# Locust/Cricket wrangling tips



## KXC (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi Guys

I'm new to live feeding and wondered if anyone has tips for getting the live food from the container you buy it in to your Lizard easily and without fuss or excapees.

Do you tranfer them to another container when they arrive? if so how?

Do you heat them?

How do you successfully dust them and get them to your Lizard wihtout losing them?

All hints. tips and suggestions welcome.

I am looking mainly at Locusts and Crickets here.

No info too basic - I am a real novice.


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

Locusts - Very slow and easy to catch.....so I just use my hands.

With Crix....they are a pain so I dont use them anymore. But when I did I used a Crix keeper which I found useful, but before I had one of those....

I put the box of crix into a clear bag, open the box by a corner so some crix fall into said bag. Close lid and hey presto crix in a bag! Add some suplements and shake well, covering the crix. Tip said dusted crix into viv.

Voilá!


----------



## scotty123 (Sep 16, 2007)

Hi,

I guload my crix before I feed them to my CWd’s and this is what I do.

I bought 3 boxes from the reptile shop. Got three shoe size plastic tubs with lids and put a series of air holes in the top.

In each box they have egg cartons to hide under. Moist tissue for water (changed daily) and some dusted veggies (usually outer cabbage leaves or kale) I don’t put bran/weetabix in at this point because I use whats already in the tub from the rep shop. I put one box of crix per plastic tub by lifting up half the top and literally tip them into the plastic tub including egg cartons and bran/weetabix that’s in the bottom. They then live in my dining room where I change the water every day and change any smelly veg etc. depending on how many my CWD’s eat it may be necessary to clean out the tub.

To feed them to my CWD’s I just grab a handful (they don’t bother me so I just use my bare hands) and put them into a large mug that has a small amount of calcium supplement in the bottom. I usually put 10 or 15 in to start and just shaek the mug with my hand over the top to dust them then feed them to my lizards.

I suppose if your scared of them and don’t like touching them then your stuffed! (or at least cant do it my way!) lol

sorry bout the essay, hope it helps.


----------



## ANT (Nov 11, 2007)

well, i get my crix and locusts in tubs, so i transfer then into medium faunariums by opening th elids of the tubs and balancing the lids on the tubs and then put the tub inside the faunarium. then i put the lid on the faunarium and stick my hand in through the top and shake the cricket tub!

as for catching them i use 10" tweezers, its so easy this way . i then put the calcium and vitamins in a takeaway container and put the crix and locusts in them and shake it and then take the crixs and locusts out using the tweezers and feed my reps! 

job done !!!  :lol:


----------



## Siky0161 (Nov 27, 2007)

*new owner*

Hey 

well i have only had my Gecko for about 4 days now and i am feeding him live crics i use a polly pocket and dust them that way just by opening the corner of the box, but at the moment George it not eating!!! 

i have seen alot of stuff around here about leaveing them and they will be fine coz they have to settle in, i have seen him drink a little and is pooing fine and has a nice fat tail so i think it might just be me worrying.

because i have neva had a gecko or any kind of animal like this befor i think it is trail and error at the moment, i am giving him 12 hours of light and a good few hiding spots to go to but just still not eating, any advice on any sort of handerling feeding and looking after would be very very gratefull


thank you


----------



## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

I feed large black crickets to my t's.
As for getting them from tub to T, I just open the lid and grab 'em!
The fewer they get in the tub the harder they are to catch though.

When I first started keeping herps I was told to stick them in the freezer for 5minutes, slows them right down.
But I am quite forgetful at times and I often ended up with crixicles.

You used to be able to get a cricket feeder pole (basically a wide straw) that they would crawl up then you just shoogle them out for your beasties.

I am reluctant to give my T's anymore than they will eat in one go (generally 1 or 2 crickets) in case they start to moult and a cricket manages to evade recapture and stays in the T tub.
So hand catching them is easiest.

When I had geckos they stopped eating when they weren't hungry and some of them tend to eat less if they are shedding their skin, I found.
I fed mine a mixture of crickets, mealworms, gecko grub and occasionally waxworms.


----------



## KXC (Sep 30, 2007)

That's great guys- thanks for such in-depth answers much appreciated.

It was just that trying to pick them by hand (I am feeding teeny crix) was such a pain I thought there must be an easier way and a cleaner way than just tipping the box into the vivbran and all (crix not dusted that way either).

I am gonna feed mainly locusts as they are a better saize, slower and the BD loves them.

I will keep them in a large container, gut load with dusted veg/salad and then try to pick them and dust them.

CHEERS! :notworthy:


----------



## RachelGC (Jul 24, 2007)

KXC said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I'm new to live feeding and wondered if anyone has tips for getting the live food from the container you buy it in to your Lizard easily and without fuss or excapees.
> 
> ...


I'm not too keen on crickets but my gecko loves them, i put my in the fridge for about half an hour, then they're easier to catch :2thumb:


----------



## Pro Mantis (Apr 7, 2007)

I dunno if this helps but to get them into the viv I use forceps. I never buy in bulk I leave them in the cricket tubs and chuck a load of grass in. Putting them in the fridge can slow them down a bit.


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

it is easier to grab smaller crix with tweezers or tongs indeed.

also if you use kitchen roll and toilet roll tubes in the cricket keeper or whatnot for them to climb on and hide in its as simple as opening a plastic sandwich/freezer bag... opening the cricket tub...grabbing a tube and shaking them into the bag.
adding dust before or after.


----------



## soloth (Oct 17, 2007)

i use a toilet roll cardboard with one end closed off with kitchen roll and sellotape.


the crickets hide in them.

when you need to feed grab tube, cover the open end with one hand. shake into bag to dust or straight into viv if not dusting.

the tubes need changing every few weeks but it takes onlt a few minutes to cover the end up again 

works for me


----------



## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

soloth said:


> i use a toilet roll cardboard with one end closed off with kitchen roll and sellotape.
> 
> 
> the crickets hide in them.
> ...


Good idea :no1:


----------



## ANT (Nov 11, 2007)

soloth said:


> i use a toilet roll cardboard with one end closed off with kitchen roll and sellotape.
> 
> 
> the crickets hide in them.
> ...


thats a graet idea  imight have to steal your idea!


----------

