Is it JUST me, or...

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
Do you guys seems to have this same problem. NO MATTER, how, with what, where, or why, I contain my crickets, THEY end up WHEREVER the heck they want to!!!

I've found them, in my kitchen, bathroom, living room, dresser drawer. Ever since day (1) keeping Tarantulas, I've been EXTREMELY careful, as to keep their crickets contained, in a Kricket Keeper. I taped up any holes on it, that a cricket could easily fit through, but STILL, I (and unfortunately my wife), keep seeing them one at a time, in every part of the house. I luckily have 2 Native fish tanks, and whenever, I find a stray, it ends up a Smallmouth Bass snack, but still, are these things the Harry Houdini's of the Invert world or what???

Is this the proverbial "Welcome to the World of Keeping Tarantulas", initiation to arachnid addiction???
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
They hop out when you are feeding, and you just don't see them... yep, I'll find the occasional stray crawling across the office floor.

Marga
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
Is it possible that the crickets are escaping from the Ts' enclosures? That is the only time we find prey items on the loose. They snarkily climb the plants and fit out a ventilation hole. We have fixed that problem for the most part, but if you are sure the cricket container is escape proof and you aren't dropping them yourself when feeding; then that is the only thing I can think of causing the problem.
 

Kathy

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
852
With three cats, if they get lose they don't live for long.....but they sure are escape artists!
 

Rabid538

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
197
I have the same problem. There will always be a cricket or two just chillin somewhere in the house. It's inevitable.
 

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
I'm certain, that I've dropped some when feeding. I've recently tried going from the Kricket Keeper, into a large plastic bowl, and then dispense them from there, but STILL, those little suckers are SERIOUS escape artists.

For example, have you ever went to drop one into an enclosure, and kind of gone, "I swear I just had a cricket in my hand..." only to not find one in your grasp?{D I know that these ones are some that I've been seeing, "here and there", and figure that this is a fair trade off for being able to keep Tarantulas. I was just hoping that I wasn't the ONLY person that this was happening to..{D
 

SarahAntula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 6, 2010
Messages
46
oh yes They are escape artists I had that problem too!
I am soo squeemish when it comes to crickets.
I freak out and scream every time I drop one or one is on the loose LOL.
Funny I sealed all the holes on the KK too and those darn crickets would find their way out just like houdini! Our dogs would play with the escaped crickets.
I was able to fit the critter keeper inside a pair of tied stockings to trap the Escapees. (they cant get through stockings )
I then went to a very large escape proof clear tall plastic tote (lowes) with slick sides and a very secure locking/latching top on both sides, ventilation holes are small & only on lid and made with a heated paper clip.
I hope those crickets will stop haunting you & your wife. :)
Is it me or do crickets love fish flakes? its like cricket crack.. lol
 

DawgPoundSound

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 28, 2010
Messages
5
We all have this issue. Even the children find them and yell, "There is a cricket here or there"..lol They have many ways of escaping, not just one. Which is why I'm slowly but surely getting away from using them.
 

aboznut

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 6, 2010
Messages
6
Cricket suggestions

I keep bearded dragons and T's. Bearded Dragons eat crickets like we breathe air.

I used to lose about half of my crickets. And they smelled...and escaped.

What I've learned - I now house them in a clear 50 qt Sterilite/Rubbermaid container. I put down about a 1/4" of cheap unscented cat litter in the bottom.

I can keep 1000-1500 medium or larger crickets in one of these containers.

Spokane is semi-arid...fairly dry. Crickets need a lot of water. I put saturated water crystals in a flat dish in the bottom - about 3/4 of a cup. I add water to the crystals every day - about 2 - 4 tablespoons.

I feed my bearded dragons greens in the morning. I also put 1/2 to 3/4 cup of greens in with the crickets everyday. The greens are completely eaten in about 2 hours.

I also make a cricket chow. I use about 1 cup of dog food and 1 cup of oatmeal blended to a powder in the blender. I add about 1/2 a cup of corn meal to this mixture. I put in about 2 tablespoons every other day.

