Cricket tricks/alternatives?

[sparkyinbozo]

I'm a new panther owner (he's just a little guy still, eating 1/2" crickets) and am wondering if there are any tricks to feeding...I have a hard time catching crickets and I am a little worried he isn't eating as many as he should be at this age.

Alternatively, is there another mainstay food that might be easier (I saw dubia roaches mentioned?)?

 

[SaintJimmy]

Try hand feeding or cup feeding if you want to know for sure how many he is eating.

Pick up a cricket and see if he will take it. Feed him until he doesn't want the crickets anymore. Every day, feed him that amount, minus around 3-4 crickets.

Or throw some crickets in a small cup for him to catch them.

 

[kinyonga]

What do you mean you have a hard time catching crickets?

 

[Dyamedic]

That's a lot of cricket catching,lol

 

[Brandonmh]

If by catching you mean outside, be careful pesticides they might bring with them. If you mean in a keeper tank, I think we all know the feeling. I try to get some of the smaller ones every morning, grabbing individuals by hand. You can also use a small amount of mealworms a week, since they are hard to digest, roaches, and hornworms. I just ordered some hornworm eggs that will hatch shortly after I get them.

 

[Lovereps]

You can put an empty paper towel tube in the cricket tank. (If it is too long for the tank, cut it to a shorter length.)
Crickets will hide inside the tube.
Shake the tube into a plastic bag and the crickets will fall into the bag.
If you have too many crickets in the bag, just dump some back into the tank.

Feeders such as Dubias, Phoenix worms, silkworms, hornworms and superworms are other feeders that can be part of his diet.
Here is one source and some other forum sponsors sell feeders as well.
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/

 

[Brandonmh]

I have used the toilet paper/paper towel roll in the past, and they chewed up the roll. That was a while ago and maybe before I fed them oranges, but it does work. Also, I got 1/2 in crickets...but are a mixed box, so I have to hand pick them since he is still fairly small. There are some big one in plus suckers in there! I remember when I used to order from Flukers and get the cases with beetles and spiders in it, let alone was not cheap.

 

[ChameleonsByVanGogh]

I uses crickets only to get wonka vits. I feed a lot of horns, silks, and roaches.. dubia are a lot better of a feeder if you want to go that way I have a great supplier that's breeds all kind of feeders. I just got 4 cups of 20 horns and 500 medium superworms for 56 shipped always alive always on time always good quality

 

[Lovereps]

I have used the toilet paper/paper towel roll in the past, and they chewed up the roll. That was a while ago and maybe before I fed them oranges, but it does work. Also, I got 1/2 in crickets...but are a mixed box, so I have to hand pick them since he is still fairly small. There are some big one in plus suckers in there! I remember when I used to order from Flukers and get the cases with beetles and spiders in it, let alone was not cheap.

If the crickets are well fed they do not eat the cardboard at all.

 

[Brandonmh]

I ordered two cups of 50 eggs last night of horns, since my guy is small, I went with the smaller amount of food from great lakes hornworms. I think superworms are a bit big for him yet as would maybe be some of the roaches.