# locust mating?



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

roughly how long after becoming adult do locusts mate? (maybe I'm being a little impatient)
are they able to mate straight away or do they wait a while? or do I need to do something to help trigger mating? spraying? heat? I think I have my set up about right have read back through a years worth of posts on here but no-one seems to say how long they take from the final moult.
please put me out of my misery :lol2:


----------



## z-tek (Jan 4, 2009)

just wait!

i bought 50 adult locusts from livefood.co.uk and expecting them to start mating straight away i was dissapointed... all i had was bent locusts walking around(due to the delivery packaging bending the poor buggers) and half eaten ones.

it does take a little while but when they are ready they will mate

dont spray the encloser at all, ive heard humidity is a killer to locusts, you also want a really well ventilated container with a good spotlight bulb in there.

Make sure to keep them well fed, even the moisture on the food was raising the humidity too much for my liking!

but after a short while they will mate, i tryed playsand and coconut fibre/eco earth stuff(in livefood tubs), the locusts layed in both but i had no luck with the playsand at all.

incubate for aprox 12 days (the boring waiting part) and rotate your tubs around your incubator to try to get a constant flow of babies 


hope this helps... any more info ill be glad to help, also ill try to find some photos for you.

Paul


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

Thank you very much Paul,
I have had 50 hoppers turn into adults in the last 7 days but have not seen any mating as of yet, but it seems I was being impatient then :whistling2:

I have them in a Terry Thatcher mesh viv thing so ventilation is excellent for them
they appear to be really healthy and 'happy' (if you cant tell at all)
Thank you again for the info, I will just have to carry on watching my new 'pets' :lol2:


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

Still no mating *yawns*


----------



## repkid (Nov 30, 2007)

Sorry to hijack the thread but how big are the eggs and what the difference between eggs and poo :blush:? What temps do they need to be kept at? what is the best food to use?


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

think I've finally got some adult 'stuff' going on :blush:

not 100% sure yet but have seen one on top of the other :2thumb:


----------



## Roonstar (Jan 27, 2009)

repkid said:


> Sorry to hijack the thread but how big are the eggs and what the difference between eggs and poo :blush:?


Poo is black/brown and the eggs are yellow mate....



ratley said:


> think I've finally got some adult 'stuff' going on :blush:
> 
> not 100% sure yet but have seen one on top of the other :2thumb:


Thats the mating done then, she should lay the eggs within the next 24hrs


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

Roonstar said:


> Thats the mating done then, she should lay the eggs within the next 24hrs


You are so completely right!!!
Little holes appearing all over the place, already had to remove the first tub!! hopefully the sound of little tiny feet pattering around should be heard soon :2thumb:


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

Well as you can see my locust layed eggs on the 21/04/09 and they finally hatched today (12/05/09) :2thumb: they took much longer than I expected and I very nearly threw they laying substrate out. So glad now that I didn't.
Although I did empty the substrate out only found two egg 'sacks' put the substrate back in, watered it and left it alone, that was just over a week ago.
So if you intend to breed them dont give up if they are later than you expect them to be :no1:


----------



## Patthecat12 (Mar 28, 2008)

Now be prepared to be amazed how quick they grow :2thumb:


----------



## ratley (Nov 17, 2007)

Patthecat12 said:


> Now be prepared to be amazed how quick they grow :2thumb:


he he he and get fed!!!
have a few lizards very interested in the growth rate :devil: 
will definately be trying this again


----------



## amanda54321 (May 1, 2016)

*My locust are breeding but not layg eggs*

hi my locust are maiting like mad but they are not laying their eggs!!! dont understand why!! the temp and cois wright and the humidity i am using play sand mpost please help!!!


----------



## john2666 (May 29, 2016)

@ Amanda54321 The play sand isn't the best medium for laying the eggs in, this is just my opinion, i have more success if i mix the sand with soil, a 50/50 mix and always keeping it moist by damping it down 2 or 3 times a day.


----------



## Sunnie (Mar 10, 2018)

john2666 said:


> @ Amanda54321 The play sand isn't the best medium for laying the eggs in, this is just my opinion, i have more success if i mix the sand with soil, a 50/50 mix and always keeping it moist by damping it down 2 or 3 times a day.


Thanks for that info I am using play sand and nothing happening, time to mix it I think.


----------



## fazzer (Jul 19, 2009)

Roughly 2 weeks after the maturing moult locusts should begin to breed . It will take longer if the temperatures not high enough . I used to get the best results in the high eighties early nineties


----------

