Cricket Guidelines I -- April 2023 (update)

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Elizabeth Freer

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Cricket Care Guidelines I . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- April 2023 (update)

Click: Cricket Care Guidelines ll . . . . . . April 2023 (update)

~ Hassle-free Cricket Care ~
Geckos Unlimited
Once a day (for 3/8 inch crickets & older), thoroughly moisten 2 sheets of Scott's Original Blue Shop Paper Towels & wring them out. Then lay these wet paper towels over half egg flats to provide moisture for crickets & dubia. IF your crickets are younger, moisten paper towels more often.
Diatomaceous Earth Alert!
Some chicken feeds contain diatomaceous earth. If diatomaceous earth is in a product, it should be listed on the label!

For a 24/7/365 dry gutload diet I recommend finely ground Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food, Cody Castellanos' Professional Reptiles Pro Gutload, Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed, or Purina Layena Crumbles poultry feed, because they don't contain diatomaceous earth. If you cannot find those in the USA, don't buy poultry feed.

"Diatomaceous earth is a natural antiparasitic for bird flocks. If ingested by insects, diatomaceous earth is fatal. :( The microscopic diatoms cut up insects' insides and cause a nasty death. It is also used topically for insect infestations as it will cut through exoskeletons or soft bodied worms and cause "bleed out." I have not read of anyone accidentally using a chicken feed with it in there and what effects it had on a colony of roaches/crickets/mealworms, et cetera, but I believe better safe than sorry and to warn people of it in case someone wants to use a different brand."


Quoted from hmarie186 -- 1 February 2015
NEVER toss uneaten insects or worms back in with the colony OR feed them to other geckos! This prevents bacteria, parasites, or diseases like cryptosporidosis from spreading. Always freeze (or otherwise destroy) all uneaten insects or worms from any gecko's enclosure.
  • Exceptional gecko thirst might be a red flag that you are overdoing the multivitamins &/or vitamin D3 & that your gecko may have kidney problems.
    * Gecko urates should be pure white. Yellow urates indicate some problem.
Strive for a ratio of 1.5-2.0 calcium:1.0 phosphorus with foods we feed insects & subsequently feed our geckos.

To check nutrient levels (calcium, phosphorus, et cetera) of many foods enter the particular food on this United States Department of Agriculture link: Foods List (Needs updating)
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Dry Gutload Diet: For the 24/7/365 dry cricket/worm gutload diet & bedding use a high quality food (~16% protein, less than 5% fat, moderate fiber) that also contains vitamin D3, vitamin A acetate (retinol) or vitamin A palmitate, & vitamin B12!

Finely grind all pellets in a Krups coffee/spice grinder or place the pellets in a plastic bag & pound them with a hammer.
(1) *** Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food ***: 888-496-6633
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(click to enlarge)​

(2) *** Professional Reptiles' Pro Gutload ***: manufactured by Cody Castellanos 1-775-359-1085 & Cody@ProfessionalReptiles.com

Pro Gutload is a healthy, low phosphorus, dry gutload diet/bedding for mealworms/superworms & bugs too! After you get mealworms, replace the bedding they come in with already ground Professional Reptiles' Pro Gutload. Keep your mealworms at room temperature & in 6 quart plastic Sterilite tubs with bedding & ventilation, NOT in the refrigerator.
"The bedding, obviously, doubles as gutload. When most bedding has turned to droppings, add some original gutload or sift out all droppings & replace with new bedding. It's easier to do with superworms since they're bigger. Sometimes tiny mealworms are lost in the sifting process."

(3) Purina Layena Crumbles
  • Purina Layena customer service: 800-227-8941 & 800-457-2804
(4) *** Alfalfa Meal *** - in addition to the starred foods above (from the Reptile Supply Company)

