Questions about crickets...

[acerbity]

Have any of you used "pinhead" crickets? The local pet shop here didn't carry D. Melag or Hydei until just recently and I was able to use these microscopic crickets to feed my nymphs. The only problems I had was when one larger cricket ate about 30 pinheads... can't keep them together :X

 

[MantidLord]

Have any of you used "pinhead" crickets? The local pet shop here didn't carry D. Melag or Hydei until just recently and I was able to use these microscopic crickets to feed my nymphs. The only problems I had was when one larger cricket ate about 30 pinheads... can't keep them together :X

yeah dude, I used them for my nymphs once, I got them from an exotic pet store. And NEVER use petco crickets, I had a mantis that was eating them, but the mantis died within hours of digesting them. She was pregnant too. The gross part was that "black stuff" was coming out of her mouth! She couldnt even climb a branch. Poor girl died without continuing her legacy.

 

[Mantida]

yeah dude, I used them for my nymphs once, I got them from an exotic pet store. And NEVER use petco crickets, I had a mantis that was eating them, but the mantis died within hours of digesting them. She was pregnant too. The gross part was that "black stuff" was coming out of her mouth! She couldnt even climb a branch. Poor girl died without continuing her legacy.

I've had that experience, cept my mantids just through up everything until they got extremely dehydrated or just dropped dead.

Petco crickets are bad unless you give them food, water, and adequate housing for several days. Crickets poo a lot so they clean out their systems frequently. Even a day or so can greatly reduce the chances of a cricket being bad because of this.

 

[MantidLord]

Its a shame that some petstores dont take pride in their work. Even if what they sale will just be eaten in a day, it still might affect whatevers eating it. Luckily, thanks to the mantis experience, I quickly stopped using Petco crix for my bearded dragon.

 

[mr. mantis]

Ok, I have to weigh in. When I first found Ms. Mantis, I did some fast and dirty research and found that they eat mealworms(among many OTHER things). So I ran to the local fish tackle and supply, grabbed a container of mealworms and rushed back home. She must have been starved because she ate 3 of them in just a matter of an hour or two. The next day I bought a few crickets. Now I can't get her to touch the mealworms, but the crickets seem to love them. So, the point of this post is, is it ok to feed the mealworms to the crickets before pretending to be Nero at the Coliseum and throw them in for Ms Mantis? I guess this would be the gut loading I've read about here, also.

 

[Malnra]

Ok, I have to weigh in. When I first found Ms. Mantis, I did some fast and dirty research and found that they eat mealworms(among many OTHER things). So I ran to the local fish tackle and supply, grabbed a container of mealworms and rushed back home. She must have been starved because she ate 3 of them in just a matter of an hour or two. The next day I bought a few crickets. Now I can't get her to touch the mealworms, but the crickets seem to love them. So, the point of this post is, is it ok to feed the mealworms to the crickets before pretending to be Nero at the Coliseum and throw them in for Ms Mantis? I guess this would be the gut loading I've read about here, also.

less waste that way .... feed the crickets the mealworms (i imagine they will eat them) .... or cook them in grease and take them to work and set them on your desk ... as people eat them they will ask what they are .. just imagine the look on them and I am sure you are laughing as i am now .. :lol: