# Size of locusts for breeding colony



## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi, on the weekend I am going to buy some locusts to start my breeding colony. I am just wondering what size of locusts are best to get to start the breeding colony?

Thanks for any replies:2thumb:


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

Any size but adults. Usually they only send out the males for livefood.

Obviously they're cheaper the smaller they are - but they'll take longer to reach adult. So it's up to you.


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## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

antcherry88 said:


> Any size but adults. Usually they only send out the males for livefood.
> 
> Obviously they're cheaper the smaller they are - but they'll take longer to reach adult. So it's up to you.


How do you sex locusts?


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

After about 10 days of moulting to adult, the males will turn bright yellow, much brighter than the females. This is only the case if they're kept crowded. Also the males will always be on top when they're mating. There may be a way to sex them just by looking but I don't know of it and to be honest you'll never really have to.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

You can tell by looking at the rear of their abdomens when they are adults. The female tip is darker and they have claws for digging whereas the males is the shape of a bow of a boat and has two little turret like protrusions above this. As said they are different in colour and size in my experience when mature adults. The female is typically larger and a pale brown although they vary.

If you want results quick I'd buy xl large locusts. In the correct situation they will moult in to adults after a few days, be sexually mature after a week to 10 days and will be laying by day 14. Again this is from my experience it may of course be different for others.


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## Alasse12 (Jul 29, 2011)

Yeah, just order 100 adult locusts from livefoods, stick them in a 4ft aquarium with a mesh lid, 100 watt heat lamp at one end, and 6-7 inches of play sand. Feed them grass every day and monitor them. They'll soon mate and when the females bury themselves to deposit the eggs, leave it a week and then soak the sand, and the nymphs should hatch out a few days later.


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