NO MORE CRICKETS!

[Psychobunny]

It's "hygrometer" when you're checking humidity on it, btw.

I had serious aversions to using crickets back when I first got into mantids, too...and heard about the "no-no" faux pas of feeding carrots to feeders (such as mealworms), but I am here to tell you that the fault with feeders lies in the diet/care of them, but has NOTHING to do with carrots, per se...it also has to do with where you are getting them from (i.e. the diet they were getting prior to arriving to YOU). Getting crickets from a source that only feeds them potatoes is a guaranteed death sentence....both for the cricket involved and the mantid being fed to. Often crickets will ARRIVE with potatoes, but this is usually just for transit, temporarily, it is NOT meant to be their daily diet all the time!

Look into the data and you will find that potatoes are usually the suspect item when "potato salad goes bad", and hubby kindly advised me as to why, since he had his food-handlers permit & they are required to take a test for that: Potatoes can harbor all kinds of bacteria in them, including botulism, whether fresh or cooked, if they are allowed to sit & rot for any period of time. The skin protects them somewhat...until they are cut open & exposed.

As soon as I get my crickets, I remove the potato from them, and if I can't give them "Bug Burger", water gel, or roach chow right away, I give them carrot until I can get to them. My "homegrown" mealworms always get carrots & lay in a nice bed of organic wheat bran/organic oat meal to feed on. They don't turn black & die. The crickets only die off a bit when I initially get them (because they are weak from the temporary potato diet & stress of being bounced around in a truck for a day and a half.) After the initial die off of a few dozen crickets (out of a box of 1000), rarely any more deaths occur.

Rebecca, I'm sorry, but I find it very hard to believe that when you get your crickets shipped to you, that there are NO dead crickets in the box...it just doesn't happen.

So, folks, in my humble opinion, carrots have NOTHING to do with the quality of your feeder...Potatoes are worse...cut up old, rotten potatoes = death.

Whenever I can get my stupid hosting service software to cooperate, I will be listing pre-gutloaded crickets for sale, as I no longer believe that crickets are the devil's playthings. They will be fed roach chow, bug burger, water crystals/hydroload, carrots and honey.

BTW, brown stains on the wall are usually ejected waste water. (Rather like in the human world....eww.) I've heard that some species will do this if they are being kept too moist. I know that H. multispina does this ALL the time, no matter the humidity. And it does get rather stinky if you don't keep them clean. Be more concerned if you see black "goo".

Creobroters are particularly susceptible to "black rot" of the exo, often starting around their mouths...from too high of humidity. This usually happens with older adults, but sometimes with nymphs that have been kept too moist for too long. Stating this from experience.

Sorry, I haven't got much time to be thorough in my explanations...time to start dinner!...but just thought I would share my thoughts/experiences!

I agree with you, NO dead cricks on arrival is a little far fetched (crick farm must be next door, right!!)

Premium Crickets says they feed their cricks with the same chow I am buying for them.

I have had mixed luck with all the big crick farms, but there are always dead ones in the box regardless of weather

or shipping method.

 

[twolfe]

Since my last two red-eyed tree frogs died prematurely, I haven't bought any crickets. When I did buy them, I often ordered them in large quantities (500 - 1000) and kept them alive for a long time. I fed them lettuce, carrots, potatoes and sometimes commercial cricket food. Usually the food was all eaten before it got moldy, but if not, I would replace it. The crickets that were in the terrarium and placed in their for food, always had access to the water that the frogs used. Some of them would drown in the water container. Others were eaten by the frogs. But many that started (first as 1/8" and then 1/4" would grow to adults and have to be removed.

I rarely feed my mantids crickets. So, I have limited experiences to share. I bought some "small crickets" from a local pet store in the fall, and some of the "small" crickets were over an inch long, and too big for my frogs. I gave a couple to my adult female Blue Flash and Orchid. About 3 - 4 days later, my Orchid developed a black spot on one of her front raptorial legs. It probably wasn't related. My Blue Flash lived a long life and just died this morning. She must have been about a year old.

I read from a couple of sources to never feed crickets to b. Mendicas. One site even said that it would make them infertile. But there was no explanation or scientific data to back it up. I never fed crickets to my b. Mendicas. And I've been fortunate that the 11th ooth laid by one female (the 9th to hatch as two didn't hatch) hatched for me yesterday. Another female that was raised under identical conditions and mated with two different males produced infertile ooths. She was never fed crickets.

