To begin with, no, it will not eat a cricket. Lampropeltine Colubrids, in general, are vertebrate specialists.

We'll need a little more information to help you out any further. What kind of milksnake is it? In a species as wide-ranging, both geographically and ecologically, as Lampropeltis triangulum there are a lot a differences between disparate forms. Where did you acquire your snake? Are you sure of its size? A 10-inch L. triangulum of any type should be WELL able to eat a pinky mouse... whether they're willing or not is the next bridge to cross. Many forms, especially the ones from "North of the Border" are lizard and Peromyscus/Microtus (two types of native rodents) specialists. These native rodents smell quite a bit different than domestic mice and have smaller pinkies. With this in mind, some of the smaller subspecies, at 5-6 inches (or smaller) are too small to take domestic mouse pinkies right out of the egg, even if so inclined.

The next round of questions involves your set-up. What do you have the snake in? Substrate? Temperature? Hide(s)? Moss tub?

One of my hatchlings from this year: L. t. gentilis x multistrata intergrade - Logan Co., CO stock

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-Cole

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