crickets keep escaping?

[burnedrose]

OK, so I've been trying to keep track of the crickets my baby panther has been eating. I usually am all about free-range eating, but I figured I'd give cup feeding a try. So I've been putting the crickets in a rather deep deli cup. not too deep that my cham can escape, but deep enough for the crickets to, supposedly, not escape.

But I either have acrobatic crickets, or I need a deeper cup. Because I thought Forrest (my cham) was eating the crickets...until I picked up the umbrella plant in the enclosure and about 50 crickets came running out from underneath. I don't know where the rest are hiding, or if he is eating them. I've been feeding him every day, since he's still small, so maybe I should cut back?

Any opinions?

 

[Mystic]

You could try what this guy created. I think the screen is for the crickets to be attracked to it. I have also seen some made similar to this but instead of screen, they used a piece of egg carton slat and hot glued it to the back inside. Gluing the deep part where the eggs normaly sit to the back. Crickets are very attracked to the little depth parts on egg crate slats. They might stay inside this better. Cham walks up to it and picks what ones he wants eat. I hope this helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_od47TlbXA

 

[Eltortu]

Target sells these deep colored melanine bowls that I use that work great for me. I also keep a piece of carrot or apple inside the bowls and the crickets seem to hang around munching them, not jumping around that much. These bowls are cheap too.

 

[Dave]

Why not try some other feeders? Crickets are really more hassle than they're worth, which is not much as they are mostly shell. Give Hornworms or Silkworms a try, those don't move very fast and are much more nutritious for your reptile. I'd also recommend Dubia Nymphs as a good cricket replacement that does not jump or climb, which will be easy to keep contained

Hope this helps!

-Dave
SPF