Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to the feeder bins to put their veggies in, and find out that the crickets are getting out somehow (I have no clue how they are doing it!!!). A couple of the little guys even got into the breeder mealie bin and started gnawing on the developing pupae!!! So I caught the few that escaped and went to put them back in the bin when I caught a wiff of that disgusting smell that often lurks around crickets (how can bugs that small smell so bad???). So I decided to clean the cricket bin and in the process allowed some more crickets to escape (I rounded those up fairly quickly). All of a sudden, I had this crazy urge to step on every single on of those little buggers (no pun intended). I suppressed the idea however. The problem is that my little leos love crickets alot and we don't have much of a feeder selection around here (mealies and crickets that's it) so its not like I can replace the crickets with treats like waxworms, silkworms, and butterworms unless I order them. I guess the only thing to do is go to Walmart and buy the deepest d*mn rubbermaid container I can find and pray that the stupid things won't find a way out of it. Come to think of it, is there anyone out there who has actually had a positive experience with crickets????

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)

i put mine in a 20 gallon tall, and have never had a problem. using the paper towel rolls, i just dump a few in a baggy of calcium, shake em up, and dump them in the cage.
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your head will collapse, but there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself, "where is my mind"

You poor thing!!! Crickets tick me off too so I understand. It seems they can spring out of nowhere and escape out of everywhere and if they don't, they just die on you.

I've worked at a couple pet shops and I've only seen one enclosure really work. It square was a plywood box, open on the top. It was rather large, 3x3x3, and a 1 foot band was painted around the top on the inside.

This way, the crickets could climb the wood but not the slick paint. If they climbed as high as they could and jumped, they would always end up inside the container verses out. The inside of the enclosure could be swept out once or twice a day with the edge of a paper bag to keep the stench down.

Because it was a pet shop and the crickets didn't stick around very long, there was only a waterer and several egg crates for them to climb on but with this kind of arrangement, there would be plenty of room for a food dish too. I suppose, you can make it as large or small as you want, keeping in mind that you'll still have to reach your arm in and that crickets can only jump so high.

I have had a good outcome with mine. I bought one of those big rubber made cont. from walmart or kmart one of them and i use the lid on half of it just turn it the long way on the side, with a few egg cartons and a half of a cup that i turn upside down. I also have a place in one of the corners i use for food and on the opposite corner I have the low bowl(actually a rubbermade food service cont. that is slightly rounded) I put a washcloth with water in there and use it that way. Easy for the crickets to eat and not drown when they are drinking too.

I think mines just a 30qt but what i did was i bought a snaptopper on and cut out the inside of the lid and hot glued aluminum screening in it and it works great i only have escapes when im getting crickets out.....i also sanded down the sides so i dont have to have eggcrates and stuff in there.....works great...good luck...i think it might even be easier to use one of those roughneck containers by rubbermaid i got one fore gut load yeaterday and they are really tall they have an 18gallon won that should work great just cut out the center of the lid and add screen should work great
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-Bryan