# Locusts again



## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

As my Beardies, well at least one of them has decided to go on hunger strike again, i'm trying to breed my locusts as ive ended up with about 80 adults. Ive followed several suggestions for breeding them but in the 2 weeks of them turning into adults ive not seen 1 mating and no holes in the sand/ compost mix for egg laying. All they do is eat everything :lol2: Question is, how long after turning into adults do they start mating and how do you sex em as they all look identical in colour though some are smaller which may be the males i suppose.


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

The smaller ones are males, keep them at a good temp. An old viv with a good light is best. Once they are warm enough it will happen belief me. Make sure when they start mating, (you will see it because the males ride about on the females backs for days, no comments please ladies!) they have a good deep layer of sand in the nest tubs and change them on a regular basis.


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Thx, ive turned the heat up a bit, see if that helps


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## TheOne23 (Dec 1, 2007)

Bump .


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## fastbaz (Aug 12, 2007)

we tried this last year and didnt have much success they mated and drilled holes in the sand ate everything in site laid eggs had the temp hot but nothing hatched ....would be interesting to see how you get on...


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## AndyDaDude (Oct 30, 2007)

im gonna be trying this... gettin a pair of beardies (hopefully) so for fun and potential money saver wil give it a try.. will post results when i start


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Well my adult locust must be nearly, if not 2 weeks old, all they do is eat, how long do adults live for ? think its gonna be cheaper to buy em as they are eating more food than me :lol2:


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

last time I tried to breed them the only ones that hatched out were the ones that the locust layed in my tarantulas tank before it was eaten:bash:


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

Thats sods law, but probablt because we pay more attention to our creatures environment than our live foods. I used pint plastic glasses. When the holes are drilled give the sand if not damp a light spray and cover with cling film and see how that works. Not to many in one glass as i believe this can delay hatching. I had a couple of adult locust for nearly 4 1/2 months. A locust is for life not just livefood:lol2:


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Well my adults are into their fourth week and have finally started mating at last, i think they heard me threatening them to buck their ideas up as i want their viv for my baby cresties to grow on in. Fingers crossed ill have some eggs shortley


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Just over a week on and at last they are all mating and hopefully laying eggs as there are loads of holes being drilled into the sand although i can't see any of that white cob webby stuf at the top of the holes that i've heard of. I decided to tip out the sand that was in the ice cream tub straight into the viv under the spot lamp as the locusts were reluctant to climb in. I also turned the heat off at night, whether this was just a coincidence i don't know but it seemed to encourage mating. One thing i don't recommend and thats using cabbage as food stuf as it will make your room smell of farts  lol.....

Heres my set up a 70x33x50 vivarium, 100 watt spot with no stat,a house hold energy saving bulb (although this just seems to encourage them to hang on to the screen lid all day) and a tub of food ( vedge, bran porridge oats) Lights on about 15 hours. no heat at night, spray twice a day. Well i just got to wait now to see if there will be a hatch so fingers crossed.


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## fastbaz (Aug 12, 2007)

nice close up pickies ..........


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Thx,, i told my wife if i'm ever in the same situation as that male locust and my legs are waving around in he air,,,to give me a slap :bash:


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

I`ve heard about locusts being bred in flexariums, anyone tried this? Are the holes in the mesh small enough to prevent the babies getting out?
Good luck with yours! : victory:


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Ive never owned a flexarium but i remember someone saying that there is a hole somewhere which is big enough for a baby crestie to escape from. Im sure they would breed in anything providing their not overcrowded, have enough light, heat food and ventilation.


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## LFBP-NEIL (Apr 23, 2005)

In your cold end you want to put some more perching areas, use the large sheets of egg carton that come in the bulk livefood sacks, that enables you to have more locusts in there. You want at least 50 for a good yeild from the enclosure. You want it to be about 32-40.c for sixteen hours and then drop it down to 30.c at night. The stuff they seal the nest with looks just like the expandable foam used for wall insulation and sets rock hard the same. Ideally you want the laying substrate in a deep removable tray and another enclosure set up exactly the same so once its full of eggs you can remove it, place it in the rearing enclosure and put a fresh tray in for them to lay some more eggs into.


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Excellant,,thx for the advice  I still havent seen any of this white stuf so i presuming that no eggs have been laid yet, perhaps ill put a container in for laying on the other side and just leave the sand in as it is just incase.


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Wasn`t sure whether to start my own thread, or hijack yours:lol2:
Seeing as its the same subject i opted for the latter!

Just set up my locust breeding group, got a tall 80l clear tub, with a plastic terranium type vented lid. Used a mix of bran and dry porridge oats as a substrate/dry food source. They`ve got plenty of cardboard and eggboxes for climbing and a few small branches. Got the 6 inch deep laying tubs with a mixture of damp sand and perlite. Feeding dish has fresh grass, weeds, grated carrot and cabbage. I`ve taped a heatmat to the back on the outside of the tub.

Am i missing anything or does this sound ok?


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Sounds ok to me. One thing i have noticed that the locust always seem to congregate where the heat source is and seem to find it hard to find the laying box unless i put the spot lamp above it but then run the risk of it drying out, maybe its because the viv is to big and there is to much of a heat gradient ? ....


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## Madmags (Feb 10, 2008)

*Locust breeding*

Hi everybody
Am trying to breed locust at the moment. They have become pink adults and am waiting for them to turn yellow and start breeding. The trouble is for some reason some of the females appear to be dying laying on there backs with there legs crossed in front of them, Anyone got any ideas please
mags


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Just to finish of this thread, i had a total failure,,,not one hatched :lol2: nearly ate me outa house and home, so me Beardies finished em all off :crazy:. Think ill stick to buying online


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## PRS (Dec 31, 2007)

I had no luck with em either released em in the garden :lol2:


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## shaneo95 (Jan 5, 2008)

Ive got 3 locusts theyve been awesome just put them buy the aga to warm them up and i dnt use sand for the hole drilling i use cotton wool and its worked for me


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## Captain Barnacle (Mar 8, 2008)

have you tried cooking em a slap up candle lit meal for 2 some nice red wine no cheap garbage and tried playing them some chris de burgh lady in red to get the mood going :lol2:


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

:lol2: I dont think they could squeeze another morsel down but i could try the candles.


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