Baby crickets found in my Avics enclosure.

gobey · Aug 3, 2014

So today as I was trying to get my Avic to eat another superworm and was fishing the little guy out before he burrowed. I noticed there were little tiny micro Pinheads jumping around the substrate too. I saw maybe 5 total and killed about 3.

Is this a big issue? Will the micro crickets even survive to adulthood? They have no food. I'm guessing they must cannibalize themselves to make it this far.

The Avic is munching on a big male cricket right now. Here I thought I'd try to get female crickets to stop the chirping. But they're laying eggs in my spiders habitats. There's probably some in the L.P.s houses too.

Any suggestions.

I'm going to start digging around for info now.

Thanks guys.

philthyxphil · Aug 3, 2014

I have seen crickets lay eggs in the substrate before. I have never had any issues with these pin head crickets, and have never seen any survive past that stage. I'm new to the hobby, but that is just my experience.

gobey · Aug 3, 2014

Cool I figured they wouldn't be a huge issue, just want to be sure.

The Avic has by far the messiest enclosure of all my Ts.

Poec54 · Aug 3, 2014

Relax. Baby crickets can't do anything to a tarantula. They don't last long, usually drown in the water bowl.

gobey · Aug 3, 2014

I figured that must be the case. Given that female crickets lay eggs like crazy. Thanks Poec!

Faing · Aug 4, 2014

I've only replaced the substrate once when crickets started breeding. That's more because the Avic in that cage was one of the most mellow spiders I've had and it was at the time my "display" case. Every other time I waited for them to kill off. They can make a lot of pin head crickets for sure. It's not a worry typically just not aesthetic is the only issue.

gobey · Aug 5, 2014

Faing said:
I've only replaced the substrate once when crickets started breeding. That's more because the Avic in that cage was one of the most mellow spiders I've had and it was at the time my "display" case. Every other time I waited for them to kill off. They can make a lot of pin head crickets for sure. It's not a worry typically just not aesthetic is the only issue.

Aesthetic is barely an issue with this little guy anyways. Sir poops in the water dish and webs all over the glass could care less if baby crickets are drowning themselves. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to rot or attract pests or anything.

My Avic is my most mellow spider too. He gets nervous sometimes but that's because he's so fuzzy you can literally breathe too hard and spook him.
Otherwise he won't flinch while you clean his cage and he's easily manipulated to work around. He doesn't try to escape anymore either.

Not like my other large Ts... My rose hair now thinks everything is food, and the L.Ps are afraid of everything, especially the smaller one.

So yeah, pinktoe is messy, but really chill.

Hopefully those crickets die out soon, there's a LOT of them.

timisimaginary · Aug 5, 2014

anything dead in your cage is a potential source of mold or could attract mites. whether it's worth changing the sub out entirely, or just removing them as they die off on their own, is up to you. but you don't want to leave a lot of dead pinhead crickets laying around in your sub.

you might also add some springtails or isopods to the cage, theyll eat up the crickets as they die.

gobey · Aug 5, 2014

timisimaginary said:
anything dead in your cage is a potential source of mold or could attract mites. whether it's worth changing the sub out entirely, or just removing them as they die off on their own, is up to you. but you don't want to leave a lot of dead pinhead crickets laying around in your sub.

you might also add some springtails or isopods to the cage, theyll eat up the crickets as they die.

What are those????

I have new substrate.... I would hate to have to do that to poor Avic though, he seems to finally be happy. I'd probably just re house him in something taller. And use his home.... for a new T!

No bad idea... I can't do that lol
I have too many!

How do you guys deal with that then though? Baby crickets? Or food boluses that aren't found?

Hobo · Aug 5, 2014

I leave both. It's not a big deal unless you are keeping it moist enough in there for them to rot.

gobey · Aug 6, 2014

The substrate is not bone dry, slightly moist. But not wet. He has 2 water dishes for humidity and lots of ventilation. Lots of crickets are drowning in the dish.

CitizenNumber9 · Aug 6, 2014

The male crickets are the ones that chirp, not the females

cold blood · Aug 6, 2014

gobey said:
The substrate is not bone dry, slightly moist. But not wet. He has 2 water dishes for humidity and lots of ventilation. Lots of crickets are drowning in the dish.

Let the substrate dry out. 2 water dishes is plenty for humidity, moist sub just invites all kinds of problems....dry sub alleviates nearly all of them.

A few pebbles in the dish will prevent a lot of those cricket drownings.

gobey · Aug 6, 2014

I haven't moistened the sub since I first did about say 6 weeks ago... I learned back then it's better the Avic be too dry than too humid and not to over think it.

So I'm not touching the sub ever again. Just letting the water do It's thing.

And I have pebbles in one water dish, I'm leaving the other one without pebbles right now just to drown the babies. boy that sounds awful when you type it. Lol

The sub really isn't too moist, just not bone dry like the rose hairs cage for example.

---------- Post added 08-06-2014 at 02:06 AM ----------

CitizenNumber9 said:
The male crickets are the ones that chirp, not the females

I know, that's why I get females now. But they're laying babies in my cages! If I could catch them I'd feed them to my new curly hairs!

Cavedweller · Aug 6, 2014

gobey said:
I know, that's why I get females now. But they're laying babies in my cages! If I could catch them I'd feed them to my new curly hairs!

Some people snip the ovipositors off before feeding to prevent them from laying eggs in the cage.

CitizenNumber9 · Aug 6, 2014

gobey said:
If I could catch them I'd feed them to my new curly hairs!

You could try putting a piece of egg carton in the enclosure for them to climb on and then remove it

gobey · Aug 6, 2014

Cavedweller said:
Some people snip the ovipositors off before feeding to prevent them from laying eggs in the cage.

/\
You guys are loaded with brilliant ideas.

---------- Post added 08-06-2014 at 09:15 AM ----------

CitizenNumber9 said:
You could try putting a piece of egg carton in the enclosure for them to climb on and then remove it

Sweet deal I'll try this too. Little buggers can be used to feed those growing babies!

cold blood · Aug 6, 2014

You can attract those babies to one location by just leaving a single piece of dog food in the enclosure.

timisimaginary · Aug 6, 2014

toilet roll tubes are good too, they like to hide in those. just make sure there's no spider in there before removing it.

gobey · Aug 6, 2014

I'm gonna start taking notes. Awesome answers. Thanks so much guys!

Baby crickets found in my Avics enclosure.

Arachnoknight

Arachnopeon

Arachnoknight

Arachnoemperor

Arachnoknight

Arachnoknight

Arachnoknight

Arachnosquire

Arachnoknight

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Arachnoknight

Arachnobaron

Moderator

Arachnoknight

Arachnoprince

Arachnobaron

Arachnoknight

Moderator

Arachnosquire

Arachnoknight