Moving pinhead crickets…..

[nick barta]

Please post what kind of container you use to have the adult crickets lay the eggs into the dirt, how deep the dirt is, and once the pinheads hatch, how you get the pinheads out of the dirt to feed them off.

Thanks!

Nick

 

[sandrachameleon]

I have a mickey mouse set-up because that's all I need. This may not be useful info for you, but here goes anyhow:

• I usually only buy 10-20 adult/large crickets once every two weeks or so.
• I have a bucket in which I dump these store-bought adult crickets.
• The crickets are in the bucket for minimally 4 hours, more often at least 12 hours (usually overnight). There is a dual purpose to this - I feed/gutload the store bought adult crickets overnight prior to feeding off the next day, AND this time also allows females opportunity to lay eggs.
• Inside the bucket is a small container (a shallow former sour cream container,(or similar) about 2 inches deep). This smaller container is three quarters filled with a damp mix of sand, peat and sometimes also soil.
• Also inside the bucket is some egg crate, which allows the crickets to climb in and out of the smaller sand containing container easily.
• After the adult crickets are fed off to the frogs and chams, I take the smaller container, put a lid on it (has a few pin holes) and then place it ontop of a tube light fixture above one of my frog tanks. This warms the sand during the day with lights are on, but it doesnt get hot and of course it cools at night.
• I periodically check on the container to ensure it hasnt completely dried out - adding a misting of water if needs be.
• 2-4 weeks later there are pinheads hatching out. I put this entire container into the enclosure of the animals that will eat the pinheads. (in my case this is usually dart frogs - but i did use the same method with baby chameleons when I was breeding chams)
  Usually I put a bit of food in there for the baby crickets and a leaf and sticks for them to hide under or crawl up and out of the container by. So essentially the pinheads get themselves out of the dirt

 

[nick barta]

Thanks Sandra, more methods anyone?

Nick

 

[Hoj]

I would take a takeout food cont like the round ones from Chinese food places. I fill it up with plain old soil and cover it with a layer of fine screen that is right against the dirt. This keeps the crickets from digging up the dirt and eating eggs and whatnot.
I would leave that cont in with my adult crickets. Usually about 1000 in there.
After a few days to a week I remove the container and put a lid on with a few holes in it and place in a warm area such as the top of a Cham cage.
After a few weeks the pins would start hatching at that point I take the cont and place it on top of an upside down deli cup in a small Rubbermaid bin with Some dry crickets food or bug burger on the bottom. And egg carton for them to hide
The pins hatch then seem to jump down out of the breeding cont to get food or just cause they do lol and because the deli cup is holding the cont up they can't get back in the dirt and hide.
Has worked for me but I hate breeding crickets lol