Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why do my crickets keep dying? I have 1000 seperated in two of the Rubbermade 35 gallon buckets(500 crickets in each). They are 1/8 crickets, and over 25% of them end up dead in like 5 days. I've ordered from reptilefood.com and got some at my local reptile show. They have Flukers orange cubes and cardboard piece/paper toweling. I have holes drilled in the top for air. What am I doing wrong? Crickets are tooo expensive to let them die!

Take the lids off. They can't climb clean rubbermaids and they can't jump that high. I had the same problem in the beginning, the extra air flow solved it.

Sean
Heart Mountain Herps

I agree with heartmountain. Air circulation is probably your problem.

Also, I've never heard of Fluker's orange cubes. Do they provide food and water in one? I feed my crickets the same greens I give my lizards, and use orange slices for water. They really thrive on this.
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1.0.1 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

yeah, it's food and moisture all in one

you need to provide a separate food source - also remove the dead ones from the container - its like a domino effect once one dies..........
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Ross

1.0 Bearded Dragon (Fuego)
2.1 Roommates (require more cleaning up after than the dragon)

a screen top will help to aviod to much moisture. adding a clamp light is good as well, they like the warmth.

1st I will say that I keep mine in rubbermaid containers and have seen them climb them. I cut a hole in the middle of the lid, hot glued on some screen for ventilation. I also put down a 1/4" layer of sand on the bottom to help keep moisture off, this has solved my problem.

You need the Rubbermaid's with the smooth sides, the clear ones. They can climb out of the dark, rough surfaced ones.
Also, if you do not want to use oranges for their moisture, use potato slices.

J. Melissa McQuaid

i'll just say that i used to use the orange cube, but i've realized that they dry out incredibly too fast, try using like easywater from i think its timberlandherps.com or something like that, i'll get ya the right website when i get home, and yea, use that and some of the commercial powders, i changed to that combo and have had many less dead
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1.1 leopard gecko (goliath, gebco)
0.1 hypo red bearded dragon (puff the magic dragon)
0.0.1 schnieder's skink (ghandi)
1.0.1 white's dumpy treefrog (buddha and un-named)
1.0 house gecko (geico)
1.0 lop eared wabbit (oreo)
0.1 westie(kristy)
1.0 plain ol' alley cat (joey)
0.1 rag doll kitty (tinkerbell)
2.0 goulian finchs
0.0.1 red eared slider (kenpo)