Field crickets as a food source. Why are they not sold?

[ScorpDemon]

I just got a reply from my cricket supplier, and he says that field crickets are toxic to reptiles, and that the reason the domestic crickets aren't, is that they don't have as many natural predators in their native country.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Hmm. I'm a bit skeptical, but until someone creditably disputes this, I guess it would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand.

For what it's worth, I finally did find a supplier who sells them as feeders. http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=281

Edit: I also found this: (bolding mine)

Crickets

Crickets are probably the most widely used food animals for raising scorpions and large centipedes. The common grey cricket found in most pet shops belongs to the species Acheta domestica. It is native to the warm parts of Asia, where it is itself often kept as a pet. Keepers may also raise the closely related field cricket, which is black in color and is native to the United States. Both species are cared for in the same manner.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/2437/raisingfood.html

 

[Alakdan]

Now everything is cear to me.

We use to get weird comments from U.S. keepers when they see pictures of our inverts eating a cricket. It was because our crickets are black. I also wondered why the crickets I commonly see in pictures posted here are light brown. I thought it was just a natural adaptation to a warmer climate here.

If we are talking about the same field crickets, then YES! They can be bred and raised like your crickets. I have been breeding them the same way. Average lifspan from pinhead to breeding adult is about 6 weeks. Eggs take around 12-20 days to hatch. Feeding is the same. Filipino hobbyists have been using these field crickets as feeders for quite sometime without any ill effects. Wild caught specimens can be caught in rice fields. Their songs (chirping) can drive you insane. They also bite.

EAD063,

They smell the same especially if you dont keep the enclosure clean and well ventilated.

Tleilaxu,
It is commercially viable. But I don't see the point in doing so. You already have the better variety. Same breeding and feeding requirements. The big ones reach 1-1.5 inch but this depends on how well fed they are while growing.

I will post some pictures tomorrow. Specimens and set-up.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

That will be interesting to see. Would you happen to know the scientific classification of those crickets?

 

[Alakdan]

I will post some pictures tomorrow. Specimens and set-up.

As promised here are some pics. Sorry for the quality. I used my old Kodak.

Adult female

Enclosure/Breeding set-up

Pinheads

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

They definitely look meatier than the ones that are commonly used as feeders over here. They aren't identical to our field crickets, but it's pretty close. Thanks for posting the photos! I still might look into catching and raising some of our variety myself. It may be a waste of time, though. I've never had much luck with raising feeder crickets. The only time I was very successful was an accidental hatching in a G. rosea tank.

 

[Tleilaxu]

@Alakdan impressive. As for having the better variety that up for grabs as I stated earlier the crickets up here are very large.. infact would make an interesting pet in there own right. Though they are much more aggressive than the house cricket and can deliver a nice bite.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I started this thread about a year ago and just today found an answer. Since a few folks expressed an interest in the matter, I decided to revive the thread and pass on the link I discovered on another board. Previously, I had found a company that offered black field crickets and linked to them up-thread, but they were based in the U.K. Now it seems that they are being offered in the U.S. by a company in Florida. Unfortunately, they have a rather limited shipping area at the moment because of USDA restrictions. But they say they are working with the department to expand their distribution.
And at 2.49 a dozen, they are a bit pricey, but that cost does include shipping.

Anyway, you can check them yourselves if you wish at Nativecrickets.com

Oh, and as I said, I just learned of the outfit, so I can't attest to their reputation.

 

[pharaoh2653]

Around here i can find them by the dozens in the fall. one dorm on my campus has so many of them that its impossible to avoid them. they crawl on you when you sleep and their even in the ceilngs

 

[Zelli]

And at 2.49 a dozen, they are a bit pricey, but that cost does include shipping.

Anyway, you can check them yourselves if you wish at Nativecrickets.com

They also offer 100 for $6.49 which is pretty cheap.

 

[AneesasMuse]

...but they don't ship to the West Coast

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Well, their site says they are working on expanding their services. But the Dept. of Agriculture can be pretty sticky about allowing non-native fauna to other states. You know, what with the dangers of a species getting introduced into the wild and upsetting the natural balance and threatening crops and what-not.

I believe California, for example, is particularly careful about such things.

 

[arachnocat]

That's interesting. I checked the list of insects that are ok to be imported into California without a permit and the Common Black Field Cricket (gryllus sp.) is on there so maybe we will be able to order them one day.

 

[Jason Baily]

the spurred legs are a threat and you never know what wild insect especially ones planned to be used as food may carry in with them. on the other hand if you quarantined them and fed them lets say layen mesh used for laying hen chickens and gave them a water source they would not drown in i.e. water crystals they probaly would be healthy enough then for your frog! I would definately not take no chances with those legs! you would have to tear those off. I have heard a lot of horror stories about them being a digestion nightmare!!!:?

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I found another source that doesn't seem to have any restrictions as to where they ship.

http://www.cricketsdirect.com/contact.html

 

[Anh]

just a head up i alredy contact them and they only supplied brown house cricket.

but keep this thread alive guys i been looking for these big black one for a long time.