# Keeping crickets alive for longer



## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

OK I've had a bit of a search on this and can't seem to find a definitive answer, I hate being one of those people who ask the same questions over and over, so if I've missed this one please just direct me to the relevant thread!

I don't have a huge requirement for crickets, not enough to consider breeding them even on a small scale, and I'm happy enough to buy a tub for a couple of quid every few weeks, but I would like to know how to keep the buggers alive for a bit longer!

It seems a bit ridiculous to buy a tub of crickets, feed a dozen or so at most to the spiders etc..., and watch the rest just die! I have tried feeding the excess to my turts, but if they don't catch them straight away they climb out and escape. If I could maybe double the lifespan of a box of crix I'd be happy.

I have read a lot of advice, most of it is geared towards breeding them though, and much of it is conflicting, especially when it comes to temps, humidity, and the provision or otherwise of water.


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## indie85 (Nov 22, 2009)

When I buy a tub of crickets, I cant say they die for me. 

I keep them at room temperature and chuck in some salad in the mornings.

Are you feeding them? lol


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Yes I do feed them, bits of chard, potato peelings, carrot, dog biscuits, stuff like that, so I don't think they're starving to death. I don't give them any water though after all the dire warnings I've read about humidity!

Do you just keep yours in the tubs they came in? I was wondering if simply transferring them to something bigger would do the trick? I imagine most people would be using them quickly enough that keeping them in the tubs wouldn't be an issue. 

I've only ever used brown crix, just wondering if I should try blacks to see if they last any longer?


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## MissCat (Mar 9, 2009)

I keep mine in one of the large ones of those (not the small one in teh pic, but you get the idea).
I line it with newspaper or kitchen roll sprinkle the funny weetabix type food that they come with over the paper then put a layer of the egg tray stuff on top.
Then I feed them on salad, fruit, veg, etc.
They are kept on top of my fridge and survive well. try to put sloppy foods (like fruit) in a little dish- because humidity seems to do them in pretty quickly.
And yes, black seem to be hardier in general, but browns survive just as well in the way I keep them.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Right I'm going to go buy a tub each of blacks and browns now, put them in bigger containers when I get home, treat them equally and see what happens!


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## Siouxzy (Sep 20, 2009)

I've always used brown banded and they last me ages.

I keep them in a large Kricket Keeper, clean it out regularly, feed them on carrots, apple, cabbage, celery and I use bug gel for their water source. 

I buy one tub of hatchlings (which are difficult to keep alive whatever you do!) and between 1-2 med/large every month... that does me fine for 12 hungry T's and 8 trues... I think it definitely makes a huge difference if you transfer them into a bigger container :2thumb:


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## HarlowExotics (Apr 4, 2010)

The bigger space will definitely help keep them alive for longer, just make sure theres plenty of ventilation or as previously said they'll die from the humidity.
Be sure to remove excess peelings or whatever you feed to them after a day or 2 at most or it can end up going rotten and again that'll start to kill them off.

The other option is to get more spiders (as much of a shame as that would be!) so they eat them quicker :whistling2:


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Also if your buying adults there often already near the end, but house crickets (A. domesticus) tend to be the hardyist of the three feeder species at least for me at just about any size dispite the virus that is supposed to cause die off's before they mature (or is that now cleared?).


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

More spiders are already in the pipeline, so to speak!

Interestingly one of the tubs of crickets I got earlier has a spider in it. I have no idea what it is, just some common native species I guess, I may keep it though as it seems happy enough living in there!

I thought about getting a Cricket Keeper, but pretty much every review I can find says they're rubbish and the crickets can escape too easily, so I bought two plastic shoe boxes with lids in Tesco for £2 each, just need to add some ventilation.


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## HarlowExotics (Apr 4, 2010)

Graham said:


> I thought about getting a Cricket Keeper, but pretty much every review I can find says they're rubbish and the crickets can escape too easily, so I bought two plastic shoe boxes with lids in Tesco for £2 each, just need to add some ventilation.


I keep all of mine in big plastic boxes I got from ikea, drill rows of holes in the top, about 4/5 rows around the sides near the top (quite important or the air doesnt flow as well) and voila, she is finished.

As for your new pet spider, I'd keep an eye on him, you may end up with him eating all your crickets and turning into a monster :devil:


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

One of these by any chance?.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spiders-inverts/285666-just-found-any-ideas.html

I got big female here out of a tub nice spiders.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I have some very fine S/S mesh at work and was going to fit panels of it into the box lids, do you think they need ventilation in the sides of the boxes too as the tubs have?



> ...you may end up with him eating all your crickets and turning into a monster


With luck!


