Crickets escaping before feeding

[lackdawa]

I've been having an ongoing problem for a while now, I keep my crickets in a small critter keeper and when it comes time for a feeding I either use a small cup and get one to run into it then feed them off one by one, or use my tongs to grab one and place it into the enclosure. My problem with the first method is crickets can obviously jump, and with the size of the container, I keep them in, when I try to catch them they usually jump right out and run around my carpet. With the second method, I often grab them too quickly and with too much force that it kills them on accident. My question is, what's an easy and efficient way to catch and feed off crickets because it's starting to get annoying?

 

[Almadabes]

With tongs - come in from behind, aim for their back end, make sure when you pinch there is enough force to hold them in the tongs.
Their abdomen seems less fragile than their heads - even if you squish it a little they're usually fine.
It's not easy honestly, but you get better at it over time.

You can easily and securely grab adult female crickets by their ovipositors - though maybe that's a bit rude

What I do when feeding a bunch of Ts is grab a piece of egg carton from their enclosure and bang it up against the wall of a tall deli cup so they fall in.
They can't jump out of the cup and they have nowhere to hide from the tongs.

 

[Kitara]

Oh boy do I hate crickets! lol When I use them (which is rarely) for the tarantulas I put them in the small vials that the T came in and then just snap a lid over them until I'm ready to dump them in. When I feed them to the bearded dragon, I just take the egg carton out of the KK and tap it on the side of the beardie's enclosure. I usually take out the egg cartons before messing with them so they can't launch off the egg carton. I never ever use tongs. I'm pathetic at catching those jerks.

 

[basin79]

Clean hands and just pick a cricket up. With crickets you're really better off using a really tall tub to house them in. And a large tub too to make it easier for you to "get in" and grab one.

 

[Almadabes]

Clean hands and just pick a cricket up.

I cannnt. Lol.

I can pick up roaches and worms but im so disgusted by crickets.

Theyre like the crackheads of the bug world.

 

[Sterls]

Boy do I hate crickets - for this reason, and they just give me the heebie jeebies still for whatever reason. And it seems no matter how careful I am, when I buy some at least one always escapes!

As previously stated, having them in a taller tub helps, otherwise transfer them to a tall feeding cup. Try to grab them with tongs, gently, although admittedly I suck at it myself. The best method I've found, as I also use a cricket keeper, is to try and bang only one out of those black tubes that insert from the top. Then dump it in the enclosure. If you're just using a regular critter keeper, the transfer/tong method is your best bet.

 

[winter]

Similar to flightless fruit flies, 5 to 10 minutes in the refrigerator will slow down the crickets so they can be easily picked up with your fingers or your choice of instruments and given to your Ts. If uncertain if your Ts are imminently going to molt, best to crush the crickets' heads so they don't end up munching on freshly molted Ts. If their heads are not crushed and you need to remove them, aim to crush and kill them with tongs rather than trying to capture them alive; this will reduce the number of cuss words out of your mouth.

 

[lackdawa]

Clean hands and just pick a cricket up. With crickets you're really better off using a really tall tub to house them in. And a large tub too to make it easier for you to "get in" and grab one.

I know crickets eat just about everything so wouldn't they bite you?

 

[basin79]

I know crickets eat just about everything so wouldn't they bite you?

Adults sometimes do but they don't hurt.