# How do you feed crickets/locusts vegetables?



## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

stupid as it may sound, i havent quite worked this out? i thought i would by crickets/locusts as and when i need them? but i cant figure out how i feed them calcium and vegetables etc?


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## Daemia (Feb 22, 2012)

i feed mine with a sling shot

on a more serious note, i havent actualy tried feeding my crickets i just dust them

but i have fed mealworms, i just chuck carrot in and they go nuts for it


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## ..:: F1D0 ::.. (May 13, 2009)

Gutloading your feeders is a must - think of it as a "you are what you eat" you feed the feeders and care for them just as much as your Lizard and you will have a healthy lizard as what is fed to them, will be fed to your lizard.

I have a faunarium which i put my hoppers into and then i put food in there with them to eat mainly good and high quality veg - i then dust when it comes to feeding the feeders.

People think im mad for treating my feeders as pets - but caring for them in this way will vastly benefit your lizard.


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

do u dust them with nutrabol? would that be the same for locusts?


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## heatherjhenshaw (Jan 30, 2010)

I put mine into a RUB with mesh in the top for ventilation, that way I can throw food in in the same way as I do with mealies & roaches,

The upside is they are then gut loaded 

The downside however is that I then have to catch the little :censor: again to feed them to the lizards :bash:, which is a nightmare


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

was wondering what type of container to keep the crickets/locusts in? so they dont escape etc. cant you gut load them in the container they come in?


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## heatherjhenshaw (Jan 30, 2010)

superharber said:


> was wondering what type of container to keep the crickets/locusts in? so they dont escape etc. cant you gut load them in the container they come in?


Not without having them hopping all over your carpet, I've tried :bash:, I use a large faunarium for the locusts and a rub with a mesh vent in for the crickets


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## Kuja (Dec 14, 2011)

just a case of giving them food isn't it? all i do is either(if i bought in bulk) put veg into their rub thingy, or i just put it in the tub before they get eaten the next day.

but yeah you got to gut load them, be like you eating a starved pig or something not worth the time chewing 

and i manage to do it in their container, but at the same time you do end up picking them up off the floor lmao


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## ..:: F1D0 ::.. (May 13, 2009)

superharber said:


> was wondering what type of container to keep the crickets/locusts in? so they dont escape etc. cant you gut load them in the container they come in?


Not really - you want to remove them from there small tubs as soon as possible - whilst they are with you (befor fed to chosen lizard) you are going to want to give them the best quality of life as possible by giving them ample room/food/water - you can pick a faunarium up for a few quid or even a RUB - this way, they will last longer too.


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

aaaahhhh i dont know what to do..... the faunariums im looking at look like they got gaps where the crickets/locusts could escape?


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## SheffRik (Feb 16, 2012)

they make little cricket keepers, should suit you just fine

a few companies do them, Exo Terra being one.

they have little tubes so you can load the crickets into your lizard's tank easily and an openable window on the top for dropping in food every week or so


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

SheffRik said:


> they make little cricket keepers, should suit you just fine
> 
> a few companies do them, Exo Terra being one.
> 
> they have little tubes so you can load the crickets into your lizard's tank easily and an openable window on the top for dropping in food every week or so


The little flap on these where you put the tubes through has a gap and the bugs can get out. I go through one of those tubs that they come in per week if not more so I don't take them out. I mainly use hoppers which like leafy greens and grass, they go nuts for it but not much else. They are not in the tub long enough to warrant getting them a bigger tub but they are well fattened up. Sure a few escape now and then at feeding times but am I the only person who picks them up and puts them back? Just don't leave them in your house then there's no problem :lol2:


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

aaaah not so good then


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

superharber said:


> aaaah not so good then


No, although you can fill it in with some flexible sealant like I did.


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## melliott1963 (Jan 6, 2012)

I've got the Exo Terra cricket pen and haven't had any escapees.

But, what I did do is cover the inside of the lid with some tight material (yes my wife did know I was cutting up a pair of her tights!), so there's still ventilation, but no way the crickets can escape.

As for the holes at the side where the tubes slide in, once the tube is in place, there aren't any holes the crickets can squeeze through.

I keep my locusts in a faunarium. There are a few holes by the hatch at the top, but when I had smaller locusts, I just stuffed some small bits of paper kitchen towel in them when the lid was closed.


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## robzab (Dec 10, 2011)

We use a big RUB with a lid, lots of holes drilled into the lid and about 6 deep round the sides.

There is an egg carton flat in the bottom with veg, a water gel dish and a dish of powdered bakers complete dog food on top of it.

Replace the veg (carrot, taties, sweet tatie is good) every few days.

I put a toilet roll tube in and when I need some criks shake that into a tub with a spoon of calcium powder in, give it a shake and pour them in Yoshi or CoCo's viv.

Yoshi will sprint over as soon as he says the tub, and has even tried tagging it a few times.


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## zzxxy (Aug 28, 2011)

I used to use an exo terra 30x30x30 for my hoppers and a cricket keeper for the crickets. 
My veiled has gone off of them and my leo never really liked them though. But you need to "feed the food" so to speak. They last longer and are better for the animals they are being fed to. 
For crickets and Hoppers, I use water gel, Bug grub and switch between carrot and potato every other feed which, is usually every other day. You need to clear out any matter that hasn't been eaten to prevent mould though. They get multi vitamins from the bug grub. Stay away from cucumber. This seems to generate lots of excrement from the crickets. I'd recommend a day / night cycle for the crickets. They seem to last better if you do this. Keep them at room temperature.

For mealies, I use a mixture of carrot and Bug grub / weatabix ( well cheap supermarket own brand ) i take them out every 3 or 4 days to feed for 24 hours then they go back into the fridge until the next time i feed them, or, they are fed to my Chameleon / Gecko. 

I've just started a roach colony so am currently playing around with their feeding / temps but there's enough info out there on these. I plan to use the roaches instead of hoppers long term. 




Hope this helps.


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

what are the options to feed the gecko then? roaches, mealworms(which seems very easy to do) and crickets/locusts(which seem a nightmare)

putting me off getting a leo now  lol


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## richardquinn (Nov 25, 2011)

crix and hoppers are not a nightmare, i chop up their veg etc and just put it in the small tub which they come in, then use tweesers to take them out so that i can grab one at a time, i them have another tub ready for coating them in the calcium and nutrabol. really easy to do and only takes a few mins.


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## heatherjhenshaw (Jan 30, 2010)

Oh don't let it put you off, it's true I hate crickets but locusts aren't all that bad and mealies and roaches are easy peasie, and when push comes to shove I'd put up with all of them 10 times over for my magic, and I've only had her 2 weeks  sure ill get used to catching the little hoppers

They don't seem to escape from large faunariums if that's your worry, I've had mine in those for 8 weeks (since I got my Crestie) and not noticed any escapees, and I'm only on size 2's (ie teeny)


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## bhayward (Feb 25, 2012)

i use a exo terra large cricket keeper and havent had any escaped convicts yet(think miss ben would go nuts!!) and i just put apple or somthing in that tub with water in provided container then when it come to feeding i remove the tube and empty it into viv with derick!!

as i live in germany i cover the cricket feed with terracrick by jbl as this contains cal then i give derick fresh veg daily with lucky reptile bearded dragon mix in either candy mix or normal then twice a week give him pellets aswel


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## superharber (Jan 1, 2012)

what size locusts, would you feed a 6months old gecko? im looking on livefoods.co.uk


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## AnnieM (Nov 4, 2011)

Mine have small/medium from there.


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