# What do you feed your crickets ?



## Shadow (Dec 24, 2013)

What do you use for gutloading ?


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## Extrememantid (Dec 24, 2013)

I don't use crickets anymore.. I've been cutting mealworms into pieces for my nymphs and will soon have an order of dubia roaches.. I would just give the crickets a piece or two of dog food and aslice of apple or potato.. I don't like crickets because they have killed one of my scorpions and one of my geckos... And I've heard of many mantids getting sick from crickets.. I recommend you buy some dubia roaches..


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## Shadow (Dec 24, 2013)

Thx


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## Rick (Dec 25, 2013)

High quality dry dog food, fish food flakes, leafy greens sometimes, fresh veggies/fruit, and their substrate is dry oatmeal which they also nibble on.


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## gm88 (Dec 27, 2013)

Lettuce and Carrots usually. One time I put some bee pollen in there as well and they seemed to be eating it., not sure if it did anything for the mantises though I have also read of people "dusting" them with propolis, pollen or other nutrient rich things but I'm not quite sure how effective that would be..


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## Digger (Dec 29, 2013)

Fluker's Cricket Diet; Fluker's Cricket Quencher; Fluker's Orange Cube; lettuce, apple, oat flakes. Never never carrots.


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## gm88 (Dec 30, 2013)

Digger said:


> Never never carrots.


I have never had a problem with it so far. Of course I have read numerous recommendations against it when researching how to take care of mantids but never have seen any evidence beyond anecdotal. If anything I think the culprit in a mantid dying from a bad cricket would be some kind of bacteria present on the unhealthy feeder insect not what kind of vegetable you fed it. I am open to hearing the info either way.

When I was raising a bunch of adult mantises this summer that is mainly what I used to feed crickets simply because it was what I had on hand a lot of the time from my garden.


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## Rick (Dec 30, 2013)

Digger said:


> Fluker's Cricket Diet; Fluker's Cricket Quencher; Fluker's Orange Cube; lettuce, apple, oat flakes. Never never carrots.


In my opinion all that commercial stuff is a waste of money.


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## Extrememantid (Dec 30, 2013)

I use the water crystal stuff... The cricket quencher seems to work good as long as it's not died..

Ps never use the Orange calcium added cricket quencher.. To many chemicals.. It even has a warning on the back saying the chemicals are known to cause cancer.

But I also use other veggies..


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## d17oug18 (Jan 3, 2014)

i once saw and use myself, a stack of wet papertowels, paper, or sponges, they can drink up the water from it and wont drown(which they do even with a VERY shallow water), I used honey, and all veggie scraps and used dense dirt as subtrate. NEVER feed store bought crickets right away, they will kill the mantis lol. Breeding crickets is fun, but i do it in my garage cuase i cant handle 1000's of chirping crickets within earshot lol.


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## Digger (Jan 3, 2014)

Rick - I find the commercial stuff is readily taken by the crickets (except the orange cubes). It's infinitely easier than replacing dried veggies or fruit every other day. And I only keep 12 - 15 crix at a time, so the commercial food (containers are all of $3.00) last many many weeks (or months). If you keep hundreds these dirty dumb bastards, another solution might be more efficient.


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## DinehCaveman (Jan 3, 2014)

i use "premium cricket chow" from Reptile Outpost here in the San Fernando valley $0.99 for a 5.5 oz cup. It seems to be made of cracked corn and chopped up wheat and oat bran. I haven't asked what it is made from. It lasts a very long time for my cricket needs, I buy a $1.00 worth of crickets every week and a half to two weeks. Ask at your local reptile store what they feed their crickets. And keep them hydrated.


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## devetaki9 (Jan 29, 2014)

I make my own mix of substrate/food from bran, oatmeal, corn meal, powdered milk, baby cereal and toss in anything extra like cereal and grind it up. Fresh fruit and veggies and dog/cat food. I do use the plain water crystals because I keep and raise my own cricket colony. Personal choice I never use carrots


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 30, 2014)

I make my own too, lots of stuff, wheat, corn, oats, b. yeast, milk, whey, molasses, dog &amp; cat food, alfalfa, ...... among other items. Water cubes or veggies for their drinks.


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## Extrememantid (Jan 30, 2014)

Lol nothing anymore.. I use roaches now


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## Nick Barta (Feb 1, 2014)

The best cricket gut load available today IMHO is *Cricket Crack.* It has 21 ingredients, is finely ground for easy insect consumption, Keeps well in the refrigerator, and is devoured by crickets, mealies,and Super Worms. The nutritional diversity in the mix of bee pollen, spirulina, peas, beans, dried fruit…you get the idea-is amazing.

Another added bonus is it is produced by one of the members here, Steve Simms (SSimsswiSS), who is knowledgeable in Chameleon husbandry as well as mantids.

You can purchase @ buycricketcrack.com.

Check out Steves' video on the page, hit the tab "See It In Action."

CHEERS!

Nick Barta


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## I_love_mantids (Feb 4, 2014)

I feed mine anything that would seem healthy to a cricket. I have used orange cubes, oatmeal, and green beans.


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