# Acceptable Losses?



## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi everyone,

I managed to kill off all of my adults by using a carrot from somewhere that they didnt like......

Since ive had a new batch of XL's, i seem to lose an average of 1 a day, which i hadnt noticed before.

They have now shed, and ive added some extra Adults into it, they should all be mature enough to breed, but they dont seem to want to.....:bash:

Any tips?


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## firebelliedfreak (Nov 3, 2008)

adult whats?


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

This is why i should stop posting when sleepy.....:bash:

Locusts


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## jonnyboy86 (Jul 7, 2009)

i bred these for over a year and the 2 things that effect breeding the most is heat and food mate. keep them hot! 30-32c. and always have food in there. leave them a day without food can upset breeding for a couple of days


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Ive got them on an unstated ceramic 24/7, with UV and Carrot in there at all times.

I do wonder if maybe they just arent quite ready to breed.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I always managed to kill locusts with carrots, just switch to greens and they should be better.

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> I always managed to kill locusts with carrots, just switch to greens and they should be better.
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


Thanks for the tips.

do you have any specific greens you recommend?


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I think spring greens work out quite well, they're cheap and nutritious. You can use pretty much any greens though, just be sure to keep them washed. 
When it gets warmer fresh washed grass is good and free.

Do you know which species you have? Desert locusts, s.gregaria, are the most common and will eat most vegetable matter. Migratory locusts, l.migratoria, fees mainly on grass and cereals I believe.
There are other species but these are the ones you're likely to find.

Pm blaptica, he knows more about livefood.

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## jonnyboy86 (Jul 7, 2009)

i used cos lettuce, 2 for £1 at the market. also after they turn to adut you will have to wait 2-3 weeks for them to mature. how old are they now?


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

jonnyboy86 said:


> i used cos lettuce, 2 for £1 at the market. also after they turn to adut you will have to wait 2-3 weeks for them to mature. how old are they now?


Cheaper to buy spring greens either from a supermarket or the grocer.
More nutrition too.


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Not sure.

Ill try to get a picture later. Are they easy to distinguish?

In regards to the using of grass, its not that simple for me, as i dont have a garden  but i can always just use the greens from shops.


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

KarlW said:


> do you have any specific greens you recommend?


Spring Greens is the only thing I fed mine when I had my breeding colony.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

KarlW said:


> Not sure.
> 
> Ill try to get a picture later. Are they easy to distinguish?
> 
> In regards to the using of grass, its not that simple for me, as i dont have a garden  but i can always just use the greens from shops.


Migratory locusts - http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant...adults/3._migratory_locust_locusta_migratoria

Desert Locusts - http://ethiopia.ipm-info.org/insect_pests_ethiopia/Schistocerca_gregaria.htm

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> Migratory locusts - 3. Migratory locust: Locusta migratoria - DAFF
> 
> Desert Locusts - Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) - Desert Locust
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


Looking at them, Desert Locusts.

will have to go to Asda on way home from work.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Just make sure whatever you use is washed well. I stand a colander full of veg in the sink and leave the cold tap on a couple of minutes, stirring with my hand.

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Right.

Have got some cabbage greens from Asda.

Hopefully this will reduce the losses im having.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Any deaths yet?

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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Last summer I was picking dandelion leaves for the tortoises and I hit the motherload of all overgrown areas, so we had more than could be eaten - we chucked dandelions in with the locusts (we keep them in tanks of 100-200s starting from 4ths to grow them to winged), and they matured in literally double the time I've ever seen it happen.

Now we use savoy cabbage and we have almost no losses, but they are taking a lot longer to mature. Bring on the spring and I'll be trying dandelion leaves again - free too. :2thumb:


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> Any deaths yet?
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


3 dead adults when i cleaned them out this morning, but only started feeding greens last night.

Going to give it 2-3 days to see.

The adult tank is holding around 150-200 adults, with the XL tank is holding nearly 300.


Theyre going through the greens extremely fast, so this could prove expensive ifi have to keep paying £1 a bag for something taht only lasts 2-3 days.


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

have you ever thought of using organic greens and veg as remmember the normal greens and veggies are sprayed with insectaside to kill all the bugs that grow on them so might also be killing yours:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

KarlW said:


> 3 dead adults when i cleaned them out this morning, but only started feeding greens last night.
> 
> Going to give it 2-3 days to see.
> 
> ...


Would you rather pay a couple of pounds a week for greens or kill all your locusts with carrots?


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

organic


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

what do those locusts that everyone talks about look like?

grasshoppers?


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)




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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

mrhoyo said:


> image


ah, thanks for that... they don't have those here...

shame... they seem popular there...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i used to catch these for my veilds when i had them... nearly the same as locusts...


