Cricket deaths

jeff1962

Arachnobaron
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Jun 27, 2007
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I buy crickets to feed mt T,s,I have various sized spiders so I get 12 small and 12 medium cricks.The problem I have is that within a week more often than not,half of them are dead.Is this normal ?I feed them those small green gel type things they recommended for gut loading at the pet store.I change those out every couple days to keep it fresh.Any suggestions ?
 

robbie

Arachnosquire
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Jul 23, 2007
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sorry but yeah its normal, crickets only live for about 6 weeks and at large size they are close to being 5 or 6 weeks old. try not to buy as many at one time or just try getting another type of feeder. ie. roaches or somthing. good luck;)
 

Amanda

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I have the same problem. I've had a bit more success when I throw in a piece of fruit or something, but not much. :(
 

Moltar

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I hate crickets with a passion that burns like the sun. They stink, they die at the wrong time, they're cannibals and they ascape to much and they STINK!

C'moooon dubia colony. I'm waiting for ya to grow up...
 

jeff1962

Arachnobaron
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I hear ya !! Seem like they are more trouble than the T.'s sometime !
 

P. Novak

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Get Roaches, it's the only good alternative to crickets. Crickets do not last long once at a decent size, so buy and feed them off if you're gonna stay with them.
 
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dianedfisher

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I agree with Paul about roaches. Believe me, I resisted for 2 years with my water dragons and chameleons, but finally set up a discoidalis colony. I still despise touching the adults, but feeding the nymphs is not at all bad, they breed easily once the colony is established and you can gutload them and know that your critters are getting a healthy food source. Di
 

Amanda

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I don't know how big Jeff's collection is, but I have 14 Ts and I buy the same number of crickets when I do my shopping. I would LOVE to ditch the crickets, but 14 Ts isn't enough to support a roach colony.
 

Nitibus

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I don't know how big Jeff's collection is, but I have 14 Ts and I buy the same number of crickets when I do my shopping. I would LOVE to ditch the crickets, but 14 Ts isn't enough to support a roach colony.

I only have 15 tarantula's to date and I am soon starting a B. dubai colony. I REALLY HATE crickets.

Even if I don't use all my roaches, I can always find the extras a good home as a meal for someone else :)
 

christin

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Jun 1, 2007
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Yeah, I was having he same problem too, I tried fruit, veggies, the feeder meal that you can get at the pet store. Then I got a gecko, and with that I got gecko food (repashy, I think it's called) So I decided to give that a try. Out of the last crickets I purchased, (24 large, 24 small) after one week only 2 lg crickets were dead, and 3 small. I still have some left as well, 2 weeks now and I haven't had to buy crickets. Usually my bugs go thru 2doz without problems, but nobodys eating...premolt en mass. It may be a fluke, maybe I bought exceptionally healhy crickets, but I'm gonna continue so I can find out.

The main ingredient is bannana powder, but its full of other wonderfull things. And it smells good. I feed it to them dry, just like the cricket meal. You can find it here:

http://www.pangeareptile.com/

They have a feeder food, but I don't want to try it cause the crested gecko food works wonderfully.
 
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jeff1962

Arachnobaron
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Thanks for the tip, I will see if my pet store has that. If not I will order some.
 

Drachenjager

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just buy the small ones. get more small ones and feed more to the Ts you had been feeding the large to. that way they will live longer
i have set up a dubia colony too . I am hoping it will hurry up and get to booming.
problem is i dont have all that many Ts myself.
so ill prob be hoping i can find people to take some off my hands lol
 

christin

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Thanks for the tip, I will see if my pet store has that. If not I will order some.
Actualy, now that I think about it, petco has some, it has a different name but it's the same stuff. crested gecko food in a small bottle. That would be a good way to get a small quantity to try it out. But if you buy the big bags online its cheaper in the long run.
 

matthias

Arachnobaron
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Jan 24, 2006
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I too hate crickets for all the above reasons.
But I've found if you keep them DRY and well ventilated that will minimize the number of deaths.
Also check them daily for dead loss. I was told that as they rott they release methane that can kill the other living ones.

but trust me Roaches are better for them and smell less
 
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