# keeping locusts and cricket tubs clean.



## mad baboon (Oct 2, 2008)

How do you keep your cricket tubs and locust tubs soo clean when you breed them? when i try and breed crickets and locusts(im trying them soon because there quite expensive...)

how can i keep them clean because i always get poo stuck to the sides of the tub and it always stinks after a week or so...

any help would be great.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

You change them over weekly 

Check out my careguides sticky at the top for details


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## forteh (Feb 9, 2009)

I hoover mine out once a week 
Going to have to be carefull now I have hoppers, till theyve grown on a bit theyre about the same size, shape and colour of adult locust crap


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## mad baboon (Oct 2, 2008)

i was thinking, to stop the poo and such getting stuck to the bottem, i mite just put a thin layer of wheat flakes or somthing like when you buy them in the little tubs... thatway there will be dry food and the poo wont get stuck to the bottem, then i just hover out the thin layer of oats every (other) week. just an idea...


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

mad baboon said:


> i was thinking, to stop the poo and such getting stuck to the bottem, i mite just put a thin layer of wheat flakes or somthing like when you buy them in the little tubs... thatway there will be dry food and the poo wont get stuck to the bottem, then i just hover out the thin layer of oats every (other) week. just an idea...


i had cornflakes on the floor, the poo all gets shuffled to the bottom by them walking across the cornflakes. when it comes to cleaning out you just transfer all the locusts into another tub and clean out the cornflakes (you can buy a box for pennies if you get own brand supermarket ones) and then fill it again.

im designing a properly thought out setup though and il probably end up with a mesh floor. all the dirt will drop through into a tray that slides out. hatchlings will be able to get down but it will make "harvesting" them easier as well since adults wont be able to get down there. pull out the tray, clean it out, put it back in. job done.


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## mad baboon (Oct 2, 2008)

Jim2109 said:


> im designing a properly thought out setup though and il probably end up with a mesh floor. all the dirt will drop through into a tray that slides out. hatchlings will be able to get down but it will make "harvesting" them easier as well since adults wont be able to get down there. pull out the tray, clean it out, put it back in. job done.


yh i tried this with my mealie breeding project... but it wasnt very successful i would like to see it fully done:2thumb:


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

mad baboon said:


> yh i tried this with my mealie breeding project... but it wasnt very successful i would like to see it fully done:2thumb:


its forteh's concept with the mesh floor, he did it before me, so i dont want to take any credit. im just evolving the idea with some extra additions to my tank to make cleaning, feeding, harvesting, breeding, etc easier and more successful.


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## forteh (Feb 9, 2009)

The mesh floor works pretty well, you need to harvest the hoppers before hoovering out though otherwise youve defeated the object of breeding them 

I collected about 40 hoppers in 5-10 minutes with the pooter, all from the bottom section. Seems to be working so far 

The front plastic slides up and can be wedged open below the mesh level, gives loads of access to harvest any hoppers in there and then hoover the crap out.


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

i made myself a pooter last weekend, such an awesome invention. its got a really long collection tube with a shorter suction tube so i can reach really deep into the RUB to get the hoppers out. i bought some 12mm clear aquarium hose for about £4 from the local aquatics place, drilled 2 holes in the top of a small plastic tub with a screw on lid. then i put an elastic band wrapped around each tube, pushed them through the holes in the lid, and put elastic bands on the other side to hold them in place, more effective and flexible than tape. on the suction tube the elastic band inside also holds some fine mosquito netting over the end of the tube to keep my mouth free of hoppers lol.


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## mad baboon (Oct 2, 2008)

cant you add a hover to the end to do the sucking so you dont get all that poo smell and desiese in your lungs? or would it beto strong?


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

mad baboon said:


> cant you add a hover to the end to do the sucking so you dont get all that poo smell and desiese in your lungs? or would it beto strong?


theres no disease from the air really, no different to breathing in the smell of the poo standing in the same room as the locusts. theres no need to use anything other than mouth suction. a hoover would probably be too powerful and youd have no control. e.g. i can give one blast of suction and suck up a single locust. with a hoover youd suck up the locust, then pull in anything else small with a few inch radius!


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