LPS Crickets

[Dizzle]

So I have a dilemma and I am hoping someone more experienced with crickets, preferably someone who breeds them, could help out. I like to buy crickets for my inverts even though I have a stable dubia roach colony and keep some refrigerated meal worms on hand as well. I find my jumping spiders love crickets and so does my wolf spider. Anyway, there are two pet stores near me where I buy crickets; the first one (let's call it LPS1) has them for much cheaper but they always seem to die very quickly in comparison. The other store (LPS2) is more expensive but the crickets suffer very few if any casualties while in my cricket keeper for the next week or so. I do provide them with cricket diet cubes I purchased but regardless the crickets I buy from LPS1 start dying after day one and are all dead usually within a few days. One group of 36 or so crickets from LPS2 lasted my several weeks before.
Is this because the crickets from LPS1 are just unhealthy and not fed well? Or could it be that whatever food I am providing is not good for that species of cricket as appose to the other crickets which could very well be a different species. (I know very little about crickets and their scientific classifications)

 

[JeromeTabuzo]

So I have a dilemma and I am hoping someone more experienced with crickets, preferably someone who breeds them, could help out. I like to buy crickets for my inverts even though I have a stable dubia roach colony and keep some refrigerated meal worms on hand as well. I find my jumping spiders love crickets and so does my wolf spider. Anyway, there are two pet stores near me where I buy crickets; the first one (let's call it LPS1) has them for much cheaper but they always seem to die very quickly in comparison. The other store (LPS2) is more expensive but the crickets suffer very few if any casualties while in my cricket keeper for the next week or so. I do provide them with cricket diet cubes I purchased but regardless the crickets I buy from LPS1 start dying after day one and are all dead usually within a few days. One group of 36 or so crickets from LPS2 lasted my several weeks before.
Is this because the crickets from LPS1 are just unhealthy and not fed well? Or could it be that whatever food I am providing is not good for that species of cricket as appose to the other crickets which could very well be a different species. (I know very little about crickets and their scientific classifications)

read the guide i made:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?257876-Odorless-Breeding-of-Crickets
pinhead cricket care:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?266598-How-to-care-for-your-pinhead-cricket-guide!
I need to know if what specie of cricket you have there , the one you see in my guide are for Gryllus Field Cricket
I recommend you to buy female cricket only or a few males with lots of females , because some females are already mated while it was in the pet store.

 

[Dizzle]

Not sure of species, they are two different pet stores in MD I will ask an employee but you can't always take LPS employees word for actual fact from my experience.

read the guide i made:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?257876-Odorless-Breeding-of-Crickets
pinhead cricket care:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?266598-How-to-care-for-your-pinhead-cricket-guide!
I need to know if what specie of cricket you have there , the one you see in my guide are for Gryllus Field Cricket
I recommend you to buy female cricket only or a few males with lots of females , because some females are already mated while it was in the pet store.

Hmm that looks a like a pretty easy, legit setup. I'll work on that, but if crickets from the one pet store always die quickly do you think I should purchase from the other store?

 

[edgeofthefreak]

... but if crickets from the one pet store always die quickly do you think I should purchase from the other store?

I would say buy from LPS2 from now on. There's a chance that both stores have the same supplier, but LPS1 just tosses them in a dirty/cold/poorly-ventilated bin and they end up stressed out. Then you take em home and they are even more stressed.

Can you see the bins, or where they're kept in any way? It's like being able to see the kitchen of a restaurant before eating....

The two PetSmarts in my town keep a single bin of miscellaneously sized crickets, and it looks awful most times. Not sure what the back has going on there. The LPS I visit has a back room I can see into, and chat up the staff as they rotate their supply of crickets, and grab a meager 4-5 for me. I know those are taken care of pretty well, so I'll never have to go to the big chains again.

 

[Dizzle]

I would say buy from LPS2 from now on. There's a chance that both stores have the same supplier, but LPS1 just tosses them in a dirty/cold/poorly-ventilated bin and they end up stressed out. Then you take em home and they are even more stressed.

Can you see the bins, or where they're kept in any way? It's like being able to see the kitchen of a restaurant before eating....