Rebecca, I'm sorry, but I find it very hard to believe that when you get your crickets shipped to you, that there are NO dead crickets in the box...it just doesn't happen.

Carey, I raised red-eyed tree frogs for the past three years. I often ordered crickets from lll.reptile. Their price on their website includes FedEx overnight shipping. I ordered the 1/4" size for my frogs. Since they were shipped overnight, I never found any dead ones from their cricket farm. If any died in transit, then the others had to eat them (including all the parts). I always had dead ones from other places that shipped them 2 - 3 days.

I posted quite a while back about splatter on the back wall behind my enclosures. Thought it might be spray from flies being violently snapped out of the air (which it MAY have been). But a few months back, I started watching my Idolos more carefully, and I saw them occassionally spritz fluid from their backsides - presumably some kind of waste. But it looked just like when big cats spray urine to mark their territory. Maybe all mantids do this (God knows I'm no entomologist). But it did explain a few things. And since I've never SEEN one of my mantids puke personally, for all I know, it could have been coming out the other end! Euchk! Anyone elese experience this..?

I have only noticed the black spatter with my Idolos and Orchids, and it doesn't happen that often. Even if I feed flies from the same container, usually only one of my Orchids might end up with the black splatter. I sometimes wonder if they have a tendency to overeat. I travel a lot and have a system to feed them while I'm away. It seems to happen more often when I'm away, and that might be because they get more flies. When I do see the black splatter, I clean the enclosure and reduce the amount of food for a couple of days until I don't see any new splatter.

 

[agent A]

Tammy, my crix eat carrots and fish flakes, good carotene for my fbts, and 120 crix eat a whole baby carrot overnight

They r fat!!! Lol

 

[massaman]

well cant hurt go give local pet stores some business as well if they sell feeder crickets as I get extra crickets when I buy a few dozen because I go to this pet store all the time and got one of the stores clerks into mantids in the process!

 

[sporeworld]

RE: Splatter.

Yeah - the only reason I noticed it at all was becuase (at the time) I had fully screened enclosures. So I would routinely wash the bottoms, but left the cage in place. It was months before I removed the cage and saw the splattter.

With all glass (and screened top) enclosures, I see it immediately - and clean the entire enclosure much more often.

 

[Introvertebrate]

According to the Ghann's website, they've switched to the virus resistant cricket.

New VIRUS RESISTANT

Gryllus assimilis

Crickets are here!

 

[bobericc]

^ interesting mind if ask the source of that?

 

[Precarious]

^ interesting mind if ask the source of that?

Here's a working link:

http://www.ghann.com/gryllus_info.cfm

 

[Psychobunny]

Here's a working link:

http://www.ghann.com/gryllus_info.cfm

Looks like they only have them in 1'' size.

Fine for my bigger adults only.

 

[mmmantis]

Haven't gotten to read the whole topic yet but I think personally it can be where you get your crix from what it's been fed , conditions etc.

I got a few orchid mantises a few months ago . I heard on all breeding diaries , care sheet and everything that to not feed crix , I always try to feed flies unless I don't have any. I had raised orchids before almost solely on a diet of crix but this time within 3 hours to a day for the few that I got over the period of a week they had died

 

[Psychobunny]

Now that Ghann's crick farm has changed species, I went ahead and ordered 500 of the "virus free"

cricks.

So far, I have noticed they do not die off like the others.

I used to remove bunches of dead ones from my crick tub every other day.

Not having that problem with these.

I have gone back to feeding them to my mantids and so far, no problems.

I reserve judgement until I have used them for a while!

 

[Psychobunny]

Okay, maybe I should take back what I said!

Have noticed the same crick death rate. A dozen or so every day found dead!!

Also, I had a adult cilnia die a day after eating one, and the other cilnia would only eat the

head off and throw the juicy body away.

I fed her 3 BB's instead and she was hungry! so there was something about the crick she

didnt like!

Noticed that Ghann's is mixing both species together so they still must have a large inventory

of the "virus" cricks and trying to get rid of them.

All coincedence???

 

[Introvertebrate]

Did you specifically ask Ghann's for the newer Gryllus assimilis? They're darker in color than the old Acheta Domesticus.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Does anyone know if there is a way to specify you want the Gryllus assimilis from Ghann's? I've been wanting to try them out, but the site still has it listed as they are only shipping them out in limited quantities. If I wanted the old crickets I could just dig in my current stock so not looking to buy until I am assured I will get the new species.

