Cricket Question
- Thread starter camchem
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Rufi0
Established Member
From my experience, the smell usually comes from dead crickets (as they don't really have a long lifespan) on top of that all the poo and little vegetable scraps they leave scattered around. If you don't want them to smell then you are going to have clean all the mess/dead out quite frequently, like every few days. With 1000-1500 crickets you are going to have to stay on top of it quite a bit. It's also a good idea to give them as much ventilation as possible
Its up to you whether you are going to devote your time to the cricket's maintenance, almost like another pet. Or you can choose a lower maintenance feeder like Dubia.
ChameLIonLover
Member
In my experience, I keep about 50 or so crickets at a time that I get from a local pet store, and they stink. It's not just the food that they seem to not eat, but the poop and dead ones as Rufi stated earlier. I could not imagine housing that many crickets... you must have many mouths to feed.
As Rufi suggested as in my own case, dubia is low maintenance, doesn't stink, and they seems to appreciate the food I throw in there. With crickets I can never tell if they're eating... For roaches though, Ii put in a a healthy handful of greens and ground up carrots and they're gone the next day.
As Rufi suggested as in my own case, dubia is low maintenance, doesn't stink, and they seems to appreciate the food I throw in there. With crickets I can never tell if they're eating... For roaches though, Ii put in a a healthy handful of greens and ground up carrots and they're gone the next day.
MelissaB
Avid Member
I buy 1/2 inch crickets in a 1000 count case. It's cheaper and they don't die off as quickly when they're smaller than full grown. I wouldn't use a fish tank, only because they're heavy and harder to clean. I use rubbermaid type bins, because they're cheap, easy to clean and light. 
If you keep it clean, it won't smell as bad. It's usually the dead crickets that make that nasty smell.
You need good ventilation for them, so I usually cut out a good portion of the lid and hot glue aluminum screen to the cut out sections.
I also use strips of packing tape (clear, real slick stuff) to go around the inside, so the little buggers don't climb up the walls. Just one strip around the perimeter a few inches from the top.
For "furniture" I use the egg crate that comes with each batch, and add paper towel rolls and toilet paper tubes.
I put the food on shallow, plastic containers. Usually sour cream tub lids or similar things. Something low, but with a lip, it keeps the food contained.
If you keep it clean, it won't smell as bad. It's usually the dead crickets that make that nasty smell.
You need good ventilation for them, so I usually cut out a good portion of the lid and hot glue aluminum screen to the cut out sections.
I also use strips of packing tape (clear, real slick stuff) to go around the inside, so the little buggers don't climb up the walls. Just one strip around the perimeter a few inches from the top.
For "furniture" I use the egg crate that comes with each batch, and add paper towel rolls and toilet paper tubes.
I put the food on shallow, plastic containers. Usually sour cream tub lids or similar things. Something low, but with a lip, it keeps the food contained.
I buy 1/2 inch crickets in a 1000 count case. It's cheaper and they don't die off as quickly when they're smaller than full grown. I wouldn't use a fish tank, only because they're heavy and harder to clean. I use rubbermaid type bins, because they're cheap, easy to clean and light.
If you keep it clean, it won't smell as bad. It's usually the dead crickets that make that nasty smell.
You need good ventilation for them, so I usually cut out a good portion of the lid and hot glue aluminum screen to the cut out sections.
I also use strips of packing tape (clear, real slick stuff) to go around the inside, so the little buggers don't climb up the walls. Just one strip around the perimeter a few inches from the top.
For "furniture" I use the egg crate that comes with each batch, and add paper towel rolls and toilet paper tubes.
I put the food on shallow, plastic containers. Usually sour cream tub lids or similar things. Something low, but with a lip, it keeps the food contained.
Melissa said it well!
Unless you MANY chameleons and other lizards, 1,000 may be too many. Definitely buy 1/2 inch to limit them aging too fast.
CHEERS!
Nick
Mike Fisher
Established Member
I currently have 100,000 crickets going in a 200 square foot room. They don't stink at all. If any of you have been to a large cricket farm where they have millions of healthy crickets, they don't stink there either.
MelissaB
Avid Member
I did have a slight problem with my crickets last month, I had more die off than normal. I think it was because the temps were slightly lower where I was keeping them. I moved their bins closer to the heat source, and now they're doing well, again. I don't get many dead ones, but when I do, I know it. Dubia are ok, but sometimes some of my animals prefer the faster moving crickets. I do wonder if eating too many dubia could lead to a problem with excess protein, no hard facts just curious. They have 2x's the amount of protein, so that's why I'm curious.
Mike Fisher
Established Member
I keep heat tape under all my bins, no lids. Check water and food daily, no problems until they start dying of old age, then I have to do a daily sweep of corpses.
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