Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a new 60 gallon tank for my beardie, and have had some problems with crix escaping. The lid is fully custom, 2 inch wood on top, screen, with plastic tubing around the edge of the glass. The only gap is less than a centimeter at the bend in the center (a hindge on the top creates a way of opening only one side). So far I have found 5 crix in less than an hour. Any suggestions would be a great help!! Thanks so much!!

I had that problem for a while, except my crickets were excaping from their enclousure. They could squeeze through the screen, so what I did was lower everything so they couldn't jump or climb too high.

They were kept in a 10 gallon with lots of eggcarton, I cut all the egg carton so it would fit and there was at least 8 inches separating them.

Are you sure they're escaping your tank, and not from your cricket container? Or maybe escaping when you're putting them in with the dragon?

We find runaway crickets around here every once in a while that have to be getting out of the cricket tank unnoticed when we open it. And we do have one or two quick ones avoid being dropped into the dragon's tank, every now and then.

None that actually end up in with the dragons seem to live long enough to make any escape plans, however.

Sorry, but without seeing your set up, it's tough to say what might be happening.

D.A.

i have a harder time keeping crickets in their own cage not the beardies.. they are probably escaping from their feeder bin or escaping before you feed them... i had my egg crates way too close to the screen top last week and before i knew it 30 crickets were out and running all over.. but that doesn't really phase me.. i swear that since my cat died last november i have a growing army of crickets in the basement....and spiders too.. so baby crickets don't really bother me...i would like to get rid of the spiders but then what would i do about the crickets..i would go harvest them myself but i don't wanna get a nasty spider bite.. their all moving in
downstairs ..getting ready for winter.....we usually bug bomb every year. but with my growing collection of herps it would be very hard to move all the huge tanks(or cover them) and transport all my babes to the neighbors house...ok anyways.. i would look at your feeder bin and how you have it set-up or if you have any holes in you beardie tank...

what kinda spiders u get in ur basement ?
i live in scotland, its to cold over here for me let alone anything exotic like that lol. cant say im bothered tho, spiders freak me out

my cricket bin is just one of these plastic shoebox/containers, its smooth plastic so they cant climb the side. i cut up an old t shirt and i put this over the top of the bin and then put the lid on after. this pushes the tshirt into all the spaces and it overlaps the edges of the rim so that thers no way out, i drilled ventilation holes in the side and in the lid, since the tshirt is underneath they cant get out but air still gets in

its a bit annoying messing about with the peice of material and a lid but hey, ive not had one escape from it yet, they do seem to get out my beardies tank from time to time cos of the sliding glass doors

insect paradise.. it was hand dug about 50 years ago and has really old stone and windows in it.. so around this time of year everybody moves in..most of the crickets down there are "wild crickets" from outside.. not out of my bins.. but i did have a problem recently because inbetween the screen lid and the plastic bin there was 1/4 of a cm gap and the baby crickets could squeeze out. as far as spiders go..just the big ugly garden variety spiders.. i think we have brown spiders, wolf spiders, and some sort of yellow spiders(that make huge webs in trees).. but even though they aren't really bad.. i still got bit by one last month and my leg was swollen for 3 days..plus they creep me out..but as long as they all don't go upstairs.. they can stay.

Yellow spiders? Maybe Banana spiders?

Banana Spiders

>>insect paradise.. it was hand dug about 50 years ago and has really old stone and windows in it.. so around this time of year everybody moves in..most of the crickets down there are "wild crickets" from outside.. not out of my bins.. but i did have a problem recently because inbetween the screen lid and the plastic bin there was 1/4 of a cm gap and the baby crickets could squeeze out. as far as spiders go..just the big ugly garden variety spiders.. i think we have brown spiders, wolf spiders, and some sort of yellow spiders(that make huge webs in trees).. but even though they aren't really bad.. i still got bit by one last month and my leg was swollen for 3 days..plus they creep me out..but as long as they all don't go upstairs.. they can stay.

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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

what part of the country.. i read that article but they didn't say where they lived.. i live in MN.. so it gets pretty darn cold in the winter.. but we do have a lot of mosquitoes and my yard has a ton of trees.. with big ugly webs in them.. and i just saw a big big yellow spider the other day..not taruntula big..but bigger than most around here..so thats probably what they are.. they are rather cool to look at OUTSIDE.. not in my basement..hehe

thanks for the article very interesting

alissa

Mainly the southern US, so Now I am not sure what bit you

Species: Golden Silk Spider (Banana or Calico) Spider Nephila Clavipes
Kingdom:Metazoa (multicellular animals)
Phylum:Arthopoda (arthropods)
Class:Arachnida (spiders, harvestmen, scorpions, mites)
Order:Araneae (spiders)
Family:Tetragnathidae (long jawed orbweavers)
Genus: Nephila
Range: Southeastern United States, Central America, Northern South America
Color: Yellow, Orange and Brown (female); Dark Brown (male)
Size: 24 mm to 40 mm in length (female)
Commonly Found During: Late Summer to Early Fall
Prey: Small to Medium-Sized Flying Insects (flies, bees, wasps, moths)
Defense Mechanism: Bite (will only bite if provoked)

>>what part of the country.. i read that article but they didn't say where they lived.. i live in MN.. so it gets pretty darn cold in the winter.. but we do have a lot of mosquitoes and my yard has a ton of trees.. with big ugly webs in them.. and i just saw a big big yellow spider the other day..not taruntula big..but bigger than most around here..so thats probably what they are.. they are rather cool to look at OUTSIDE.. not in my basement..hehe
>>
>>thanks for the article very interesting
>>
>>alissa

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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

it didn't look like that.. hmmmm.. i guess i'll have to go diggin in my basement (EWWWWWWWWWWW) and try to find one.. they are more round in the abdomen.. and yellow slightly on top and on the underneath...but who knows.. i'm allergic to everything (save bees)...changed my mind not gonna go looking for big nasty spiders.. not brave enough..hehe...what about garden spiders (black and yellow)..now you have me looking at spider pics all over the web.. no pun intended

alissa

Maybe?

>>it didn't look like that.. hmmmm.. i guess i'll have to go diggin in my basement (EWWWWWWWWWWW) and try to find one.. they are more round in the abdomen.. and yellow slightly on top and on the underneath...but who knows.. i'm allergic to everything (save bees)...changed my mind not gonna go looking for big nasty spiders.. not brave enough..hehe...what about garden spiders (black and yellow)..now you have me looking at spider pics all over the web.. no pun intended
>>
>>alissa
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

>>
>>
>>Maybe?
>>
>>>>it didn't look like that.. hmmmm.. i guess i'll have to go diggin in my basement (EWWWWWWWWWWW) and try to find one.. they are more round in the abdomen.. and yellow slightly on top and on the underneath...but who knows.. i'm allergic to everything (save bees)...changed my mind not gonna go looking for big nasty spiders.. not brave enough..hehe...what about garden spiders (black and yellow)..now you have me looking at spider pics all over the web.. no pun intended
>>>>
>>>>alissa
>>-----
>>Lisa
>>www.beginnersbasics.com
>>
>>

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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

but it was the second one..ick.. ick ..ick. is all i have to say ..

thanks
alissa

now im going to have to cuddle up with kaipo so i dont have nightmares ;0
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

theres no spiders in scotland?
i am SOOOOOOO moving
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)