I bought an adjustable window screen from WalMart for $6. I use it for a top.

I hope this is helpful...this could be done on a smaller scale also.
 

aboznut

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 6, 2010
Messages
6
Cricket keeper flaw

I think crickets can escape from the little cover where the tube goes in. There is a little rectangular hole that the clip for the cover snaps on to. When you put the tube in, the cover rotates up. The clip doesn't completely fill the hole. The crickets can walk right up the outside of the tube and out of the hole.

To fix this, either remove the tube, or if you use the tube, remove the cover and put a small piece of tape over the rectangular hole.

The chance of a cricket making the lottery winning jump through the tube hole while you are feeding is pretty small...

Hope this helps!
 

CAK

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
298
I keep bearded dragons and T's. Bearded Dragons eat crickets like we breathe air.

I used to lose about half of my crickets. And they smelled...and escaped.

What I've learned - I now house them in a clear 50 qt Sterilite/Rubbermaid container. I put down about a 1/4" of cheap unscented cat litter in the bottom.I can keep 1000-1500 medium or larger crickets in one of these containers.

Spokane is semi-arid...fairly dry. Crickets need a lot of water. I put saturated water crystals in a flat dish in the bottom - about 3/4 of a cup. I add water to the crystals every day - about 2 - 4 tablespoons.

I feed my bearded dragons greens in the morning. I also put 1/2 to 3/4 cup of greens in with the crickets everyday. The greens are completely eaten in about 2 hours.

I also make a cricket chow. I use about 1 cup of dog food and 1 cup of oatmeal blended to a powder in the blender. I add about 1/2 a cup of corn meal to this mixture. I put in about 2 tablespoons every other day.

I bought an adjustable window screen from WalMart for $6. I use it for a top.

I hope this is helpful...this could be done on a smaller scale also.
Is the Kitty Litter for smell containment? I have never once thought about that and I, for the life of me, can't get my Lats to breed so until I unlock that mystery, i'm stuck with crix. I bought a box of 500 and well over half died in the first 4 days and talk about walking death stench! It makes even flies think twice about coming around!
 

malevolentrobot

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Messages
310
i know the feeling. i had (and i swear) an at least 5wk old cricket hop out of an enclosure and run under my fridge. "fridge cricket" tormented me with his chirping for weeks. i swear that cricket lived to at least 6wks after that, before mysteriously going silent the same day one of my Ts escaped... {D
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
I've had better luck feeding by this method:

I keep the crickets in a Keeper with the tubes. I take out the tube, and then shake a couple of cricks into a small plastic vial. I cap the vial, replace the tube in the KK. Then I use either long tweezers or tip the cricks into the enclosure, depending on who I am feeding. Have had far fewer attempted escapes.

Marga
 

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
I've had better luck feeding by this method:

I keep the crickets in a Keeper with the tubes. I take out the tube, and then shake a couple of cricks into a small plastic vial. I cap the vial, replace the tube in the KK. Then I use either long tweezers or tip the cricks into the enclosure, depending on who I am feeding. Have had far fewer attempted escapes.

Marga
I'm using an adapted version of this method with varying degrees of success. At least I know I'm not alone in this one... and like I said, a Smallmouth Bass will never turn down a stray cricket, so it works out in the end. It still just puzzles me how these things can be so escape savvy.:?
 

KnightinGale

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
170
And stupid. What are you trying to escape for cricket?! You can give them moisture, hiding spots, all the food they want and still they will put all their will and effort into trying to get out of that darn enclosure.
A tarantula is like, hey this is a decent spot. Oh, the food comes to me? Great, I'm going to sit here all day then. Well, most of them anyway.
Prey, meet predator.
 

gmrpnk21

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
319
idea for keeping crickets at bay

Get a cat! If a cricket happens to escape when I open their keeper, one of my cats will track it down in a heartbeat!usually I don't have to worry about putting it back because the cat eats it :)
 
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