Mole cricket question

Roly Poly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
15
I found an adult mole cricket a couple days ago in my yard and I was wondering if moist coconut coir is sufficient for the cricket to make burrows or if I need to add sand and clay?

And they do like it moist/wet, right? Just want to make sure because I know it's the opposite for house crickets.
 

GingerC

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
117
I've always wanted a mole cricket; they're such odd creatures! I don't think they're kept very commonly, so you might have to wing it here...

I've never come across one in person, but from footage I've seen, I think they should do okay with that substrate.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
2,453
For good burrow formation, you are gonna need to add sand, maybe clay too, coconut fiber is too coarse and loose to be used alone in making sturdy burrows, (except for some spiders who can hold it all together with silk).

And yes, they like it moist. :)
 

Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
i used to take care one mole cricket years ago i used grounded coco husk and plantting soil combination then moisten it then pack it tightly but not to tight

once you put them in the enclosure they will not dig 1st they will try to get away from you but once they settle they will start to dig it will hapen fast

in my experience letting the top part of the substrate dry is okay but not too long they tend to come out when its dark and wet like after a rain

hope this help
 

Roly Poly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
15
Thanks! I can see the tunnels he's made so far but yeah I imagine they would hold up better with some sand mixed in!

Does anyone know what they eat? I haven't been able to tell for sure what he's eaten yet. I've given him a variety of things that I know my house crickets liked such as lettuce, carrot, fish flakes, porridge oats, dog food. I'm going to get some young grass shoots tomorrow. I also put in some small prey in case he's a southern mole cricket as I heard southern mole crickets eat mainly live prey? Not sure how true that is but I read that somewhere.

ETA: right after posting this I added some fresh grated carrot and fish flakes on the surface of the bedding and he's been going up and down via one of his tunnels and grabbing food to take down below! Really cool to watch.
 
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Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
they are omnivore but they love chomping roots of plants try planting a little spider grass low maintenance plant and the roots have little bulbs
 
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