The two PetSmarts in my town keep a single bin of miscellaneously sized crickets, and it looks awful most times. Not sure what the back has going on there. The LPS I visit has a back room I can see into, and chat up the staff as they rotate their supply of crickets, and grab a meager 4-5 for me. I know those are taken care of pretty well, so I'll never have to go to the big chains again.

Yeah...that's kind of what I was thinking. They probably are just way too stressed and malnourished compared to the ones from LPS2, I'll stick to that store if I do need crickets from now on. Actually after reading the threads that JeromeTabuzo put up I think I actually will start a cricket colony. My main problem was the smell, although they still will be making a racket...anyone have a fix for the annoying noises that crickets make? I suppose I could keep them in the shed or away from where people are but then I worry about temps and what not...

 

[edgeofthefreak]

...actually after reading the threads that JeromeTabuzo put up I think I actually will start a cricket colony. My main problem was the smell, although they still will be making a racket...anyone have a fix for the annoying noises that crickets make? I suppose I could keep them in the shed or away from where people are but then I worry about temps and what not...

You could always pick a cricket with a more pleasant sound for your breeding stock. From what I understand, Jamaican crickets make a more soothing sound, less prone to high jumps, but are more likely to cause serious injury with their powerful bite. There's a few of good cricket species, so see what are available online, then choose your new colonists.

 

[Dizzle]

Love your signature by the way, ADIDAS. Makes me think of the KoRn song though but I very much like your acronym.

You could always pick a cricket with a more pleasant sound for your breeding stock. From what I understand, Jamaican crickets make a more soothing sound, less prone to high jumps, but are more likely to cause serious injury with their powerful bite. There's a few of good cricket species, so see what are available online, then choose your new colonists.

Huh, didn't even occur to me. Thanks! I think I will do some snooping around at different species available online.

 

[edgeofthefreak]

Huh, didn't even occur to me. Thanks! I think I will do some snooping around at different species available online.

When I had a chameleon, I thought of breeding crickets, since she could eat about 10 adults/day. Back then I had no idea there were different kinds. There was only one: annoyingly fast and loud.

Love your signature by the way, ADIDAS. Makes me think of the KoRn song though but I very much like your acronym.

Thanks! I'm actually thinking of picking up ADIDAS gear, but people might think I like sports. Boy, would that set the wrong impression

And now I'm off to listen to KoRN, lol.

 

[Dizzle]

http://www.ghann.com/new_crickets.cfm
Found that and the banded crickets sound pretty neat.

---------- Post added 08-19-2014 at 03:56 PM ----------

When I had a chameleon, I thought of breeding crickets, since she could eat about 10 adults/day. Back then I had no idea there were different kinds. There was only one: annoyingly fast and loud.




Thanks! I'm actually thinking of picking up ADIDAS gear, but people might think I like sports. Boy, would that set the wrong impression

And now I'm off to listen to KoRN, lol.

Lol, right. That's why I never bought ADIDAS gear haha, even though KoRn always knew how to rock it

 

[edgeofthefreak]

http://www.ghann.com/new_crickets.cfm
Found that and the banded crickets sound pretty neat.

I think I've been to that site before. It looks familiar. I actually find the banded crickets kinda cute. Haven't had any adults, no idea what they sound like, but their super long antennae make them look like Disney Crickets!

 

[RzezniksRunAway]

Ask them what day their shipment comes in. I buy from a LPS (that I actually used to work at) and I buy according to their shipping days. If it's hot, I take a Kritter Keeper and have them put the crickets in that to take home instead of leaving them in the bag, even that short time frame with the moisture in the bag tends to effect mine. They feed the crickets well, and keep them generally clean (although If I were still there someone would be getting retrained.) If they're due to get a shipment of crickets wednesday, I buy thursday so that I'm sure it's the fresh ones.

 

[Dizzle]

Good points here, thank you. I do know the shipping days of the one store that I am suspicious of the health of their crickets. Maybe I will conduct an experiment here and try getting them when I go there to get a mouse for my KSB and see how they do. Maybe bring a kritter keeper as well, I have one or two that aren't housing anything yet.

Ask them what day their shipment comes in. I buy from a LPS (that I actually used to work at) and I buy according to their shipping days. If it's hot, I take a Kritter Keeper and have them put the crickets in that to take home instead of leaving them in the bag, even that short time frame with the moisture in the bag tends to effect mine. They feed the crickets well, and keep them generally clean (although If I were still there someone would be getting retrained.) If they're due to get a shipment of crickets wednesday, I buy thursday so that I'm sure it's the fresh ones.

 

[JeromeTabuzo]

I would suggest try buying 12 fem 3 male cricket then do the setup i sent u if it stil dies then dont buy from the pet store.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

---------- Post added 08-19-2014 at 02:22 PM ----------

I also heard that house cricket die faster than gryllus cricket

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[ColinBaker]

Yeah...that's kind of what I was thinking. They probably are just way too stressed and malnourished compared to the ones from LPS2, I'll stick to that store if I do need crickets from now on. Actually after reading the threads that JeromeTabuzo put up I think I actually will start a cricket colony. My main problem was the smell, although they still will be making a racket...anyone have a fix for the annoying noises that crickets make? I suppose I could keep them in the shed or away from where people are but then I worry about temps and what not...

I only have 1 mature make and 6x 3/8" baby slings, so I just picked up 3 dozen crickets and separated the males after 6hrs of chirping drove me nuts. They're in the freezer to use as bass bait this weekend. The females are completely silent, and laid a ton of eggs so I'll have fresh pinheads for the babies. If I start to run low I'll just go pick up another dozen, keep them for a day and hit the lake again. I don't know if inbreeding is a problem for feeder insects, but I figure it can't hurt to have some fresh genetics.

 

[JeromeTabuzo]

I only have 1 mature make and 6x 3/8" baby slings, so I just picked up 3 dozen crickets and separated the males after 6hrs of chirping drove me nuts. They're in the freezer to use as bass bait this weekend. The females are completely silent, and laid a ton of eggs so I'll have fresh pinheads for the babies. If I start to run low I'll just go pick up another dozen, keep them for a day and hit the lake again. I don't know if inbreeding is a problem for feeder insects, but I figure it can't hurt to have some fresh genetics.

good luck with cricket breeding , by the way dont forget that the key to avoid cannibalism is to provide moisture and protein (fish pellets or flakes)and lots and lots of hide. I wouldnt worry about the smell as the substrate is gonna decompose their leftovers or feces, keep the substrate dry (cocopeat dry) to avoid mites and flies to invade. place scotch tape at sides of the container to slip off the pinhead crickets that are trying to escape. They don't smell as horrible as lateralis (yes,my lateralis colony smells horrible), the cricket bin would smell like newly printed newspaper as long as you copy the setup in my guide.Oh, dont forget to separate the adults from the pinheads. Happy Cricket Breeding!!! btw i use newspaper for hides

 

[Galapoheros]

good luck with cricket breeding , by the way dont forget that the key to avoid cannibalism is to provide moisture and protein (fish pellets or flakes)and lots and lots of hide. I wouldnt worry about the smell as the substrate is gonna decompose their leftovers or feces, keep the substrate dry (cocopeat dry) to avoid mites and flies to invade. place scotch tape at sides of the container to slip off the pinhead crickets that are trying to escape. They don't smell as horrible as lateralis (yes,my lateralis colony smells horrible), the cricket bin would smell like newly printed newspaper as long as you copy the setup in my guide.Oh, dont forget to separate the adults from the pinheads. Happy Cricket Breeding!!! btw i use newspaper for hides

They don't sell Gryllus in the pet stores here in the US unfortunately. Gryllus are much easier to raise than Acheta domesticus found in chain stores here. They are much more sensitive and die off a lot easier than Gryllus. Gryllus are easy to raise and keep alive compared to A. domesticus. A. domesticus doesn't cannibalize either which is more of a bad thing because the dead domesticus pile up and start to smell bad. Gryllus just eat the dead ones, works out fine. I raise a Gryllus sps and yeah, they can bite but I've fed out 1000s of those things and the spiders, centipedes and scorpions have had no problems there. Best feeder I've had to feed the things over here.