cricket troubles

ok, I got a big tupperware breadbin thing, i've put a few rows of stacked egg cartons in and chucked in all the crickets I have at the moment. (which is less than 70)


i'm gonna go up to the PS and get a ultra-size box of adults. i've got a spare heatmat so i'll strap that to the side.

mabye i'll get luck and they'll get jiggy.

The females will probably already be gravid -- just make sure you keep your egg container nice and moist.

it's all good.

awwwwww.



No eggs yet, but some of the females definetly look nice and plump.
fingers crossed.


just how moist does the egg-laying substrate have to bee? moist or soaking?

Moist, as in not dry. If it's soaking the eggs could rot.

okay, thanks.

so, I just conducted a lil' experiment, to see if these beetles I see running about were dermestids which they seem to be.

I put a dead cricket in a box witha few of these lil' things and within a few minutes they started feeding

i'm gonna put a few in my crick colony, mabye they will help clearing up.

Dermestids are a handy little cleanup crew, much like isopods, but if you get the wrong species they can infest your cupboard . . . or your preserved insect collection.

Lori and I had to deal with a dermestid problem last year -- we only got rid of them by going through and freezing / throwing out most of our dry goods. Same kinda thing with Indian meal moths. (Luckily, Lori's carnivorous plants caught the few that we missed )

Eeeeeeeeeeeek!


I hope these are the right spp, then.

Just make sure none of the adults get out of your cricket containers.

will do.

?




ok, I think I caught some egg-laying action today... i'm not sure.
there was a cricket squating wierdly over the egg-sub, stayed like that for a few mins, then started digging into the substrate she had been squating over... was she digging 'em up?

to eat them? hmmmmmm.......

BTW is it normal that they aren't chirping?

could be too cold???

hmmm... I was thinking that but, it is pretty warm when I put my hand in.





definetly over 70'

do you have a heat mat/lamp? i have a small lamp (normal one not red bulb) and turn it on for an hour or two and they become really active for a while, moulting, chirping, breeding, eating eachother ect...

yeah, i've got a mat on the side, the egg-sub is right beside it.

Only mature males will chirp.

As for oviposition, the females just stick their ovipositor into the 'strate and sort of push it in, and maybe wiggle a bit, before drawing it out and laying another nearby.

damn crickets!


there are definetly a few males in there.

What's that I hear?

Oh, wait, it's nothing . . . because we breed roaches!

(I'll admit, the hissers can get a bit obnoxious sometimes.)

Thats true but if you handle them a lot they seem to make less noise but then there no fun when you try to show them off.

stop teasing me.

they are a few uk sellers with roaches up for sale atm, but they seem to be more of the... "pet roaches".


although VirginiaCheeseman is selling some but apparently she's pretty expensive.

PRAISEAH THE LOWDAH!

I found a bunch of Eggs today!

they look like tiny little grains of rice.

can wait.


should I put the .heads in thier own box? or what?

Most people take the egg container out and put it in its own tub after a few days / week. That way you have one with adults and one with pinheads.