Crickets keep dying!!! Please help

[Charmeleon005]

At first I had a med size cricket carrier, but I noticed my crickets would always die. I thought it was a space issue so I now use a 5 gal bucket I picked up a Home Depot. It has no lid since they can't crawl out or hop out . They are still dying but its way less than before. I heard of some cricket disease in brown crickets but am not fully sure what it is. If you have had a experience with this and found the solution please share.

 

[Damicofam6]

make sure you have good gut load/food and a water source. i keep mine in a cricket carrier that i got at a pet store and of course not all of the crickets are gonna survive but for me most stay alive. also for gut load i use flukers cricket food and cricket crack and for a water source i used to use the flukers gel water thing but now i use potato and that works well.

 

[Charmeleon005]

make sure you have good gut load/food and a water source. i keep mine in a cricket carrier that i got at a pet store and of course not all of the crickets are gonna survive but for me most stay alive. also for gut load i use flukers cricket food and cricket crack and for a water source i used to use the flukers gel water thing but now i use potato and that works well.

I use the same stuff and I also throw in some fruit or greens

 

[Damicofam6]

I use the same stuff and I also throw in some fruit or greens

it could just be ventilation and maybe temperature, just look up the ideal temperature for crickets

 

[Cheeky]

Mine were getting too cold overnight, with a heat mat they are much better

 

[SyracuseAmbilobe]

My crickets die so quickly that I stopped purchasing them - oh well.

 

[alphakenc]

My crickets are so beautiful n knowledgeable ,and I do provide lots gutloaded vegetables to them,somehow they jump away when I try to catch them,i think they using their "antenna" to inform each other that"here comes alphakenc,everyone hide or prepared to die"

 

[Courts_spyro]

Having 3 lizards eating crickets I researched and researched on how to keep crickets alive. Lately i keep them in a critter keeper with cardboard egg crate pieces. Since crickets drowned too easy I take a new sponge and cut it into a smaller little square size and soak it up with water that they can drink(replace it every so often so it doesn't mold) and I have been gut loading then with mustard greens which they eat up like crazy. I have used flukers calcium fortified gel water and just the original formula as well but just plain old water on a sponge seems to work better in my experience.
Good luck!

 

[Andee]

Flukers is a horrible gut load I do not suggest it even as a normal every day food. I suggest using a gutload as a normal every day food and replenishing it every day so they are always healthy. If you have crickets and roaches raised on healthy food through out most of their life there is no need to gut load them because they will always have good benefits in their system. Crickets need space in my experience, a 5 gallon bucket can work for about a hundred or 200 crickets. If they don't have enough space they will cannibalize each other and the smell/fumes they give off will kill them, which also means they need good ventilation. They need lots of eggcrates, but the main question is how cold does it get in your house? Crickets do best between the low and high 80's. Low 80's is best for just keeping them alive.

 

[alphakenc]

Two thing crickets need to survive is the cleaness in its enclosure once u see some cricket die cause by the dirty environment then rest of the crickets will start dying also.
The other factors are the heat,it makes them to eat n grow properly,the ideal temperature is in between 80F to 90 F,water and food are also some important factors in their daily life .

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Crickets do best between the low and high 80's. Low 80's is best for just keeping them alive.

The other factors are the heat,it makes them to eat n grow properly, the ideal temperature is in between 80F to 90

I keep my crickets in a large sized Exo Terra Cricket Pen at room temp (about 68 at the coldest at night, and 75 at the hottest during the day). I add no extra heat because it makes them chirp more! That, and it's really not needed. They do just find and I only have a couple die on me per week. The only thing heat really does is allow them to grow faster, eat more, and mate more. The main factor is your cleanliness. The reason they die is the gases that are given off when they poop. They breathe all that in, and die. You have to scoop the poo out as much as you can. Clean container every couple days. And you will be good. The other main factor is overcrowding... Don't put too many crickets into one container or they begin to eat each other. ALWAYS supply fresh food and a water source AT ALL TIMES so they don't start looking at each other like dinner.

 

[alphakenc]

68 at the coldest at night, and 75 at the hottest during the day). I add no extra heat because it makes them chirp more!

It all depending on where u getting ur crickets from,in my case I mimic the temperature from my reliable vender n I have no complaint so far.
http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/crickets-1/?fullSite=1

 

[Chachi]

Screameleons has some great info on feeding crickets, gutload procedure etc. Just go on their wesite (everything on there is ancient ) their 5 things you have to know for a healthy cham is pretty good info. Also, crickets can get too hot and die. Keep those eggs crates in w them. It gives them room to not suffocate each other

 

[Chachi]

Screameleons email is called their Chameleon Care Course. It is brief but good stuff.

 

[marley patches]

I am raising my own crickets , its not that hard , yes they die no matter how well you take care of them , carrots, apples, romaine lettuce , oranges is the best , toilet tissue in the best for them to get water just ball it up and wet ,crickets drown in everything else I tried