crickets.... they stink.

[hermzxd45]

hey yall i keep a small cricket keeper of crickets and every time i open it to feed my t's this awful smell comes out... can anybody tell me why crickets stink? im thinking of starting a roach colony pretty soon, cause the smell really smells... whats a good beginner roach colony?


P.S. got 2 new arrivals coming today female b. bohmei and female p. regalis courtesy of petcenterusa.net.... thanx paul

 

[Ictinike]

hey yall i keep a small cricket keeper of crickets and every time i open it to feed my t's this awful smell comes out... can anybody tell me why crickets stink? im thinking of starting a roach colony pretty soon, cause the smell really smells... whats a good beginner roach colony?


P.S. got 2 new arrivals coming today female b. bohmei and female p. regalis courtesy of petcenterusa.net.... thanx paul

I would say, reviewing your inverts on your user page, you have enough T's that a roach colony would be beneficial. I myself started one with less T's initially than you and it's been wonderful however be prepared to be overrun with more feeders than you can handle.

I have a B. laterialis colony that's in a (roughly, can't get to it now) 2'x1'x1' deep that I have loaded with various ranges from newborns nymphs to breeding adults. I have actually way more than I'll ever need and at times run my surplus off to the local pet shops in my area for their own feeders as well building rapport with them.

I've had mine now just over a year this month and while they don't stink like crickets they do have a distinct odor that sometimes can be a bit overwhelming on hot humid days but for the most part they are quiet, clean and do the job perfectly.

I chose B. lats over say B. dubia due to the size of T's I had in my care. Now that some of my slings are reaching their juvenile stage they are still easily able to take a full adult B. lat and the larger I may throw in 2-3 depending on feeding schedule and result wanted. B. dubia are larger, tend to mature slower and may not be suitable for smaller slings due to size. They also, from what I've read here and abroad, tend to burrow or play dead which sometimes allows them to escape. Crushing heads and or tong feeding help in those situations.

Either way I think it may be time and welcome to the roach side of things

 

[JC]

They stink because they are crickets.

Start either a B.lateralis or B.dubia colony.

-If you decide a B.lateralis colony start with over 400.
-If you decide on B.dubia, start with over 500.

EDIT:
*Damn you beat me.*

 

[Ictinike]

EDIT:
*Damn you beat me.*

:clap: I'm usually the one on the late-side with as "wordy" as I tend to get so can understand (lol)

 

[Nicole]

-If you decide on B.dubia, start with over 500.

Is that 500 nymphs, adults, or mixed sizes? I am assuming that this is so there is no waiting for "harvest"?

 

[BQC123]

The larger they are, the sooner they will reproduce.

I got a nice mixed lot recently from Travis K. Plenty of adults, down to small nymphs. Watch the classifieds.

 

[JC]

Is that 500 nymphs, adults, or mixed sizes? I am assuming that this is so there is no waiting for "harvest"?

500 adults. The nymphs take too long to mature. Or you can get 100 nymphs and wait, and I mean *wait*, for them to mature and reproduce.

 

[Midknight xrs]

I only have 7 T's, but i have a small B. Dubia colony, about 10 pairs and assorted nymphs of around 80 or so. I did start with a small colony, but i have enough that i can sustain everything. And since my biggest t is a juvie C. fasciatum, it's not a big deal. I even have a 2i LP that feeds on the crushed heads of the newborn B. Dubia that i have. so i guess depending on the size, you could get away with mixed roaches, and feed off mostly of the males to your adult t's.I'm working on my females and trying to get them to breed faster so i can dor sure kill off most of my eoaches. I just need some of them to breed more.