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I think exotic locusts are banned in the USA after all the swarms that were destroying crops a while ago. A grasshopper is practically the same though, probably just harder to breed.


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

HABU said:


> image
> 
> i used to catch these for my veilds when i had them... nearly the same as locusts...


thats bassically an adult locust

Buy Monkfield Adult Locust Livefood Online

the back legs are bigger thats looks about all. then you have breading and so on but dont know about that


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

beardys said:


> organic


Organic doesn't make a difference, if the carrots are washed and trimmed there should be no residue. I think it might be something to do with the high levels of certain vitamins because my locusts have always died with carrots.


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> Organic doesn't make a difference, if the carrots are washed and trimmed there should be no residue. I think it might be something to do with the high levels of certain vitamins because my locusts have always died with carrots.


i dont use carrots:blush:


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Why did you feel the need to say organic mid-way through a conversation about carrots then?


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Im washing all my greens, and just waiting to see what will happen.

Obviously it is too early to tell, as alot of them would have eaten carrot in the last 48 hours.

How much do you feed on average a day? Can they overfeed and die?


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I wouldn't have thought you could over feed, just have them available.
I've got a money saving idea for you, I'll let you know over the weekend 

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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Right, apparently the roach and cricket mix I use can be used with locusts too. It should bring down the overall feeding bill and you will just need to feed them greens for moisture (although I bet water crystals would work too) - http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...rition/49403-feeder-insect-diets-gutload.html

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> Right, apparently the roach and cricket mix I use can be used with locusts too. It should bring down the overall feeding bill and you will just need to feed them greens for moisture (although I bet water crystals would work too) - Feeder Insect Diets & Gutload - Geckos Unlimited
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


That looks good,may have to try it.

Has anyone tried Bran? Thats nice and cheap, but its sustained roaches and mealies for me before, so might support locusts.


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

KarlW said:


> Ive got them on an unstated ceramic 24/7, with UV and Carrot in there at all times.
> 
> I do wonder if maybe they just arent quite ready to breed.


When did you last see locusts digging in the soil looking for roots ? They are designed to eat green leaves. Just giving them carrots is going to give poor results.

Locusts come from a desert type environment where there is a sharp drop in temperature at night. I am not in north Africa but I am alot closer than you. Last summer for example we had differences sometimes of 27c beween day and night (40c day 13c night). That is the sort of conditions you get in North Africa. 24/7 heat is NOT natural or good for them. 





How do you know they are going to be the right temp if the ceramic is without a stat ?


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Although only on a small scale, and without any actual babies, I kept 100 going in an xl flat faun with a 7x11 mat on all the time, sometimes hit 40'c at the hot end but they were breeding like mad.
Fed them organic (seasonal) cabbage, organic lettuce and the odd potato (inside only) As for dry, all mine ever got were bran.
Laying medium was damp vermiculite in cricket tubs.
If only I could have managed to get the eggs to hatch, It'd have been worth the effort :lol2:

EDIT: I also found 1 or 2 dead per day when feeding carrots before this lot, but I was also using normal cabbage and presumably wasn't washing it enough...
Apparently if your locusts are stroking their sides with their feet, they've eaten insecticide. Found that from a search on here..seems true as I never saw mine do it once I went organic.


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

REDDEV1L said:


> Although only on a small scale, and without any actual babies, I kept 100 going in an xl flat faun with a 7x11 mat on all the time, sometimes hit 40'c at the hot end but they were breeding like mad.
> Fed them organic (seasonal) cabbage, organic lettuce and the odd potato (inside only) As for dry, all mine ever got were bran.
> Laying medium was damp vermiculite in cricket tubs.
> If only I could have managed to get the eggs to hatch, It'd have been worth the effort :lol2:
> ...


 
Thanks for the tip on the stroking their feet, never knew that.

Someone has also suggested that the death from carrot was due to it being tougher on their mandibles, wearing them out quicker.

For your laying, i tried a peat/vermiculite mix, but found that slightly damp playsand worked better.


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Right, An update on the swap away from carrot.

My fatality rates has dropped drastically - Down to 2 adults this week (expecting to start losing them due to old age - so am feeding off them now) and 1 XL.

So far, so good.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I said it was carrots didn't I?

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> I said it was carrots didn't I?
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


 
Yes and you were right. :2thumb:


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Did you try using any of the dry diet I linked too? The roaches and crickets love it so the locusts should if you use greens as the water source.

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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

Nah, i havnt.

Managed to get my hands on some greens stupidly cheap.

Got some bran i might try them on though, as my friend uses it, and it seems to be fine.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

The problem with bran is it doesn't have much in the way of nutritional value, it's more of a filler.

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