# crickets



## hibiscusmile (Jul 27, 2007)

I just decided i really do not like Crickets, at all. They remind me too much of roaches. No Offence to the roach breeders or lovers out there. DSDF I always say. But really, I did not look it up I want you to surprise :shock: me. They look like them and they run like them and my Lord, I put a piece of bread in with them and it is all gone. If they get loose in the house I'll be sleeping outside! They stink too~ Oh yea and the Mantis do not like em either, I'm surprised :shock: they did not reach up and smack it out of my hand! They eat them under much distress. I have to pull the legs off of em and everything. It's just not right I tell you.... ps and they come packaged with some ugly black worms with legs, I don't do worms either..yucK


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## colddigger (Jul 27, 2007)

actually those are larvae of some sort and they clean the cricket cages of the dead bodies.


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 27, 2007)

ru serious? If so maybe I will put them back in there. I don't believe you. The cricket people said they were some sort of beetle that went hand in hand with the crickets. Their uglier than the crickets could ever be, when I pick them up with the tweezers, they twist all over the place, I'll probably have to drink myself to sleep tonight to get that picture out of my head


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## Rick (Jul 28, 2007)

My last batch of crickets had the hairy "worms" in there. They turned into beetles which was just some extra food for my mantids.


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## Asa (Jul 29, 2007)

> ru serious? If so maybe I will put them back in there. I don't believe you. The cricket people said they were some sort of beetle that went hand in hand with the crickets. Their uglier than the crickets could ever be, when I pick them up with the tweezers, they twist all over the place, I'll probably have to drink myself to sleep tonight to get that picture out of my head


Those do clean the cage somewhat, but you don't really have to bother with them. Mantids will eat crickets easily if they are hungry you shouldn't have to force feed them. But if they don't lke it, don't feed it to them.


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## Ben.M (Jul 29, 2007)

The hairy worms become demestide beetles, they clean up(eat) all the dead crix in the tub


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## hibiscusmile (Jul 29, 2007)

So you were serious about the eating dead cricks! I thought the crickets were doing that too. Every time I go to clean it (every day) they are on the dead ones. I have to push them off of the dead! They act like they are afraid until you want to do something inside their cage. Then you can't get them to move. Humpt! Snort! ha ha, I will try to keep the hairy worms in there if I can, I just do not like them. NO I think I rather clean up after them myself. Oh I don't know, I'll have to wait and see. Every time I get the tweezers to give the mantis one of them they squirm. I usually give up and throw them back before the mantis has a chance to take it. Cept one, one is real quick. Thanks guys for the info on the hairy worms.!


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## MikhailsDinos (Jul 29, 2007)

I once breed crickets, Not hard, But very smelly....

I do roaches for my geckos, But love the flies! They dont smell that bad &amp; the geckos &amp; mantis eat them. I love having the maggots in the refrigerator, Using them when I want them.


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## OGIGA (Jul 29, 2007)

Really? Whenever I buy blue bottle larvae, I always have to deal with the horrible smell. It smells like trash or something.


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## Asa (Jul 30, 2007)

Houseflies and blue bottles definitely have a distinctive smell...


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## MikhailsDinos (Jul 30, 2007)

Yep, crickets smell twice the amount flies do. I did not say the flies dont smell, I said they dont smell that bad. But yeah they do smell a little when you take them out. A lot better than crickets...


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## Rick (Jul 30, 2007)

No problems with smelly crickets here. Put them on a layer of oatmeal and when they start to smell dump it all out and start with fresh oatmeal and fresh egg crates.


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## MikhailsDinos (Jul 30, 2007)

Hmm I might give this a try sometime? Thank you, Rick! I breed roaches at the moment, The roaches are great becuase they breed fast &amp; are very clean, Plus very little smell with them.



> No problems with smelly crickets here. Put them on a layer of oatmeal and when they start to smell dump it all out and start with fresh oatmeal and fresh egg crates.


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## Rick (Jul 30, 2007)

Yeah I keep all crickets on a bed of plain oatmeal. Stuff is cheap and they will eat it a little too. I don't really find crickets smelly.


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