# Spiders in me cricks!



## Heim (Aug 3, 2008)

Ok, Ive seen numerous posts about random other bugs in with the crickets. Usually either little beetle looking things or caterpillar like bugs, which Ive had both. However in a new tub I got I noticed it has 3 spiders, two fairly small, but the other a fair size, prob at least around a medium sized crick.

Any ideas? Or did they all just decide to tag along for the ride?


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## Foolchild (Dec 6, 2008)

Ah! the idea of finding a spider in my crickets makes me sweat!! Im petrified!! Ive found a few little maggot things in mine but luckily no spiders!! im going to be checking my boxes very carfully before I take them home!:devil:


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## Heim (Aug 3, 2008)

Foolchild said:


> Ah! the idea of finding a spider in my crickets makes me sweat!! Im petrified!! Ive found a few little maggot things in mine but luckily no spiders!! im going to be checking my boxes very carfully before I take them home!:devil:


Ah I see your from Pembs as well! , the hobby does seem to growing quickly down here!. The tub with the spiders came from creamston... I know I know, but it was late in the day and its the closest shop to me!.


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## Foolchild (Dec 6, 2008)

Hahaha I didnt even see your location when I posted!! Yeah I didnt even know you could keep frogs as pets until i went to silent world last summer!! Ive been obsessed ever since!! 

I try not to go to creamston but I know what you mean! Sometimes needs must!! Have yolu tried the new shop in Narberth? Thats where my tincs came from its a fab shop got loads of fab stuff and the people are really really helpful! 
I must have been on the phone to them constantly since i got my frogs just to check Im doing things right!!:2thumb::lol2:


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## Heim (Aug 3, 2008)

Aye, Webs n Scales, really nice shop, gorgeous snakes in at the moment. Did you get the one with the funny eye? Julie was all excited telling the tale about how he was being paired off and sent to a good home .


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## Foolchild (Dec 6, 2008)

Hahaha! Yeah thats me!! As soon as she told me he only had one eye I fell in love with him immediately!! Im a sucker for anything a bit poorly and broken!! My other half got me a little girl to go with him as a surprise for me as part of my christmas present!!
They've got a poor little broken Gecko there at the mo with bad legs and feet!! I want him but my other half wont let me as we havnt got the room at the mo!! I just hope they wont sell him till Ive talked him round!!!!:whistling2::2thumb:


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## georgieabc123 (Jul 17, 2008)

ewww yeah the little grey ones i get them all the time :devil:


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## Heim (Aug 3, 2008)

lol! awww I havent seen that one, they mustve had him in since I last been. What type of gecko is it?

Ah a spider reply!. Erm Y'know Ive not really paid much attention to the big one. As I said hes around medium cricket size, so hes a good cm or 2. The other two are much smaller and more of a golden brown Id say personally, deff not grey... maybe they turn grey? Shouldve taken a pic I guess


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## bony (Jul 19, 2008)

Hi

These spiders are fine, they come in the boxes of crickets from time to time. I am not sure what species they are. The gimpy lizard is a leopard gecko he was born with deformed feet but is doing fine.

Andy


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## invmatt (Dec 20, 2008)

I always seem to get a few caterpillar type things, any idea what they actually are?


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## _jake_ (Jul 3, 2008)

Well, on the boxes i buy from the reptile zone, basically the say ' Black Crickets + Medivet Vits'... must be thoses caterpillars


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## bony (Jul 19, 2008)

The caterpillers are carpet beetle larvae and are used to eat any waste that the crickets produce. They are totally harles but the beetles are a PITA when they escape.


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## murinus (Jan 3, 2007)

bony said:


> The caterpillers are carpet beetle larvae and are used to eat any waste that the crickets produce. They are totally harles but the beetles are a PITA when they escape.


i have read this many times, but i recently found a thread that said different. it said that they actually kill crickets ?


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

bony said:


> The caterpillers are carpet beetle larvae and are used to eat any waste that the crickets produce. They are totally harles but the beetles are a PITA when they escape.


 
What does PITA mean???


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

murinus said:


> i have read this many times, but i recently found a thread that said different. it said that they actually kill crickets ?


No they wont, maybe if you leave them without food but that is impossible if there is crickets in there anyway! You might get the odd killer but definitely not enough to wipe out the colony. 



Ben.M said:


> What does PITA mean???


Pain In The Ass


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> No they wont, maybe if you leave them without food but that is impossible if there is crickets in there anyway! You might get the odd killer but definitely not enough to wipe out the colony.
> 
> 
> Pain In The Ass


 
Thank you


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

bony said:


> The caterpillers are carpet beetle larvae and are used to eat any waste that the crickets produce. They are totally harles but the beetles are a PITA when they escape.





murinus said:


> i have read this many times, but i recently found a thread that said different. it said that they actually kill crickets ?


Dermestid beetle larvae are known to be fantastically voracious, they are known to be opportunists and are more than happy to predate other small insects given the chance.

You won't generally find any problems with dermestids in your adult crickets, in this situation they usually do actually tidy up, any crickets of the same size as the full grown larvae or smaller are liable to become prey.

When you've run large scale colonies for long enough it soon becomes exceptionally clear from the empty hatchling tubs full of gorged dermestid larvae and not much else... 
I've experimented with deliberately infesting enclosed tubs of various instar crix and keeping them exactly as normal. The outcome seems clearcut to me.


Lotte***


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## murinus (Jan 3, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> No they wont, maybe if you leave them without food but that is impossible if there is crickets in there anyway! You might get the odd killer but definitely not enough to wipe out the colony.


sorry but it seems that isnt correct. this is what peter from euro rep said about them and they are a BIG supplier >

Just briefly, these fury larvae are dermestes or larder beetle larvae. They are not introduced into cricket colonies but are pests. They eat dead matter but also eat live matter and can destroy commercial bins of crickets if in high enough densities. The flying beetles are almost impossible to keep away from bins of crickets and they are the very reason we have to lid every single commercial breeder bin of crickets we have.
They are a bloody nuisance.
I doubt they would have much impact on a tub of crickets but breed at such a prolific rate they become a problem very quickly!


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