A different cricket question

SnowFoxx · 04-20-03, 05:25 PM

I've always bought my crickets a bag at a time from the local pet shop, because they gut load them and always have several sizes on hand. At the New England Expo yesterday I bought a carboard box with 1000 crickets in it. This might sound like a stupid question, but...how do I get a few at a time out of their without them all escaping? Also, how do I switch them into a new container without escapees? Warning - keep in mind that I'm afraid of crickets and won't want to touch them more than I have to. (LOL @ myself)

- Victoria :w

Jazzey · 04-20-03, 05:31 PM

HAHAHAHA!
I was thinking the same thinking the same thing but did not want to ask, so thanks!
So any tips for us would be great,
Thanks,
Jazzey

Atlantic · 04-20-03, 06:26 PM

well...what do you keep them in normally? if you use a large container, or box, just dump them in it, (shake them out) and then pic them out as you need them for feeders. and dont forget to add some source of moisture for them...or you will have a ton of dead ones.

and dont be afraid of them....they cant hurt you at all....

eyespy · 04-20-03, 08:13 PM

The trashbag technique also works fairly well. Put the box in a plastic trashbag, open the flaps, hold the bag firmly against the sides of the flaps and shake it out like crazy into the bag.

Then hold the bag mostly shut with just a tiny little hole and pour the crix into your container. I mainly just use Atlantic's technique though.

Trace · 04-20-03, 08:52 PM

All of the previous suggestions are great and I've used most of those ideas in the past. My cricket boxes come with a perforated hole in one side that I pull open and the bugs just walk out on their own. I find with the shake and dump idea you get all of the dead crickets and poops in with your live ones, which makes my rubbermaid much more smelly!

Here is a pic:

Cheers!

Trace

Tim and Julie B · 04-20-03, 08:57 PM

We use a tall trashcan, with a billion holes in the lid. If you keep them in the cardboard box they will just simply chew through and you can't gut-load them as well cause the veggies and stuff rot the cardboard. Then once you've used them up, you just wash and disinfect the trashcan and fill er' up again.

As far as not having to touch them, use some cardboard tubes from paper towels. Place one into the cricket bin(trashcan), let a few climb on and then dump them into a plastic feeder bag with vitamins and such.

Jaylyn · 04-25-03, 05:12 PM

Trace - you are brilliant! I've always dumped them into one container - then into another to avoid transfering all the crap. I always end squishing alot of the little guys with my hands. :O(

If you don't need alot of crix at a time to feed - put toilet paper rolls into the cricket container. You can just pick up the rolls and dump them into your bag if you're not keen on touching them.

Jaylyn

reptilesalonica · 04-25-03, 05:24 PM

Ok snowfoxx let's see if i can change your mind with your fear on crix. Before i get into Herps (1995). I could not touch cockroaches and i could not even...see...mice without yelling. Now (after 3 years of breeding crickets and 6 months of breeding mice) i easily catch mice (dead or alive), also crickets. All are in our mind. For the crickets container, Atlantic got the point. Just shake out the cardboard box into a tall plastic container (those that used for clothes). If you leave them in the cardboard box they can chew on cardboard (crickets can live eating even newspaper) and this is the least thing your feeders want to be fed upon.

~Greg~