Leftover crickets - what to do with them?

[akstylish]

Is it ok to release them outside or should I throw them into the trash can?

 

[jcornish86]

Freeze them, some tarantulas will accept pre-killed food just make sure they are thawed out.

 

[ghordy]

Dry roast them and cover them in chocolate. Yum. :}

 

[Steve Calceatum]

The answer is obvious: Get a new T!!!! ;P

 

[KJE]

Put them in a container with a slice of potato and a little dog or cat food. Then, use them for your next feeding.

 

[Moltar]

Put them in a container with a slice of potato and a little dog or cat food. Then, use them for your next feeding.

The best idea here although they may not live that long if they're adults. Adult crickets only live a little over 2 weeks. Whatever you do, it's best not to release them outside. Brown crickets (the pet trade variety) aren't indiginous to many parts (all?) of the US. They could also be carriers for some sort of pathogen from the exotic community and pass it on to the local fauna.

When in doubt, freeze and pitch.

 

[Teal]

The answer is obvious: Get a new T!!!! ;P

I like this one best.



My left over crickets always just end up dying... that's one of the reasons we switched to roaches! Though a few of my Ts didn't make the switch with us, and I still have to buy their picky butts crickets :wall:

 

[JTC5150]

Put them in a container with a slice of potato and a little dog or cat food. Then, use them for your next feeding.

I agree. Keep them and feed the food I always say.

 

[tekkendarklord]

Put them in a container with a slice of potato and a little dog or cat food. Then, use them for your next feeding.

If they're adults you could always breed them and make a colony.....
If they're not adults you could just do what this guy has said...

 

[MIC]

The best idea here although they may not live that long if they're adults. Adult crickets only live a little over 2 weeks. ....

This is something i have heard and i have read many times, but i swear black and blue, that mine crickets live about 2 months as adults. The species is Acheta domesticus and the temperature i keep them is around 23 - 28 grades Celsius.

 

[akstylish]

Mine are adults. I tried to keep them alive a few times but they never made it before the next day. And I just can't stand their smell.

The best idea here although they may not live that long if they're adults. Adult crickets only live a little over 2 weeks. Whatever you do, it's best not to release them outside. Brown crickets (the pet trade variety) aren't indiginous to many parts (all?) of the US. They could also be carriers for some sort of pathogen from the exotic community and pass it on to the local fauna.

I will heed your advice.

 

[Abby]

Put them in a container with a slice of potato and a little dog or cat food. Then, use them for your next feeding.

Ohhh great idea. I always end up giving the leftovers to a co-worker who has a bearded dragon. I will try keeping them so I don't have to make the trip to the pet shop to buy more.

 

[micheldied]

why not just keep them?
its pretty easy...i do nothing much.
just provide some food...
use them for the next feeding.

 

[Moltar]

This is something i have heard and i have read many times, but i swear black and blue, that mine crickets live about 2 months as adults. The species is Acheta domesticus and the temperature i keep them is around 23 - 28 grades Celsius.

That's pretty odd. I just googled Acheta domesticus and found this: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/crickets/Adomest.html

It says their entire lifespan is about 2-3 months. I dunno what you're doing different but keep it up. Perhaps you don't have the species you think you do? You sure it's mature crickets you're observing and not large juveniles?

 

[MIC]

That's pretty odd. I just googled Acheta domesticus and found this: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/crickets/Adomest.html

It says their entire lifespan is about 2-3 months. I dunno what you're doing different but keep it up. Perhaps you don't have the species you think you do? You sure it's mature crickets you're observing and not large juveniles?

I think that what makes the difference is this: "House crickets take two to three months to complete their life cycle when reared at 80 to 90°F".

This is equivalent to 27 - 32 degrees Celsius vs the 23 - 28 i usually keep them. When my Ts were slings i succeeded to have pinheads for almost entire the year, rearing a cricket colony at 13 Celsius degrees (55 F). My next tentative to reduce even more the temperature for a couple of degrees resulted in the death of all pinheads. So i suppose that 55 F is a limit temperature for crickets.

Anyway temperature plays a very important role in the lifespan of many insects including crickets.

Here is a shoot with four crickets of the same age (2 months brothers / sisters) having reared at different temperature.

 

[Tugbay Yagci]

wow! hard to believe but amazing experiment!!