Can Crickets chew through plastic screen, really ?

[nasty bugger]

I have a 'cricket house' that is made of plastic screen, and has the handle and pivoting door, looks like fisher Price item. I read that crickets can chew through the plastic screen, is this so ?

The sure seem to like hanging out on the screen, and are hardly ever on the floor, or in the toilet paper tube I put in there.

One thing I like is I can see them, and mist into the space really easy when they may need a bit of moisture in the dry AZ atmosphere.

I think catching them will be difficult from this device though.

 

[The_Asa]

depending on how thick the plastic is. Thin plastic screen can and will be torn through...baby crickets depending on the size of the plastic screen, may be able to climb through it.

 

[PhilinYuma]

If Asa and Hibiscusmile say that they can chew through plastic screening, I guess that they can. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will, though. I have kept crickets in a box with a sturdy plastic mesh lid for about four months, and so far, the screen remains unnibbled. On the underside of the screen are two limbata ooths that got there by accident from when I kept my elderly female in a similar box. I have left them there to see if the crickets would molest them, but so far, they remain untouched.

 

[The_Asa]

If Asa and Hibiscusmile say that they can chew through plastic screening, I guess that they can. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will, though. I have kept crickets in a box with a sturdy plastic mesh lid for about four months, and so far, the screen remains unnibbled. On the underside of the screen are two limbata ooths that got there by accident from when I kept my elderly female in a similar box. I have left them there to see if the crickets would molest them, but so far, they remain untouched.

I'm actually a bit surprised :lol: these are brown crickets I assume? Looks like there would be a possibility then. Nasty Bugger, is your box made out of plastic mesh on all sides or just the lid?

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yes sir they could, but if happy in their home they won't, but all it takes is one unhappy cricket and next thing u know u got a cricket convoy on your hands :lol: . Some of mine have chewed thru the fiberglass screen on the mantis houses. In their house I now use aluminum screen, which is nice because I have it in black and it helps keep the light out, which they like, and them liking it means.... U guessed it... Happy Crickets ps I take the t p tube and knock it against the 32 oz heavy duty deli cup I put them in to feed. Makes Feeder Person happy too!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I just thought of this too, the mantis can also chew thru it.... at least the fiberglass screen, I have seen this a couple of times due to a mantis getting its claw stuck in the screen and them trying to free it. When I seen it I at first thought it was them acting weird, but then realized they were stuck and trying to get free, the last girl that did that, actually made a hole in it!

 

[Rick]

Plastic? No.

 

[nasty bugger]

I'll probably stop using it anyway.

It's a pain to get them out of.

I'll just keep them in the home depot bucket.

The thing I liked about the little 'cricket house' is I can put it in the garden without taking up too much space, and it's warmer in there than anywhere else in the house. Gets up into the high 80's when it's not too cold out, and stays in the high 70's when it's cold, like it was the last few days here. Whew, cold snap. Down into the 40's at night again Bet some of you wish it was that warm in the daytime there, but it's only up into the mid 50's and low 60's in the day B) It's been 70's for the last weeks, so that's cold to me

Broke the heck out of my leg last feb and got hardware in there now, so I'm feeling it when it gets cold now.

 

[hibiscusmile]

:angry: poor baby!

 

[blitzmantis]

Well don't crickets come in a thin plastic box? :huh:

So they obviously won't be able to...

 

[Katnapper]

Crickets can chew through fiberglass screen, not aluminum screen. I think you are mistakenly remembering the warning about fiberglass screen, not "plastic." Use common sense. The plastic "screen" generally available (the kind for crafts or sewing) is usually too thick to cause concern. And they most definitely can chew through most fabrics. I think the "plastic" is a non-issue here.

 

[hibiscusmile]

The cricks I get come in cardboard with wire screening, don't know if every body ships this way, but Grubco does.

 

[Katnapper]

I get mine from LLLReptile, and they use 2 regular, but heavy-duty, cardboard boxes... the outer one slightly bigger than the smaller one, which the crickets are actually in. The smaller box nests snugly inside the bigger one.

 

[tnienhaus]

I realize that this thread is somewhat old but i have had crickets chew through plastic craft screens and get lost in my dorm room lol...

stupid pinheads.. :angry:

 

[Katnapper]

I realize that this thread is somewhat old but i have had crickets chew through plastic craft screens and get lost in my dorm room lol...stupid pinheads.. :angry:

I have a couple of those bait boxes with the sticky stuff inside them placed adjacent to the baseboard in my bug room. They are designed/advertised for problems with pantry moths. No harmful chemicals, no work other than putting the traps in place, and they do a fantastic job for me catching occasional escapee crickets!

 

[superfreak]

Ive had crix chew through plastic mesh. easily. and i was keeping them in a tall jar, thinking they wouldnt get a chance to sit on the mesh on top and they jumped up and chewed through it anyway!

 

[nasty bugger]

Well, about a month back I had some large crickets in a plastic bag and in a couple days there was a hole in the bag, and no more crickets. They did hit the bag quite a but in all fairness, I also had some mantis' running free, and they may have gone up and punched the bag, striking at the crickets, and put the hole though the bag, but the hole looked chewed actually.