Cricket sludge.

KobaOregonherper

Chameleon Enthusiast
Again why I hate crickets. I clean the dang bin out every week and clean out dead crickets daily. The ventilation is good. But no joke I kill probably 6 a day in that tub and there's always a black sludge at the back where I keep the egg trays. Everyone else I know doesnt have this issue... I gutload with sweet potatoes, cellary greens, oranges and mangoes and The bio dudes cricket gutload. Maybe they're eating too much wet foods? Not sure, I feed my dubias the same thing and I dont have this problem whatsoever.
 
That's not too extreme. Are you in a region with high humidity? You might need more ventilation than average. You can cut out side panel windows and glue in screen for added ventilation.
There is a cricket virus that they can get sometimes. It won't hurt your reptiles but will wipe out all the crickets. Don't remember the symptoms except die off.
 
We just keep the lid off ours. No escapees (except that time they figured out how to climb the temp probe wire). Are the wet foods anywhere near this? Any chance they are dragging mango pieces back there?

Possibly. I dont keep the lid off because they're in my room... the wife would have an aneurism. They have a huge mesh hole on the top. Honestly I've been putting something on top of the mesh every day because the smells so damn bad. If that's the thevcause I'll try moving them to the garage.
 
I am sooooo happy Beman likes dubia. I hated crickets. I cleaned mine bin to new bin every other day. Removed and replaced gutload every day and they still smelled like death. So nasty.
 
They smell horrible when they die, gotta pick em out daily. Can try adding a CUC like beetles to eat the deadones but if you have a lot dying every day they wont keep up.

Do you spray at all? The moisture is going to make the smell even worse, but if they are dying that’s your main issue. Are they adults or younger ones? 4 weeks and up die more often than the younger ones in our bins.
 
The banded crickets I get from Josh's Frogs don't smell bad. All the other crickets I've purchased smell terrible. My GF has had this same experience including the banded crickets being much hardier than other varieties.
 
They smell horrible when they die, gotta pick em out daily. Can try adding a CUC like beetles to eat the deadones but if you have a lot dying every day they wont keep up.

Do you spray at all? The moisture is going to make the smell even worse, but if they are dying that’s your main issue. Are they adults or younger ones? 4 weeks and up die more often than the younger ones in our bins.

I ordered 250 adult crickets. I need to remember to change the gutload every day as well, they make crap mold quick.
I am sooooo happy Beman likes dubia. I hated crickets. I cleaned mine bin to new bin every other day. Removed and replaced gutload every day and they still smelled like death. So nasty.

Kobas eaten one before but I cant get him to eat them as a staple, I'm slowly working them into his diet, but honestly my colony needs a little longer. Wish he just loved dubias, I'd rather spend another 40$ to give my colony some more fuel, better than 20$ for any number of crickets...
 
I ordered 250 adult crickets. I need to remember to change the gutload every day as well, they make crap mold quick.

Kobas eaten one before but I cant get him to eat them as a staple, I'm slowly working them into his diet, but honestly my colony needs a little longer. Wish he just loved dubias, I'd rather spend another 40$ to give my colony some more fuel, better than 20$ for any number of crickets...
Yeah I only offered dubia every day for a week. by day 7 he broke down. Now he freaking loves them. lol Granted he was 10 months old when I did this. I would not do it with a younger baby though.
 
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