Cricket Question

[braidsta]

Right first of all this is my first creature that eats other creatures and I'm almost as fascinated by the crickets as I am my african mantis (bought from Ian - good stuff!).

I've just put a few chunks of apple in there and they're munchin through at an alarming rate. Is this safe for them?

Will the feeding of the crickets improve their nutritional value in a way that'll in turn benefit the mantis?

Whats that thick spike coming out the back of a few of them?

I'm sure these are silly questions but remember I'm new to this lol

cheers

 

[13ollox]

i use apple . it is safe for em as long as you change the apple every couple of days as it goes mouldy . i also use cherios , oatmeal , wheat bran and oat bran as a subrate for them all smashed and mixed together ( thanks to Deshawn for his recipe ) since this i have never had a mantis sick from eating crickets !

Feeding the crickets is a good thing as long as you feed them the right thing otherwise the crics get ill .. and so the mantis does after chomping down on the ill . they also eat each other if they dont have enough food !

and finally the spike , erm , mating gear ? havent a clue . sorry !!!

Neil

 

[Rick]

It is important to feed your crickets well as this transfers over to the mantis. Cricket nymphs will eat alot but they slow down when they get older. Feed them a varied diet every other day. I keep about a half inch of plain dry oatmeal in the bottom of the cricket enclosure because they eat that too. Crickets will eat about anything. Most veggies, leafy greens, dry cat/dog food, fish food, etc etc.

 

[13ollox]

BUT NOT CARROTS !!!! NEVER NEVER USE CARROTS ! as they contain a natural pestacide which is obviously bad ! i used to feed mine leafy greens till the made my mantis sick .

Neil

 

[rlechols]

The long thing sticking out the back of some crickets is an ovipositor. Only the females have it, as it is used for laying eggs in the ground.

 

[Rick]

Yeah I have observed that a lot of greens tend to make the mantids sick. I try and use dry foods for the crickets now like cat food, fish flakes, oatmeal etc

 

[braidsta]

thanks for the prompt response peeps, I thought the spike with to do with breeding but wasn't sure.

When you say dry dog food do you mean the biscuits? Would I crush them first? Only, my alsatian has to crunch em pretty hard to not sure if crickets could.

I'm interested in making a kinda home-made meal for the crickets... would a concoction of the ingredients mentioned in your posts be ok?. For example, apple mashed up with oats, bran flakes etc.

and I never realised before that I'd need a seperate enclosure for them, but after seeing my 1st box of crickets up close it seems a bit cramped for them. Ill pick up a box from wilkos tomorrow

 

[Rick]

I don't know what kind of dog food you have over there but I mean the smaller piece ones. Cat food would work better I guess. I do crush it up.