Cricket Crisis!!

[josieidella]

I need cricket help. I bought a bunch of pinheads yesterday and i was looking at the substrate/dirt or whatever they came with and it's ALIVE!! Like a billion tiny, moving things. What is it??
I called petco and the lady thought it was worms and said to return it. But it's kind of a long drive. So I called customer service at the store and the guy said maybe it could be baby crickets but probably not worms.
I just wanna know if anyone has had similar experiences or know what pinhead hatchlings look like. Do you think it's safe for my chameleons to still eat?

 

[carol5208]

I have no idea but post a pic and maybe others can tell you!

 

[josieidella]

I have no idea but post a pic and maybe others can tell you!

I'm not sure that would help. It just looks like dirt... but it mooooooves

 

[nightanole]

Its grain mites. Keep the cage dry and change the food out daily. Also dont use anything for a water source such as a wet sponge or water crystals. They should die off in a week or so.

Mental note if the get into your meal worm stock its game over. They attach themselves to the worms and prevent them from moving, they also suck all the water out of the eggs so zero chance of saving the colony.

On the other hand they are technically harmless. The cham can eat them. You can cut off their food source by not feeding the crickets grains. Fruits, veg, wheat middlings only.

 

[josieidella]

Its grain mites. Keep the cage dry and change the food out daily. Also dont use anything for a water source such as a wet sponge or water crystals. They should die off in a week or so.

Mental note if the get into your meal worm stock its game over. They attach themselves to the worms and prevent them from moving, they also suck all the water out of the eggs so zero chance of saving the colony.

On the other hand they are technically harmless. The cham can eat them. You can cut off their food source by not feeding the crickets grains. Fruits, veg, wheat middlings only.

Ewwww this is all freaking me out! Are you sure?!
Are they going to infest my house? I don't really leave all the crickets in the cham's cage anyways, so I guess I'll let them eat all these, if you say it's harmless and just get new pinheads later.

 

[nightanole]

Ewwww this is all freaking me out! Are you sure?!
Are they going to infest my house? I don't really leave all the crickets in the cham's cage anyways, so I guess I'll let them eat all these, if you say it's harmless and just get new pinheads later.

They come in a few colors:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/492636/mealworm-farming/1390

Again without grain/water they will die off after one generation, which is about a week.