# breeding locust



## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

Does anyone breed there own locust? i am wanting to have a go, i know you need to have play or sharp sand in a ice cream tub a large container, like a rub and some adults, but can it be that easy?? please could any breeders out there give me some info and even better post some pics of there setups

thanks:2thumb:


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## swift_wraith (Jan 4, 2009)

have a look in the livefood section, some really good guides there.


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## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

anyone?


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## andy140365 (Jul 26, 2010)

ive been quite sucsessfull with it basically got a large exo terra viv a 60 bulb to act as basking spot heatmat under the tank ,i use just normal potting soil tried sand it dries out too quick keep the temps up high and humidity low sort of make it up as you go along feed greens and bran be consistant but patiant fantastic to see it all happen hope this helps


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## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

Hi thanks, is i basking lamp essential? i was going to use a large rub with mesh on the lid (lid cutout) to help with ventilation, could i put ontop off my snakes viv where his ceramic lamp is as its quite hot.:2thumb:


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## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

addictedtosnakes said:


> Hi thanks, is i basking lamp essential? i was going to use a large rub with mesh on the lid (lid cutout) to help with ventilation, could i put ontop off my snakes viv where his ceramic lamp is as its quite hot.:2thumb:


They're sun worshipers
When i tried breeding and had a lamp ontop of the mesh they'd all fly and hang upside down under it, getting as close as possible
You really need to keep them quite hot around 35 degrees.
I wouldn't buy adults if i was you, I'd recommend buying the shed before, as the place you'll get them will send out their oldest ones (as they're supposed to be used for food so age doesn't matter) thus meaning they could be close to the end of their lives and not have enough time to breed, this is what I found anyway, they all seemed to just drop dead over a couple of days


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## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

Hi if i do have a go at breeding and it works i will have to let the babies grow to atleast 4th hopper size before i will use than as food for my beardie, will it cost alot to feed them to get to that size?


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## andy140365 (Jul 26, 2010)

depends how many you breed just a few sprigs of fresh greens and a cupfull of bran bran lasts ages i also use any leftover greens my iggies havnt eaten for my bugs saves throwing it away :2thumb: they seem to like few weeks youll be up to size not sure if it works out any cheaper to breed your own on a small scale but still well worth it just for the hell of it i have 6 pairs at the begining i left the pot in with them for about a week before isolating it i recon i got roughly 3 to 400 babies i pay now 2 pound a tub i get average of 20 to a tub ill let you do the maths say £10 per 100 locusts so £40 id of spent at pets at home (3 tubs for £6)and to be honest they aint that good at least with mine i know they gut loaded from the off cameleon loves them so do beardies


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## Hamish198 (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi there, I literally just bought a load of adults off ebay-they arrived sat, not knowing anything about it I just thought I'd try and breed them as an alternative to the roaches I've been feeding my bosc. I had an empty exo terra tank with a mesh lid, hung a light pendant with a metal shade over the top and put a tub with sand in there. Well they've started laying already, don't have any idea how successful i'll be but there are lots of holes in the sand so I know they're at least trying lol I have no idea how long they take to grow, currently feeding them bird seed I bought from the pound shop, spare guinea pig food, some fish flake and grass from the garden. I think I'll supplement my Boscs diet by throwing in handfuls of the babies partly to thin them out so they can grow and also to give him some exercise.
Hope this helps a bit,
all the best,
Hamish.


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## andy140365 (Jul 26, 2010)

around 10-13 days till they start digging out


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## Hamish198 (Apr 20, 2010)

Andy you had 3-400 babies from 6 PAIRS ????? JESUS I've got 50 adults in there.....am I in trouble ???


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## baldilocks (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi, I have just been reading your posts and thought I would mention I decided to have a go at breeding locusts as they are pretty dear I think.. I have an album showing a few pictures of set up and babies but I use a spare exo terra tank which has a mesh top, pendant 60watt bulb which is on 14 ish hours per day and the tank sits ontop of my beardies tank where his bulb is. 
I started with approx 40 hoppers and an ice cream tub of soil. They soon mated and started to lay eggs but after two weeks, no babies!!
I swapped the tub for a larger one and looser soil which I spray every day with water to keep it moist. A week later I got babies!!!! Its ace watching them hatch and grow and today I have about 150!!! 
I might build a proper unit with the individual jars which I can move once full of eggs. This is only because its difficult now to clean the tank without the babies escaping and they are a bugger to catch!! 
Hope this is of use to you budding breeders!! 
o and lots of food each day is a must...


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## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

I have babie locust, about 200 of them, cant believe i did it: victory: 

there tiny and hard to catch i think i will wait till there a big bigger:lol2: how long will it take for them to get bigger?


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## Hamish198 (Apr 20, 2010)

Well done mate, you're right they are tiny....mine hatched...and all escaped :censor: apart from maybe 3 or 4, hoping they don't survive. But I think I'll just buy in bulk from now on, 50 adults for £12, seems okay as a once a monthly addition to the roaches that I breed to feed him :2thumb:
keep us posted on your progress,

Hamish.


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## baldilocks (Mar 22, 2011)

Nice one .......
I fed all but about twenty to my dragon and let the others be my new breeding adults..
New ones dont seem to lay as much and only had about fifty so far but I need to make sure I keep them well fed and a daily spray I think...
I had some escape too but caught them all.
They will change every day and after about 4 weeks should be big enough to pass on for food!! Mine seemed to hatch only at night but amazing to watch them change.
Have fun


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## addictedtosnakes (Oct 5, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Nice one .......
> I fed all but about twenty to my dragon and let the others be my new breeding adults..
> New ones dont seem to lay as much and only had about fifty so far but I need to make sure I keep them well fed and a daily spray I think...
> I had some escape too but caught them all.
> ...


Hi i have left them in with my adults, do you do the same? not sure what to do as not sure if i could catch them..:lol2:


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## Hamish198 (Apr 20, 2010)

They are cannibalistic if not fed enough so the adults would eat the babies i believe ?? (correct me if i'm wrong) also the adults eat so much that the babies wouldn't get enough to eat, so would prob starve. I had a separate tub of damp sand inside the adults tank, and when there were lots of egg holes in the sand i moved the tub to a different tank and hatched them there.
Hope this helps,
Hamish.


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