# locust breeding advice needed.



## Jamesferrassie (Jul 14, 2011)

OK, so I've set myself up with a faunarium, heat mat, some egg cartons, water dish and a sand laying box about 5 - 6 inches deep.

I'vee been feeding them lettuce and grass for the last couple of days now, However, I keep finding dead locust...

The tempurature of the grazing spot is at around 30-33 degrees which was recommended to me. 

Does anyone have any advice as to how to tell whether or not the locust are healthy and if I'm doing it right.

Cheers!


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## swift_wraith (Jan 4, 2009)

where is the grass and lettuce from? can you ensure its free from pesticides?
Also, lettuce isnt ideal as it has a low nutrient content. being mainly water. Most dark greens are good.
Do they have a high heat source? They need something around 90-105c during the day (I use a 60w reflective bulb).
I found they didnt like 100% sand for me, I ended up using a 50/50 mix of sand & coco-fibre. the fibre helps maintain moisture in there too.
lastly, how big is the faunarium? Mine curently live in a custom built wood box. 3ft high, 1.5ft wide & 1.5ft deep. Mesh on the roof to aid air circulation/humidity.

theres some good guides in this section of the forum to read through.


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## Jamesferrassie (Jul 14, 2011)

the lettuce is from somerfields and the grass is from my back garden. its romaine lettuce so its a whole lot better than iceberg... what veg/salad would you recommend? would cabbage be ok to use?

ive got a desk light on a spot which is in the region of 98/100F with a cool end of about 85. The Locust just sit under the lamp all day.

with the sustrate, i'll have to pink up some coco stuff tomorrow at the store and mix it in with the sand.

the faunarium is 18"x12"x8".. im assuming thats too small? 

However, one of my locust has shed into a fully fledged adult, its a nice pinky colour.


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## Palace of Dragons (Apr 27, 2011)

*...*

Supermarket veg definitely does have pesticides which can easily wipe out your locusts. Things like spring greens etc are loaded with them, as we found out to our cost a long time ago.

For locusts, we've found that a combination of fish flakes, crushed cat food, butternut and cabbage brings them on strong and fast. 

Your temps are spot on but they dont start breeding for a couple of weeks after the 'pink' stage, then you cant stop them!

Hope it works out for you

:2thumb:


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

Palace of Dragons said:


> *Supermarket veg definitely does have pesticides which can easily wipe out your locusts. Things like spring greens etc are loaded with them, as we found out to our cost a long time ago.*
> 
> For locusts, we've found that a combination of fish flakes, crushed cat food, butternut and cabbage brings them on strong and fast.
> 
> ...


I've been feeding my millipedes supermarket veg for years and they're still going strong


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## Palace of Dragons (Apr 27, 2011)

Ben.M said:


> I've been feeding my millipedes supermarket veg for years and they're still going strong


 
I'm afraid your one of the lucky ones then Ben. I know of a lot of people (including ourselves) who lost a lot of locusts through using veg from supermarkets.

I suppose it depends on the supermarket, type of veg and their supplier.

There was a guy who made an online diary of his successful locust breeding, from buying the locusts to producing the nymphs. It abruptly ended with the whole colony being wiped out through pesticides on the veg. 

Millipedes 1 Locusts 0 :lol2:


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## SuperSpeedyWheels (Jun 23, 2011)

Jamesferrassie said:


> OK, so I've set myself up with a faunarium, heat mat, some egg cartons, water dish and a sand laying box about 5 - 6 inches deep.
> 
> I'vee been feeding them lettuce and grass for the last couple of days now, However, I keep finding dead locust...
> 
> ...


My advice is.... its a lot of hassle for little return. I thought I had mine set up, only to accidently wipe it out with pesticide cabbage :censor:! but even before that, I struggled to get any hatchlings for weeks and weeks, then I couldnt get them to moult past their 3rd instar without them all dying .. But swift wraith has a good set up, if you want some advice its his you should take.... 

And that guy that palace of dragons was on about is me... bloody pesticide veg... so if you want to give it a go, then WASH YOUR GREENS! :devil:


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## Palace of Dragons (Apr 27, 2011)

SuperSpeedyWheels said:


> And that guy that palace of dragons was on about is me... bloody pesticide veg... so if you want to give it a go, then WASH YOUR GREENS! :devil:


Ah so it was Speedy, you did really well with that colony too. Sorry to hear it got wiped mate.


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## SuperSpeedyWheels (Jun 23, 2011)

This is my online 'Diary' I updated it with how things go on.. look how long it too from the first post to the date I got my first hatchlings....

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/feeder/713194-locust-breeding-pictures-too.html

I think for it to work you need to plow loads of money into it from the start.​


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## SuperSpeedyWheels (Jun 23, 2011)

Palace of Dragons said:


> Ah so it was Speedy, you did really well with that colony too. Sorry to hear it got wiped mate.


Looking back im glad they are gone, I was spending too much on them and getting such small numbers back, considering the fact that all in all I probably spent a good £100 plus getting them going, thats the part im angry about...

They smelled horrid, they kept escaping when I was feeding them or changing the laying pots, and they s:censor:t like crazy... 3 weeks of frass filled up the entire of an exo terra 45x45's floor space.

Theres a nack to doing it, and I certainly couldnt get it... I have since had success with crickets, but couldnt stand the smell again, ive now moved to roaches..... Definately onto a winner here, If you want to save money, not have to fuss about and breed your on feeders get roaches : victory:


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## Jamesferrassie (Jul 14, 2011)

thanks all for the great advice! ive been feeding them with cabbage and grass from garden.

another question... how do i know if they are male or female?? 
ive got around 20 adults now within the last week or so.


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2011)

Heres how a friend of mine does it  Breeding locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) for live food


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## Jamesferrassie (Jul 14, 2011)

went to check on my locust earlier today and they are all at it finally!!

does anyone know how long after they've mated that they lay their eggs?


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