Feeder locusts dying off due molt problems

[Andrea82]

Hi all,
I can't seem to keep every locust I buy alive. At first, that was because I kept them too small. So I gave them a nice 40 liter tupperware-like tub with some eggcrates as resting material. I feed them hay, straw, fresh lettuce, apple, carrots and some oat-flakes.
But now I found out a third of my 'colony' is getting stuck in midmolt, usually at the last two molts. Wings don't seem to unfold nicely, or abdomens and legs are stuck in the molts.
With mantids, you need to give some branches to molt from, is this the same for locusts? The species is L.migratoria I believe.
Thanks for any and all help!

 

[pannaking22]

I'd put up some screen on the walls for them to cling to while molting. You could even just use that and remove the eggcrate. The other option would be to bump up the humidity a little bit and see if that helps.

 

[Andrea82]

I'd put up some screen on the walls for them to cling to while molting. You could even just use that and remove the eggcrate. The other option would be to bump up the humidity a little bit and see if that helps.

Thank you so much! So it is like a mantis in this aspect?
I was having issues with too much humidity before so I keep them as dry as possible now.
Thanks!

 

[Andee]

When I have kept (not locusts due to being illegal where I am) but grasshoppers, they do best when having an inverted perch to molt from, and also a short spritz for a few seconds once every other day will honestly help with any humidity problems of too dry, and also isn't too much to make it too humid.