 

[Psychobunny]

They will not fill your order with 100% gryllus because they are still building the colony

for distribution, so you get a mix only, and in my batch of 500, only about 10% were gryllus!!

So no, you can not get only them, they need to depleat stock of the other, virus ridden species

first so they are still selling them to us!!!!!

They stick by their assertion that the cricks are not harmful to your pets, but do they include other

insects like mantids? They say ONLY that species of crick can get the virus, but I have not seen any

official scientific comfirmation of that.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

They will not fill your order with 100% gryllus because they are still building the colony

for distribution, so you get a mix only, and in my batch of 500, only about 10% were gryllus!!

So no, you can not get only them, they need to depleat stock of the other, virus ridden species

first so they are still selling them to us!!!!!

They stick by their assertion that the cricks are not harmful to your pets, but do they include other

insects like mantids? They say ONLY that species of crick can get the virus, but I have not seen any

official scientific comfirmation of that.

Thank you for verifying that for me. I was tempted to try their new size listing of 1inch sub adults that they claim are possible due to the gryllus. In theory you should only get gryllus if you order that size since they are claiming it is the gryllus's larger size that makes that new category possible. I rather not risk it though so I will wait till they confirm they are completely switched over.I have not had any problems with the virus prone crickets. I am trying the new species mostly out of curiosity to see if I prefer them. If I like them I'll start up my own breeder tank. Crickets aren't pricy, but I find it gets annoying to constantly have to order or go out to a store to purchase more.

As for our virus prone crickets, it is not transmition of the virus that concerns me. I am more worried to know how the cricket's body handles the virus. Are parts of the cricket's body potentially starting to die off pre death? Could I then unwittingly feed one of these crickets that might have died the next day and thus subject my critters to eatting an already half rotting cricket. So far what I have read on them only alludes to a vague they flip over and die of parallisis explaination. What I want to know is how are the crickets bodies effected before they arrive at death.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Even the healthest crickets don't live very long. I would think that Ghann's remaining Acheta Domesticus would have died off by now, unless they're still trying to breed them.

 

[Psychobunny]

Thank you for verifying that for me. I was tempted to try their new size listing of 1inch sub adults that they claim are possible due to the gryllus. In theory you should only get gryllus if you order that size since they are claiming it is the gryllus's larger size that makes that new category possible. I rather not risk it though so I will wait till they confirm they are completely switched over.

I have not had any problems with the virus prone crickets. I am trying the new species mostly out of curiosity to see if I prefer them. If I like them I'll start up my own breeder tank. Crickets aren't pricy, but I find it gets annoying to constantly have to order or go out to a store to purchase more.

As for our virus prone crickets, it is not transmition of the virus that concerns me. I am more worried to know how the cricket's body handles the virus. Are parts of the cricket's body potentially starting to die off pre death? Could I then unwittingly feed one of these crickets that might have died the next day and thus subject my critters to eatting an already half rotting cricket. So far what I have read on them only alludes to a vague they flip over and die of parallisis explaination. What I want to know is how are the crickets bodies effected before they arrive at death.

Yes, but read the "small print" on their website that says they are currently mixing both species together with every

order until they get rid of the stock of the domesticus.

Healthy cricks may also eat (or partly eat) an infected dead and nasty crick. It would not be something I would want

to feed any pet, regardles of what they say, would you?

Problem is, you would not know!!

 

[Psychobunny]

Even the healthest crickets don't live very long. I would think that Ghann's remaining Acheta Domesticus would have died off by now, unless they're still trying to breed them.

LOL!! I have been wondering the same thing!!??

 

[Psychobunny]

NEWS FLASH UPDATE:

Drop what your doing and READ this!!

I received my latest stock of cricks from Ghann's, 500 1/2'' ones.

I had ordered them next day.

When I opened the box and put them into the crick tub, there was not even ONE DEAD CRICKET!!

Also, this time ALL THE CRICKS WERE gryllus !! NO DOMESTICUS!!!

After having them for 4 days now, there are NO DEAD CRICKS in the tub to remove, not even one!!!!!!!

I have been feeding these to everybody (except my idolo's and orchids) and have not had ANY problems

at all!!!!

If this good luck continues for a few more days, I will call it "case closed".

So far, this is VERY GOOD NEWS indeed