What do crickets eat?

[B-mantis999]

I put a few small crickets in with my mantids to see if they would eat them. They ate the smaller of the few and the ones they didn't have moulted a few times and are still alive. I've noticed they chew on a leaves a bit but I don't believe they've consumed enough of they little foliage I have in the tank to sustain them. Do they eat fruit flies as well?

 

[matt020593]

They will eat anything really. They would eat a dead fruit fly.

 

[Rick]

I feed mine leafy greens, dry cat food, dry oatmeal, etc.

 

[macro junkie]

mine eat weeterbix and apple..

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yea, the stuff they are eating in the cage is not enough for them, Most of us make our own mixes. Give them some leftover lettuce, or ground up dog or cat food, bread, anything other than meat!

 

[bugzilla]

As above, they eat anything, including moulting mantis if they get a chance so take any uneaten ones out. Whatever you feed them, make sure it's not poisonous at all and also hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. Thi may not affect the cricket but may kill a mantis that eats it.

 

[OGIGA]

I'm sure they'd eat live fruit flies too. Oh, they love fish food!

 

[MantidLord]

Like I said in a previous post, I run my crix through a concentration camp lifestyle, so when I fed a cricket to my L7 mantis, he was pretty starving. I also put some fruit flies in there as well. It was the most pathetic hunt I've ever seen, as the cricket, waving his stupid antennae, chased down a hydei, and devoured it. I made sure I had front row seats when the mantis finally consumed the cricket. Never seen a cricket hunt before.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

MantidLord, why would you starve your crickets? Empty bellied crickets deprived of food and nutrients doesn't sound like a very good meal for your praying mantises. :blink:

As response to the orginal poster, what you have in the cage is enough to sustain the crickets for a bit but isn't the healthiest for them. Personally I am very fond of the Fluker's cricket calcium chow. I also add bee pollen and their favorite treat freeze dried blood worms to the mix. Outside of that I try to put in some fresh veggies and make sure they always have fresh water.

 

[macro junkie]

MantidLord, why would you starve your crickets? Empty bellied crickets deprived of food and nutrients doesn't sound like a very good meal for your praying mantises. :blink: As response to the orginal poster, what you have in the cage is enough to sustain the crickets for a bit but isn't the healthiest for them. Personally I am very fond of the Fluker's cricket calcium chow. I also add bee pollen and their favorite treat freeze dried blood worms to the mix. Outside of that I try to put in some fresh veggies and make sure they always have fresh water.

my crickets love bee pollen..i give it to them 2 x a week.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

my crickets love bee pollen..i give it to them 2 x a week.

Yep, mine gobble down the stuff too. Ever since I first saw the info on how good bee pollen could be for a mantis's diet, I couldn't help but immediatly think that the crickets would probably gladly eat bee pollen straight. Has proven to be a nice addition to their diet and intern my mantises' diet.

 

[Al&Nathan]

I saw on Discover Channel today that they feed crickets oranges.

 

[MANTIS DUDE]

u can feed them sugar water

 

[BrontoT]

I feed my crickets with "Turtle Pellets" ....haha; turtle pellets needs to be smashed (dust of pellets).... that´s good.

Each 3 days I offer they some slices of carrot or another fruit or vegtable, and clean each 3 day too.

 

[Katnapper]

I feed my crickets with "Turtle Pellets" ....haha; turtle pellets needs to be smashed (dust of pellets).... that´s good.Each 3 days I offer they some slices of carrot or another fruit or vegtable, and clean each 3 day too.

That's funny you mentioned that, Bronto! I almost bought "turtle pellets" at the pet store today! I ended up putting them back on my way to the checkout, as I decided to buy a big bag of Koi pellets instead.