# Killing crickets



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Whats the best way of killing crickets without damaging them?? I've added another angle to my final year enrichment project, and I'm trying to prove that feeding live insects is beneficial enrichment as it promotes natural behaviours (eg stalking, hunting).
So to do this I have to offer dead insects and live ones on seperate occasions and see if there is any change in behavioural profile. So, I need fresh killed crickets, but I don't know how to do it! Any ideas??

Cheers : victory:


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

smack em on da head wid ya finger?


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

pinch them just below the head on the neck sort of area with a pair of tweezers kills them easily with minimal damage


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## quizicalkat (Jul 7, 2007)

put a water bowl in with them - they do it themselves...


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Cheers guys, I might have a go with the tweezers!

: victory:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Pop 'em in the freezer for fifteen or twenty minutes.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

yeh...I think freezing them is the best way.....i have tried to k.o a cricket by flicking it..never have much luck lol


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## vic13 (Aug 27, 2007)

Agree with squeezing just behind their head. The only icky thing with that is though, they keep wiggling for AGES!!! :lol2: 

I've even removed heads before now only to find them walking around the viv an hour later!! No chance of them biting anymore though :lol2:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

what were the crickets guilty of ???????:lol2:


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## xmashx (Sep 14, 2007)

This sounds interresting but i was wondering if this was for school, college, uni or just for your own thing to prove to other rep owners ?
xsachax


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## spendleb (Jul 17, 2007)

Drown them, had to do that a few times to get rid of the odd couple in the bottom of the Kricket Keeper who won't come out to play with Harry.


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## Maxxed_Ross (Oct 1, 2007)

the freezer sounds like a safe bet... plus it'll keep them fresh!

I know from experiance my BD won't even touch dead insects. He sits and watches them for ages until they move, and then he pounces on them!


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## ViRMiN (Aug 6, 2007)

Freezing! As used by angler's to prepare dead maggots for baiting or certain fishing methods.


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## bhimpfen (Aug 11, 2007)

I think freezing is best. It'll make sure nothing is smooshed my tweezing or anything of that sort.


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## titch 1987 (Sep 24, 2007)

wen i try drowning crix they swim out mite hold them under next time :lol2:


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## bhimpfen (Aug 11, 2007)

titch 1987 said:


> wen i try drowning crix they swim out mite hold them under next time :lol2:


I noticed lots of crickets can get out of the water by jumping, only a few die in water.


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## Rico (Jan 5, 2007)

I used to keep tarantulas a few years ago and if i ran out of micro crickets for my spiderlings id freeze a bigger one and feed them the legs or a piece of the body.


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