Cricket queries

[Rookie]

Okay, though I've had Peso for a month, I've only had the crickets for about a week or so. Four questions:

1. Everyone complains about smelly crickets. Why don't mine smell? Not that I'm complaining, or anything..

2. They're changing color, and I doubt that's normal. They were light brown when I bought them, and now some of them are almost black. Reasons why?

3. How do I breed them? What do I need to start my own colony of pinheads?

4. How quickly do they grow?

As always, my great thanks,
The Rookie

 

[Mister Internet]

Rookie,

Are you using an absorbent substrate for the crix? Mine NEVER smell either... of course, I only have maybe a dozen at a time tops, and they're never aronud for more than a week... I keep them on a very thin layer of Bed-A-Beast, o I tihnk that might help counteract any smells...

 

[Wade]

1. Everyone complains about smelly crickets. Why don't mine smell? Not that I'm complaining, or anything..

You probably don't have that many at a time

2. They're changing color, and I doubt that's normal. They were light brown when I bought them, and now some of them are almost black. Reasons why?

Diet and teperature may be a factor

3. How do I breed them? What do I need to start my own colony of pinheads?

A moist substrate for the adult crickets to lay eggs in (the adult females have wings and along tube (called an ovipositor ) sticking off the end of the abdomen. Eggs will hatch in 2-3 weeks.

Raising your own crickets is probably more trouble than it's worth for one tarantula.

4. How quickly do they grow?

Depends on diet and teperature. Fed a rich diet and kept warm, they may reach adulthood in 6-8 weeks. I like mine to grow more slowley, however, since the sooner they reach adulthood, the sooner they die.

Wade

 

[Jobe]

I dunno about ur crix, but the crix around here not only smell bad... the escapees, from fish tank especially, just find any corner of my house and play like a really LOUD orchestra...and a bad one at that...
Its nice when they make noise outside, but behind my TV?...thats just too much...

Kinda makes me not wanna breed them

Just my 2 bits...