Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ya so yesterday i woke up and 20 crickets were dead, today when i came back from school 100 crickets were dead. Now i wonder why did they die? I got oatmeal as the subtrate, give them collard Green and carrots, once a day, and they have mutltiple hiding places.

np

The foods you are feeding your crickets may have been treated with pesticides, which your insects are now eating. I had several hundred lobster roaches die over night once, after feeding them some kale from my fridge. Never had I seen a die off that rapid before in my collection, so I attribute it to that kale that I fed them. Normally, I had no other problems with kale; this bunch I happened to buy at a different supermarket than my normal veggies... I suspected pesticides were the cause of my death, and it sounds as if you might have the same problem..

Hope this helps, I would not feed any more of the batch of veggies you've been feeding right before seeing the die off... Cheers,

Bob
TREEMONITORS.COM

well i washed all my vegies, and the fruits and vegies usally hydratrate them enough. Am i wrong, if so how do you keep yours hydrated?. And to the comment below they were older crickets, but to many died for that.

I've always got my crickets from a local petstore somewhere. Mine also died constantly. I kept plenty of food and everything. I don't understand it. So i just buy more. I find that the crickets eat eachother, even if there's enough food. I've looked into the cage that the store keeps them in and there are ALOT of dead ones, but they have plenty of food. i think it's just stress that makes them all cannibals. lol
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1.0 Savannah Monitor - Artimus
2.0 Emerald Swift - Jesus, unnamed
1.0 Baby veiled Cham - Sir August De Winter 1-20-05 RIP
1.0 Green Iguana - King Arthur
1.0 Rose-hair tarantula - Bill
1.0 Basilisk - Adam
0.1 Water Dragon - Lady

just asking cause if you buy adults they may have just expired. They do not have a long life span.

But seeing you had a large number die off it is probly something to do with husbandry. Or as bob mentioned pesticides be sure to wash all fruits, greens,& veggies.

Don't feel to bad, I breed my own crickets. I have for about three or four years. For the last two years I have not had to buy any.

With that said, In the first couple of years I would by crickets to add to my colony and they would die within a few days. They were kept exactly like my exsisting breeders. So, I stopped having them shipped and picked them up at a west coast reptile show, they too died within a day or two.

Got me, I think adult crickets do not like to be shipped, it stresses them to death.

On the otherhand, At one time I bought crickets from a friend that bred them in Phoenix, we would meet halfway and have dinner and exchange money for crickets. Those crickets never died. I may lose one or two over the week. Cheers FR

Well i dont know any one who breeds crickets. i usally get my crickets at a Pet Co. Adult ones. Would it be better to get young ones? or should i start ordering them? ordering would be cheaper. Im just mad, because the crickets are dying before they can be fead to my lizards.
If it matters i have one Bearded Dragon and one Ackie 5 months old.So not to much.

>>Well i dont know any one who breeds crickets. i usally get my crickets at a Pet Co. Adult ones. Would it be better to get young ones? or should i start ordering them? ordering would be cheaper. Im just mad, because the crickets are dying before they can be fead to my lizards.
>>If it matters i have one Bearded Dragon and one Ackie 5 months old.So not to much.

If you are buying adult crix you may be having them die of old age. They don't live all that long. I personally would get a size or two down. Less chirping too.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

I order mine, couldn't afford to be buying them at the pet shop. I get 2000 about every 10 days. I have found I need to order 1/2" and they usually have a very low mortality. When I ordered the next size up I always lost a greater percentage. Seeing the crickets are smaller, I just feed more. I have been using the Bug Company from Minnesota and have been fairly pleased. In winter they even have a special delivery day where they come in closer to my house so have the best chance of survival. Good luck.

Pam