Need help with keeping crickets alive

[scooter4n]

Guys help me out here please.

My setup:
Large storage tub, cover has 4 large holes with screen, 60% of cover is open pretty much.
Side of the tub huge hole with screen at the bottom of the tub, like 12" long x4" high.ventilation.
Tub is in the house with temp all time 70-72F
FOOD: fresh variety of green daily, grains and oats, water in the shallow tray with soaked wet towel in it.
Ton of carton crates to hide.
I clean out dead crickets daily, clean tub out, next day dead again.

I get mid size cricks 1000 at the time and scoop out hand full of dead everyday...
Did online search, according to all of the posts I have perfect setup.

Any ideas?

 

[Andee]

What type of crickets are you using? species and size?

 

[scooter4n]

Realized that I posted in the enclosure section vs food, Admin please move if you can.

I am getting mid size 1/2 crickets from here: http://www.georgiacrickets.com/

 

[RoyBomb "Flex"]

Guys help me out here please.

My setup:
Large storage tub, cover has 4 large holes with screen, 60% of cover is open pretty much.
Side of the tub huge hole with screen at the bottom of the tub, like 12" long x4" high.ventilation.
Tub is in the house with temp all time 70-72F
FOOD: fresh variety of green daily, grains and oats, water in the shallow tray with soaked wet towel in it.
Ton of carton crates to hide.
I clean out dead crickets daily, clean tub out, next day dead again.

I get mid size cricks 1000 at the time and scoop out hand full of dead everyday...
Did online search, according to all of the posts I have perfect setup.

Any ideas?

I'm new myself but I noticed when I took out my water dish a paper towel and switched to using Flukers cricket quencher I stopped having so many for off or drown. Still some but much less.

 

[Big Gulp]

If you're talking regular brown/house crickets that you find at Petco/Petsmart, there really isn't much you can do to prevent some die-off.

Recently I switched to banded crickets, and they are SO much better. Much more hardy. I'll buy 1,000 at a time, and I don't have any die. Not one.

Also, they don't smell like other crickets...a lot has to do with no die-off's.

 

[Andee]

This species of cricket is very sensitive to anything that may cause illness or disease. I would honestly switch to a heartier species. I agree usually bandeds tend to have a better immune system. It also may depend on how large your storage tub actually is too. A lot of people don't realize but crickets need far more space than most people give.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

how much space do crickets need? I'm thinking about buying them (eventually) 500 at a time. Would a large rubbermaid tub do the trick,or do I need something bigger?

 

[Andee]

"large" rubbermaid is not a good description. I have a colony of just over 1000 dubias, whatever amount of dubia I have I would double their container size for crickets. And I have a huge container for my dubias.

 

[Andee]

Also a cleaner crew will help a lot with keeping the dying down.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

by large I mean 20x30. still not big enough?

 

[Andee]

I am assuming that is inches? That would probably be fine for around 500, no more though. And it has to have really good airflow

 

[Big Gulp]

by large I mean 20x30. still not big enough?

That is PLENTY big (if that's inches).

Here's a link to what I use. It's 18" long, 12 1/4" wide and 11" high. And I get 1,000 crickets at a time.

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...ahUKEwi1vPmO2ffSAhVjrVQKHdm7CD4QwzwIBA&adurl=

Now, I do add 3 layers off egg carton inside (laying flat...but make sure there's space between them), which pretty much triples/quadruples the floor space.

Again, I keep banded crickets, which are MUCH hardier than other crickets.

I did cut a huge hole in the lid and duct taped screen over it. I also drilled small holes on each end up high to help with air flow. They can't climb the plastic, so don't worry ab out that. They can jump high tho, so you do need the lid.

I've had zero die with this setup.

 

[Andee]

With egg cartons laid that way it would require a lot more cleaning and most cleaner crews would be useless.

 

[scooter4n]

My tub is 20" wide, 14" deep, 14" high, with about 4 full size egg cartons in it

 

[Andee]

The room needed to keep most regular "brown" house crickets is bad. They are a highly territorial species of cricket and if they don't have enough room cannibalism happens on a huge scale. Then diseases of all sorts can happen from built up fumes from dying crickets and left over frass/food. Banded crickets do seem to have a lower mortality rate and seem to coexist better. The other species I have kept aren't usually used for feeders and those were just for me.

 

[scooter4n]

Got it, thank you for the input.

 

[scooter4n]

Hi, it's me again.
So I got new bunch of crickets from same guys, 1000 of them, first two days no dead cricks, all good and dandy, 3 days later back to same duying pattern, and they turn black and stink bad, now I started to think. What if what I feed them make them die? If at the crickets farms they feed them that dry stuff, grains and all, and here all of sudden they get all greens fruits and vegies and that kills them from being not used of it?
Any thoughts?

 

[Andee]

Are you feeding organic veggies? Certain veggies that are fed that aren't organic, the pesticides can't be washed off well and when fed will kill insects.

 

[KiwiTheChameleon10]

At petsmart their is clear package of oarnge cubs that provide nutrients & calcium for the chameleon so you don't have to dust. Also, food and water. I put about 4 cubs in a day, I keep about 25 crickets in the container at once.

 

[Andee]

Those cubes do not provide anythingood, especially not enough to stop dusting