about the reactions I get. Mostly itchy skin around the palms, wrists, and forearms.
Crickets are filthy creatures and even thought I try and clean out the tanks on a regular basis, they always smell bad. If I didn't have so many tarantulas, I would not keep them at all and only get crickets when I need to feed my tarantulas.
Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone in reactions to them.
Ralph

 

[Wade]

Allergies to insects are not unusual for people who work with them. I've developed and allergy to cockroaches, and my hands break out in welts if I handle them without gloves! I haven't noticed much with crickets other than when cleaning a bin. That may be nothing more than dust allergies.

Wade

 

[Buspirone]

I weeze for two days after working in my roach colonies. I'm fine if I'm just picking out roaches to feed but if I disturb the frass alot in the bottom for cleaning/maintainence I have trouble breathing for the next two days. I get congested and have symptoms similar to a chest cold. I would think that crickets would have similar effects on other people.

 

[Stagger-Lee]

Tony youve become allergic to crickets just liek i became allergic to hissers annoying isnt it

Anyone notice this? OR experience this? I have had congestion and itchy eyes in the past, and had been trying to narrow it down.

 

[spot]

oh no....I already have asthma. too bad I can't get my ts to eat mealworms.

 

[Elizabeth]

My crickets don't stink, but I keep them in a big keeper with all of my pillbugs and sowbugs. Do you think that the pill/sow bugs could be eating up the frass? I will never kiss one on the lips again if I find out they are doing that! :}

 

[lizmotobike]

i did not have any reaction before but i don't know now as i never have to touch them anymore. i got sick of them getting out of my hands and bought a cricket keeper for 8.00$. it worked so well i bought another for the smaller ones. its a small critter keeper with 2 capped pvc pipes in it. one on each end. when i feed i shake them into an empty bag left over from their purchase. i pick out the ones i want pinch that side of the bag and dump the others back in. i then seperate the ones left in the bag one at a time as i shake them into each container. works great. when its time to clean the crickets i can simplely cap the other end of the pvc pipe with a extra cap and put the critter keeper in the sink. wash it restock food and water then uncap and reinsert the pipe into the lid. its easy but then i only have 6 t's - i adult , 2 juvi.'s and 3 slings. its seems to house enough of them tho. and crix deaths are down.

 

[GQ.]

Crickets give me the sneezes whenever I change out their caging. I now mist the cage with a few sprays of water before cleaning everything out. The moisture seems to keep a lot of the turd dust from swirling around. I sneeze a lot less to none at all when I do this. Fortunately, the sneezes aren't exactly a big deal for me. I can see how other people could be affected more seriously. I have even heard of a couple snake people that gave up lizard keeping simply because of cricket allergies.

 

[Tony]

I weeze for two days after working in my roach colonies. I'm fine if I'm just picking out roaches to feed but if I disturb the frass alot in the bottom for cleaning/maintainence I have trouble breathing for the next two days. I get congested and have symptoms similar to a chest cold. I would think that crickets would have similar effects on other people.

yes..Last winter I remember having 'chest cold/bronchitis' like symptoms, but not having been actually sick right before...Dam crickets, but at least I can see now I am not imaging this..Misery is SO much better when shared
T

 

[MrDeranged]

I've noticed it a few times as well. Normally I have the problem when I bang them out of the eggcartons and all the "frass" flies up. I think it was a month or two ago, I must've gotten a good facefull of it and/or rubbed my eyes. They swelled up so bad that I couldn't see. Took a benadryl and it helped some. Ask Debby what I looked like...

Scott