# How do you keep locust alive?



## Kamike (Aug 3, 2009)

I have been buying locust in bulk online but struggle to keep them alive more than 4-5 days. Whats the best way to keep them alive and gut loaded for around 7-8 days?


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## Fordyl2k (Nov 29, 2010)

Mine have been alive at room temperature in my cabinet for two weeks now. All ive done is popped some cucumber in with them? Not sure if thats the right way to go about it but seems to be working.
cheers,
Ryan


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## Xerse (Sep 22, 2010)

i had the same problem as the OP (however i don't buy in bulk, or online)

But still, all i was feeding them was some cricket food type stuff. (the jelly stuff)

Was dying very shortly after purchasing them, started putting a few bits of cucumber in the box with them, and they've been lasting a long time (like 2 weeks)

And they're just in my bedroom, on a shelf under a table. No direct sunlight, no other heating, just my bedroom's ambient. which is around 24c.


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## the mighty P (Feb 6, 2010)

my other half puts washed salad is so its still a little wet so they can eat and drink the little droplets of water, as we buy ours from ebay in bulk.


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## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

how long *should* they last? I only have 2 cresties and I've never used a whole box of locusts because (a) I haven't needed them all and (b) the rest died anyway!!

I keep them in a big perspex hamster carrier type box so they have lots of space and I give them bran and cucumber but they just don't seem to last :blush:


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## Fordyl2k (Nov 29, 2010)

I have one baby and s/he is going through a box a week


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## clairethorn (May 2, 2008)

I feed mine salad/fruit/veg and cricket water and keep them at room temp (room is wuite hot due to all the lights/heatmats going:whistling2 they can last for about 10-14 days


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## jonnyboy86 (Jul 7, 2009)

i theory they should last until they die of old age. i bred locusts for a while and they were pretty simple to keep alive after experimenting a while!

just feed them lettuce, i used cos from the market, and i fed them progrub.
i found i lost alot when i kept them at room temp, so i placed a large heat matt in the tank. to breed you need 32c, to keep alive you will need about 24c. also give them somewhere to shed, even if they shed once they are usually a ok size to feed.


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## FrankSpencer (Apr 7, 2009)

I have a heat mat attached to the outside side wall of the cage - outside as they will nibble it / wires.
On the inside four sides I attach mesh ( along with egg cartons, twigs etc )
Because they want the heat, the mesh gives them the perfect hanging place next to the heatmat. Also allows them to hang and shed from there.
I don't stand the cage on the mat as this encourages them all to the bottom.

I used to feed a selection of foods but after good advice on here, changed to just spring greens and bran ( need the bran to balance the moisture in the greens for their gut ) This is also good gut loading. Lettuce for example has no real nutritional benefit to the locust therefore neither to your reptile.

Good ventilation, they want it dry and warm. Humidity will kill them off quickly.

Mine last until they are eaten or attain adulthood when they are moved into the big boys tank and get some rumpy pumpy for a few weeks :lol2:


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## rmy (Jun 13, 2010)

FrankSpencer said:


> I have a heat mat attached to the outside side wall of the cage - outside as they will nibble it / wires.
> On the inside four sides I attach mesh ( along with egg cartons, twigs etc )
> Because they want the heat, the mesh gives them the perfect hanging place next to the heatmat. Also allows them to hang and shed from there.
> I don't stand the cage on the mat as this encourages them all to the bottom.
> ...


This is the way to do it, however, I personally would add bug grub as this gives them a lot more nutritional value than just greens and bug gel


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## FrankSpencer (Apr 7, 2009)

rmy said:


> This is the way to do it, however, I personally would add bug grub as this gives them a lot more nutritional value than just greens and bug gel



rmy....I don't use bug gel, I use 100 % bran ( or bug grub if I run out briefly ). I put no moisture / drink in there at all. They get enough from the greens.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I keep mine in a 3ft glass tank, half wood, half mesh lid with a infra red light heating to 88F. I use stacked egg crates for them to climb on, wheat bran as a substrate any I feed them leafy greens. I've found locusts grow super fast on dandelion leaves, quite slow on plain cabbage. 

The important thing to keep them alive is basically to transfer them into a large container in which they have ample space to move and shed, and keep it heated - but they will also grow quite fast if you feed them a lot, so if you want to keep them for weeks or even months, you're better off buying bulk at a smaller size than you feed so that you don't get them hitting winged too quickly.

I have no problem keeping them a full cycle, ie. 1st to winged and really this is how long they should last if you give them a bigger container, room to shed, heat and food.


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## gordon40uk (Jan 27, 2011)

the mighty P said:


> my other half puts washed salad is so its still a little wet so they can eat and drink the little droplets of water, as we buy ours from ebay in bulk.


Hi can you recommend someone on ebay for bulk buying as we are a bit new to all this. thanks

gordon


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

livefoods.co.uk are great. i have had the least die of any i have bought. they are doing brilliantly. 

i keep mine in a 2ft viv that has a few egg crates torn up and stood on end. they have calcium dusted rabbit food and plenty of cress and rocket to eat. they seem to do ok. they are also on top of my skink viv.


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## FrankSpencer (Apr 7, 2009)

I use Livefoods direct.

Not tried anywhere else because am happy with what who I use so can't comment


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## rmy (Jun 13, 2010)

It shouldnt be a case of where you buy the food but as the OP has asked of how you keep it alive!!!

1) feed your live food
2) water your live food

if it turns up dead change your supplier!!


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