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## HarlowExotics (Apr 4, 2010)

Graham said:


> I have some very fine S/S mesh at work and was going to fit panels of it into the box lids, do you think they need ventilation in the sides of the boxes too as the tubs have?


If you're fitting mesh into the lid you should be ok without the holes in the side as the mesh will allow much more airflow than simply drilling holes in the lid, this should keep the humidity down : victory:


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> One of these by any chance?.


No it has a smaller body than that, or longer legs, whichever way you care to look at it! It's quite fast too.

I think I'll just try with the mesh in the lids then if you reckon that'll be enough.


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## Haggis (Jun 7, 2010)

I have my crickets in a small fish tank

with a stick to climb on

some cat food and some salad


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I made these today...










Tesco shoeboxes with holes cut in the lids, covered with a piece of fine S/S mesh, held in place with a plastic frame and pop-riveted in place.










The crickets seem to like them so far.


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## Catfud (Mar 2, 2010)

Nice job on the tubs mate, they look really good. Where did you get your mesh from?


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## scorpion-boy (Dec 14, 2009)

i always find the brown crickets die relatively quickly anyway - whereas those black ones (silent brown crickets- though theyre hardly silent) live forever - ive had one live behind my fridge for a a good 3 weeks now despite attempts to get it out - its driving me mad - all it does is make that squeeking noise all night 
i feed them a bit of fruit and spray them down with water and they last tll i buy more at the end of the week - nwhen you keep them in cricket tubs i thnk there sa lot of cannabalism goes on with been in large numbers in small spaces too


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> Nice job on the tubs mate, they look really good. Where did you get your mesh from?


Thanx, IIRC the mesh came from www.dartfrog.co.uk , not the cheapest place but they do sell it in small quantities, I know cheaper suppliers but you have to buy much larger pieces to get the lower price.



> those black ones...live forever


This is the first time I've tried black crix, they certainly seem a bit livelier than the browns, tricky little buggers to catch though! I use a pooter to suck them up individually, but they don't stay still for long, the browns seem to think that if they don't move you can't see them, which makes them much easier!


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Graham said:


> This is the first time I've tried black crix, they certainly seem a bit livelier than the browns, tricky little buggers to catch though! I use a pooter to suck them up individually, but they don't stay still for long, *the browns seem to think that if they don't move you can't see them, which makes them much easier!*


This made me laugh :lol2:
Mine have lived for a while actually, they're in their cricket tub in the roach box, sitting on top of the egg box and I just feed them carrot. They're the brown banded crickets. Little sh*ts to catch though. The smaller sized ones which I need are all hiding in the difficult places so I haven't got a chance on getting those out.

To get them out I have to open the corner a tiny bit and shake 2-3 out into the bath which they can't climb up, I have the spider's boxes in the bath with the lids on which means the crickets run and hide under the boxes making them easier to catch with feeding tweezers and easy to just bung them in with the spiders.

Which reminds me Graham, any interest in those mini-vivs of yours? Wasn't sure if you'd made any for other people?


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## clive.jericho (Apr 2, 2010)

you can catch them easier if you refrigerate them for a while beforehand. I'm woindering now if they last long if you store them there? perhaps slow down their life-cycle?

All I store my crickets in is a Rub with plenty of holes in the top with some food(mostly carrots as they last forever and don't raise humidity) and some egg carton(about half a carton for every 25 crickets. I only lose 2-3 out of 30 every week, by then they're all eaten.

I find that once the Crickets have molted a few times and have full wings(see below), they only last another week.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> Which reminds me Graham, any interest in those mini-vivs of yours?


Not enough interest to make it worth it I'm afraid, I have to make a living, and if making vivs means I have to put aside better paid work then it's not really practical.

If I find myself at a loose end one day I may just make up a batch and advertise them on here, sell them for whatever people are prepared to pay and see how it goes. I'll let you know if I do it.

Interestingly enough I had more interest in cylindrical arboreal vivs.


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Graham said:


> Not enough interest to make it worth it I'm afraid, I have to make a living, and if making vivs means I have to put aside better paid work then it's not really practical.
> 
> If I find myself at a loose end one day I may just make up a batch and advertise them on here, sell them for whatever people are prepared to pay and see how it goes. I'll let you know if I do it.
> 
> Interestingly enough I had more interest in cylindrical arboreal vivs.


Aw, that's a shame  ah well, atleast that you know you're able to do them and can atleast make them for yourself, if not anyone else.

Really? That's good to know then, possibly down to it being slightly more unusual? 

Sorry for stealing the thread :blush:


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