Raising Banded Crickets

[micheldied]

I've been attempting to breed banded crickets myself (roaches aren't allowed here...), and I've easily gotten tons of pinheads. However, they never reach adulthood. They seem to just disappear or die off before they reach the 1/3 inch mark. No bodies, nothing. I keep all generations within the same container. Are the adults eating only the larger juveniles? I really don't want to have to have a separate container to raise the young, if at all possible. Could use some tips with these.

 

[sschind]

If you are not finding bodies my guess is they are being eaten by the adults. It seems strange they wouldn't feast on the younger ones but maybe they are too small to bother with. Another possibility though unlikely IMO is that for some reason they are dieing off at that size and then being eaten. I've always kept my crickets sorted by size so I can't say I have experienced the same and I have never tried the bandeds. I might though. They seem to be much hardier than the A. domesticus

 

[Introvertebrate]

The banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) is immune to the Acheta domesticus densovirus.

 

[Aquarimax]

Are the adults eating only the larger juveniles? I really don't want to have to have a separate container to raise the young, if at all possible. Could use some tips with these.

I breed Acheta domestica, and to prevent the babies from being eaten by the adults, I have a small nursery container within the larger container. When the babies are big enough, I release them into the larger container. It saves on space, and the smaller interior container is heated along with the larger one. It might be worth a try, and at the very least, it could help you discover if the juveniles are being eaten by the adults.

 

[TheInv4sion]

With my banded crickets I had a similar problem but like someone above stated, mine were dying and then being eaten after. I would separate them by size just to see if that helps.

 

[sschind]

The banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) is immune to the Acheta domesticus densovirus.

And that's why a lot of cricket farms switched. That doesn't mean they can't be dieing from something else.

 

[micheldied]

Thanks, everyone. Looks like I'll have to get another tub or two just to separate the sizes.

 

[Fredrik]

Ad a lay box and then move the box with the eggs to a separate container.