NO MORE SICK CRICKETS!!??

[Psychobunny]

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

I had ordered them next day FedEx morning delivery. No heat pack or potato to roll around like a boulder, smashing cricks!!

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

The order for 500 which I placed before this order, had a mix of about 10% gryllus and the rest were domesticus.

Within 48 hours of receiving that batch, I noticed the mortality rate was very high, and I was removing at least a dozen dead cricks

every day and also noticing sick ones.

This latestest order of 500 were ALL gryllus !! NO DOMESTICUS at all!!!

It's easy to see the difference between the 2 species as the gryllus are much darker.

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!!!!

Again, this morning I checked the crick tub and gave them more food. I removed the egg cartons to inspect.

There was not a SINGLE dead crick!!

If my next order is 100% gryllus, I will rejoice, and go back to recommending Ghann's to all.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Thank you for the update. Sounds like the gryllus are nice and robust. Have you noticed any other differences between the species minus the coloration and them not dropping dead?

 

[hibiscusmile]

that must be the species I get from rainbow then, mine almost dont die when the heads are cut off!

 

[Psychobunny]

Well, they dont make as much noise, are they are more active (maybe because the others were sick!!??)

Besides the one I accidently smashed when I put the water feeder down, there still is not a single dead

crick in the lot!!

They are also very hearty eaters.

They have another od behaviour I havent figured out yet.

I had a few dozen in a 8oz deli cup ready to feed my mantids. They were all jumping and running around

like normal expected crick behaviour.

Then, quite suddenly, and for no reason that I could tell, they all completly "froze" !!

They were perfectly still, every one of them. It's like they had an instant communication with each other.

It was only a few seconds, but very strange.

I had never seen this behaviour before.

As I work with them, I am sure to notice other differences, but right now, I am so jazzed that they are not

sick or dying, that's the most striking thing.

 

[Introvertebrate]

That's good news about no die-offs. Hopefully the whole cricket virus business is behind us once and for all.

 

[hibiscusmile]

yea, I have been getting mine for a while now, and they are truly great! If it is same species, just wait till they mature, you won't believe how big the get and the strength of them when holding with one leg, almost knocks the forceps out of your hand.

 

[Mimblex]

Good to know! I had been hearing a lot of horror stories about deadly crickets lately, I'll keep Ghann's bookmarked until I have some babies big enough to take them.

 

[Psychobunny]

yea, I have been getting mine for a while now, and they are truly great! If it is same species, just wait till they mature, you won't believe how big the get and the strength of them when holding with one leg, almost knocks the forceps out of your hand.

Now that you mention it, they do seem stronger. Mine are still nymphs, but they are fiesty little things!!

 

[meaganelise9]

Holy over-punctuation.

 

[hibiscusmile]

ok, well mine come from www.rainbowmealworms.com and I really like their service, and they had the good crickets first, and btw, if u mention me, u won't get anything, but they are supposed to give me mealworms, just saying! :clown: