Cricket oral secretions

[Draiman]

I have a bunch of large (1"+) black field crickets, one of which secreted a yellowish-cream-coloured, milky liquid when I grabbed it. I read somewhere that the secretion is normally a clear brown liquid, and I have seen this myself with the other species of feeder cricket, the "brown" species. Is this milky secretion an indication of nematode infection? I seem to have read that somewhere before as well. What is worse is, the crown jewel of my collection, an adult female P. formosa, ate one of these crickets last week. My whipscorpions, orbweaver and centipedes have all also eaten the crickets.

 

[BrynWilliams]

When you grabbed it, did you catch it by it's abdomen? I only ask because I've sometimes seen my black crickets vomit their gut contents out their mouths when I squish them a little hard with the forceps when catching them. (It's orange when they've been eating carrots, looks weird). So, in line with this, could the secretion be the colour of your feed?

As far as a nematode infestation I'm not sure about that, I'd be interested to see what people say as I keep black crickets as feeders too.

 

[xhexdx]

I would stop feeding w/c crickets to your collection. It's a recipe for disaster.

 

[Draiman]

I've sometimes seen my black crickets vomit their gut contents out their mouths when I squish them a little hard with the forceps when catching them.

That's exactly what I see as well. Last week I gave them some blanched green vegetable (forgot what exactly it was) and a couple of days ago I gave them some banana (which they didn't like very much) so perhaps that explains the yellowish secretion. The only reason I'm worried is, I've read that healthy crickets secrete a clear liquid, not anything opaque or milky.

Is the orange secretion from your crickets clear or milky?

I would stop feeding w/c crickets to your collection. It's a recipe for disaster.

Umm...when did I begin feeding wildcaught animals to my pets? :?

 

[xhexdx]

You know, I guess you didn't. I saw 'field cricket' and then a reference to grabbing it. I guess to me that sounded like you were catching them.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

 

[Draiman]

You know, I guess you didn't. I saw 'field cricket' and then a reference to grabbing it. I guess to me that sounded like you were catching them.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

Yeah. Isn't "field cricket" just a common name for a species of cricket (those big black ones)? I definitely did not mean I picked them from a field.

And when I mentioned "grabbed" I really should have added "with forceps".

 

[Flower]

That's exactly what I see as well. Last week I gave them some blanched green vegetable (forgot what exactly it was) and a couple of days ago I gave them some banana (which they didn't like very much) so perhaps that explains the yellowish secretion. The only reason I'm worried is, I've read that healthy crickets secrete a clear liquid, not anything opaque or milky.

Is the orange secretion from your crickets clear or milky?


Umm...when did I begin feeding wildcaught animals to my pets? :?

When I feed my crickets orange cubes they spit up orange when you grab 'em. Quite icky, really.

 

[Skullptor]

Yeah. Isn't "field cricket" just a common name for a species of cricket (those big black ones)? I definitely did not mean I picked them from a field.

And when I mentioned "grabbed" I really should have added "with forceps".

In my neck of the woods, the only place I see black crickets is outside. Any time I purchase them they are brownish like you made mention of. Also, I see this all the time with the brown crickets and the secretion is always clear. Yea, I would be concerned a bit too if I saw the colored liquid coming out. I can't be of any help in making a determination, but I can offer my hopes that your crown jewel is safe (and all others in your collection).

 

[Julia]

Yeah. Isn't "field cricket" just a common name for a species of cricket (those big black ones)? I definitely did not mean I picked them from a field.

And when I mentioned "grabbed" I really should have added "with forceps".

Slightly off the topic here, but.... Your Ts don't have a problem with the black crickets? Years ago, I tried feeding black crickets to my Ts, and they simply would not eat them. I read somewhere that the black crickets have a more bitter "taste" and "smell" to discourage predators. Again, this was years ago.

 

[Travis K]

I have fed wild caught black crickets to some of my pets/inverts in the past and they "loved" them. However I don not do so now nor do I advocate doing so. As to the color of the regurgitate coloration, I believe it is highly influenced by diet much like previous post suggest.

As to parasites w/c crickets are especially prone to them IMO.


Regards,

 

[Travis K]

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[Travis K]

Draiman,

Good thing if you are captive breeding these, but wouldn't you rather breed roaches?

 

[MaThEwMoNsTr323]

those are some disturbing videos. for about the last month iv been debating if i should make the move to roaches(dubia). iv made up my mind, it's roach time! yuck!

 

[ArachnidSentinl]

That is...unsettling.

You know, I was eating some Ramen noodles while reading this thread. After watching that video, I think I'll have something else for lunch.

 

[zwd22]

ummm... while feeding WC cricket is a bad idea, crickets do secrete a liquid from their mouth as a form of self defence. It's like what their bigger cousin the grasshoppers do as well. So, it's natural.

 

[Satellite Rob]

If you have any douts about your crickets.Get rid of them and sterilize there
container.Just use paper towels and rubbing alcohol and wipe it down.Be
carefull not to miss any spots.Then wash it with palmolive or any other dish
soap and then dry.

 

[burmish101]

Come to think of it I was feeding an L. mactans sub adult a pretty big cricket and juice came out of the crix mouth after the spider webbed it up and bit it a few times(the brown ones from pet stores in the u.s.) i think the liquid was clear but I didnt get a good look. I'm still waiting on my N. cinerea to breed even more before I feed them off like crazy. Maybe its a weird cricket defense or something or the venom makes them so noxious that they barf anything they can lol.

 

[Travis K]

You guys,

Roaches will do the same thing BTW.