# does breeding locusts smell?



## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

does it smell when you breed locusts? 100 locusts doesnt even feed all of my geckos for 1 day so was thinking of breeding them but if they smell then im not sure. 

id breed roaches but i live in a flat and if even one got out im sure id get evicted 

do you NEED a lamp for locusts to breed either, iv been looking at some guides and they say use a heat mat and a lamp but will a heat mat do just fine on its own?

then if i can get them breeding i wont have to spend so much on locusts as its expensive with the amount i get through!


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## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

No, its rather odour free as you have to keep cleaning them out otherwise they tend to die off. A heat mat works well, they don't really like light anyway. I only use a heat mat and mine have bred quite a few times before I forgot about them. :lol2:


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

cool, so what can i house them in cheaply? dont want to buy a specialist locust setup. and to clean them out, can i just liek sweep the bottom into a dustpan and brush or something and then replace it with more substrate?


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## Ste (Apr 16, 2007)

ye thats the easiest way to clean the substrate. Just house them in a medium faunarium or somethin similar, ya dont need anythin specific, i just house mine in a old small fish tank with a viv lid, does the job fine. Just clean it often or it will start to smell.


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## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

I only have one animal in my house that eats them, but I have plenty of plants that eat them too.  . Therefore I didn't need a lot, but I used one of those plastic goldfish tanks with metal screen under the top. I didn't use alot of substrate, only about a 2mm layer of sawdust. To clean them out I quickly (You have to be quite quick but they don't hop away like crix. if they escape they stay still:lol2 put them in a transparent clother box and they're live in that for 1` week, then i'd transfer them into the goldfish thingy again and clean out the clother box for that week ect.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i just know that with crickets, you have to keep that water clean or it will stink in no time. never seen locusts before, just grasshoppers.


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

ok, thats cool, now, if i pick them up with feeding tongs, and they spit out that black goo, does that mean i just killed them or is that ok?


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## Ste (Apr 16, 2007)

nar thats just a defence mechanism, dont let it get on ya cloths or anythin tho, its a bastard to get off!!


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

cool, ill buy a second faunarium then and try and breed the little buggers, can i use argos play sand for them to lay in or does it have to be this mystical silver sharp sand?


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## Ste (Apr 16, 2007)

Not sure bout argos sand, i dont use any sand. I use newspaper for main base sustrate, then cover that with oats and weetabix, Then use leaves and greenary, tomoates, potatoe etc for food an then I use egg crates for them to lay the eggs in.


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

butif you dont use a pot of sand then how do you keep the eggs? if they lay on the base then when you clean it out wont you throw thier eggs out?


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## Ste (Apr 16, 2007)

Coat the egg creates in clumps of oats mixed with watered down honey or syrup, they tend to lay them in or round that. I dont breed them heavily as its only for geckos so if i throw a few out when cleanin im not to bothered.


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## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

Or you can use dry soil- it's best from molehills and if you crush it


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

what, so i need to go and find a molehill and collect the soil lol?


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## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

if it's dry its the best possible stuff.:lol2:


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## monkeygirl (Mar 4, 2007)

.....how the hell am i supposed to find a molehill lol!, i dont think iv EVER seen a molehill haha. can i take it that normal damp sand is ok for them to lay in? i think i read somewhere damp silver sharp sand is best but can i use normal play sand?

thanks!!: victory:


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## lindseykim13 (May 10, 2007)

if you can get to a wickes diy place and ask for silver sand they will show you the right stuff, they dont call it silver sand but its the same, we got half a big bag for a couple of quid. Cause its a builder/diy place its mega cheap. I keep using all my locusts before they get a chance to breed and them bloomin beetles from the mealies stink bad!


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