# How to store locusts?



## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

I been using a large plastic tub with lid and holes put in

i put 50 odd locusts in with a egg carton box and some veggies

all ok?


then couple of days later they have eaten a bit, shit everywhere and the veg is going all gunky.

obviously this is not good, germs breeding etc

best solution? only put a few in tub and leave some in the plastic small tub they come in or??


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## Tombo46 (Aug 5, 2010)

mork said:


> I been using a large plastic tub with lid and holes put in
> 
> i put 50 odd locusts in with a egg carton box and some veggies
> 
> ...



I keep mine in a glass enclosure with a screen top and a ceramic bulb on 24/7. Sounds like your humidity is too high.


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## GeckoD (May 30, 2010)

Tombo46 said:


> I keep mine in a glass enclosure with a screen top and a ceramic bulb on 24/7. Sounds like your humidity is too high.


This...
But you should note that (depending on how many you eventually end up keeping in there) you will still need to change the veg every couple of days or so, and locusts are messy smelly:censor: so regular cleaning is a MUST to stop bacterial growth.

I need to start breeding my own if I'm honest, I just go through so many the tank would always have different locusts in it! lol
Maybe a little side project when I have an outbuilding :whistling2:


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## Sydney_yemen (Dec 31, 2011)

i have bread them with no problems, but they are smelly and messy! and the veg will dry out quickly best with bug grub and bug gel for moisture :2thumb: also when our only keeping 50 at a time maybe best with a small box i.e cricket keeper? or if you find you are keeping 50 too long your probably best with just buying small boxes at the one time


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

i thought buy 50 to last over a week or so and they have time to eat veg, didnt really want to have to change veg daily and clean out, how can i clean out they would escape


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

what's the difference between a grasshopper and a locust?

i've always wondered that...


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Locusts _are_ grasshoppers.

Very tasty if you're brave enough to try them!


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## GeckoD (May 30, 2010)

HABU said:


> what's the difference between a grasshopper and a locust?
> 
> i've always wondered that...


The attitude!:roll:


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## GeckoD (May 30, 2010)

Graham said:


> Locusts _are_ grasshoppers.
> 
> Very tasty if you're brave enough to try them!


Still never done this...I know someone that has though^^^^:whistling2:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

Graham said:


> Locusts _are_ grasshoppers.
> 
> Very tasty if you're brave enough to try them!


ok... because i'm ate up with grasshoppers here...

i always wondered if there was a difference...: victory:


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## Tombo46 (Aug 5, 2010)

HABU said:


> what's the difference between a grasshopper and a locust?
> 
> i've always wondered that...


The taxonomy is the same as far as I know?



Graham said:


> Locusts _are_ grasshoppers.
> 
> Very tasty if you're brave enough to try them!


You don't say...


GeckoD said:


> Still never done this...I know someone that has though^^^^:whistling2:


Who was that then? :whistling2:


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

back on topic guys


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## GeckoD (May 30, 2010)

Tombo46 said:


> The taxonomy is the same as far as I know?
> 
> 
> You don't say...
> ...


I can't remember for the life of me who it was...

Some northern monkey I bet:grin1:


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Just had a quick Google and from Wiki "*Locusts* are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae."

As for keeping them, I use a plastic boot storage box from Tesco with a mesh ventilation panel in the top, I don't give them water or gel, just greens and Bug Grub, and only as much greens as they'll eat in a day.


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## Sydney_yemen (Dec 31, 2011)

mork said:


> back on topic guys




haha :2thumb: the way i do it is put kitchen towel in the bottom taped together to cover the bottom of the tank then after a couple of days remove the food tubs and grab the towel at each end and bin it(you will be able to remove it without the locusts sticking to it btw) but its easier if you have a cricket keeper or something with a small opening lid so you can knock of any locusts looking for a free ride outa there  i then leave the remaining locust without paper until there fed off and then fully wash out the tank :2thumb:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

you can't buy locusts here in the states... not at any shops i've been to...

i used to just catch them for my chameleons...


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

GeckoD said:


> This...
> But you should note that (depending on how many you eventually end up keeping in there) you will still need to change the veg every couple of days or so, and locusts are messy smelly:censor: so regular cleaning is a MUST to stop bacterial growth.
> 
> I need to start breeding my own if I'm honest, I just go through so many the tank would always have different locusts in it! lol
> Maybe a little side project when I have an outbuilding :whistling2:




but how do i clean, i cant take out the locusts, clean tub then put them back. well could if manually take each one out and put into something else, just fiddly etc

even harder would be the crickets in the cricket keeper, no way could get them out without getting lose etc and hard to calcium powder them in the keeper so often i dont buy them


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

ill have to after a day or 2, put tub in fridge to slow them down a bit then take out, open up and wipe out what i can of mess and grab out the veg and replace

whatever method will pretty much be fiddly it seems but some cleaning is better than no cleaning


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Mine don't last long enough to need cleaning, I buy a tub or two at a time, the spiders get one or two each depending on size, and the rest go to the adult geckos, I never have more than about a week's worth at a time.


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

ok so 2 days after putting in box with some veg there is now crap everywhere

impossible to clean out without letting all locusts out


has to be some better way to store them for a week and keep clean and provide food


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

It sounds to me as if you're just introducing too much moisture into the box.

Don't feed any more greenstuff than they'll eat in a day, mine get Bug Grub and a few salad or dandelion leaves a day, there's enough water in the leaves that they don't need additional water or gel, the floor of the box is covered with a thin layer of cheap instant hot oat cereal.

After a week or two there is no significant visible mess and the locusts are generally all gone, then I just chuck the lot out and start again.


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

i keep mine in small tubs with a bit of 5mm mesh on the floor so its raised up, so all mess falls through.
they get fed rocket or grass fresh every day.
they eat greens they dont like vegtables much


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

the mess is all up the sides of the box and floor, all over basically

i will wipe out what i can and try give less greens


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

mork said:


> the mess is all up the sides of the box and floor, all over basically
> 
> i will wipe out what i can and try give less greens



they are still messy and will still need cleaning out,


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## mork (Feb 18, 2010)

ya managed to wipe out with some tissue and grab out the rotting veg

wont be able to do the same with cricket i suspect and that can get worse

see if i can empty into a bag maybe then clean and put back


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