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Hilde recommends this professional-grade sifter for mealworms: https://www.amazon.com/Polder-6631-75-Stainless-Steel-Extending-Rubber-Grip/dp/B00006NWBG
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By following these tips it's easy to keep your crickets alive & thriving 1-2 months past purchase:
  • Crickets live about 9 weeks.
  • Keep them at normal room temps (68-74*F, 20-23.3*C).
  • Unbox your crickets as soon as they reach room temperature.
  • Take a 56 quart Sterilite plastic bin or a 10 gallon enclosure.
  • Empty crickets into the container.
  • Sprinkle finely ground Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food, (Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed), or Purina Layena Crumbles on the bottom of the insect bin/container. Add a ridged jar lid or two of ground dry ground gutload diet. Place additional dry diet on the floor of this cricket container. Cover this dry diet with small sections of egg crate.
  • Split cardboard egg flats in half. Stand 5-6 half flats horizontally in your cricket bin, back-to-back, front-to-front, back-to-back, and so on. That creates hideouts for your crickets. The more space crickets have, the less they will die from overheating (heat encapsulation effect).
  • Place 2 sheets of Scott's Original Blue Shop Paper Towels on top of the egg cartons.
  • Once daily thoroughly wet paper towels under the faucet & squeeze out excess water.
  • Replace wet paper towels on top of the egg cartons.
  • IF you wish, place chopped high calcium/low phosphorus, leafy greens (collard, mustard, turnip or pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens) in a small ridged lid next to the cricket food.
  • Keep the dry food dry to avoid mold. That also keeps vitamins & other nutrients viable.
  • Every so often use a small whisk broom to remove cricket feces & dead crickets.
  • In addition Armstrong's Crickets suggests lightly roughing up the lower sides of these bins with sandpaper to give crickets more space to hang out.
  • Cricket water dispensers & spare parts can be purchased from Armstrong Crickets & from Tractor Supply.
High calcium/low phosphorus leafy greens like collard, mustard, turnip greens, & pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens in a dish off to the side are excellent additions to dry insect & worm diets. Besides actual vitamins, they add moisture.

General Mills' dry cereal whole grain TOTAL can be used in a pinch.

Do not feed insects dog food, cat food, or fish flakes. Those foods are way too high in protein & fat. They could potentially cause hepatic lipidosis & gout. Foods containing high purine & high alkaline levels should be limited. Those foods fed in excess increase uric acid & make your reptile more susceptible to gout as well.

Do not feed freeze-dried or canned insects or worms to your geckos. All geckos need moisture from well-hydrated prey as well as the nutrients such prey provides.
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25 Feb 2013 - Hilde
"The only way to properly regulate vitamin and mineral intake, calcium in particular, is to only supply it via gutloading and dusting. Dusting is only secondary, the most important thing is to use the proper gutload."

2 March 2013 - Hilde
Captured from post 134, 27 Feb 2013, on "spoiled by crickets" thread in the crestie forum:
"If you feed the insects a decent diet full time, not just a day before feeding them off, you really improve the nutrients they'll provide - build a better body, not just fill the relatively short intestinal tract."

Scroll to the 3rd post in that /\ thread for suggestions about breeding crickets.
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"Lightly dust" crickets, Blaptica dubia, & mealworms = a "sprinkling of powdered sugar on a cake". Use a tall (32 ounce) plastic deli container. Then add a pinch of vitamin or calcium powder. Add crickets (or other bugs/worms). Then gently swirl. Bounce insects against the bottom of the container to remove excess powder. Tightly cap this tall container & protect from light damage!

A 1 tablespoon sized measuring spoon can be used to scoop crickets out of their dusting container.
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(click to enlarge)​
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Feed your Feeders 24/7/365 [versus "Gutloading" the Feeders 24-48 hours before feeding them to your geckos]
The term gutloading causes some confusion. Feed your geckos' insects & worms a nutritious diet 24/7/365. This builds strong feeder bodies. This way you'll share healthier bugs & worms with your gecko!
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#2---How to Breed Crickets . . . . . . cricket4u -- Nov 2013

"I do it the simple way; no fancy set up. All I do is put a Tupperware container full of Eco Earth inside of a larger bin full of adult crickets. They begin to lay their eggs in the Eco Earth. I allow them to lay for about a week and then transfer the container to another empty bin heated at 85 F. I check the egg container daily to make sure the Eco Earth remains moist. In about 2 weeks the eggs begin to hatch and you'll have tiny crickets running around. :D

I transfer one of these Plastic Food Storage Containers with Lids 9x12 Ovenware GladWare®containers: Plastic Food Storage Containers with Lids ? 9x12 Ovenware GladWare® | Glad®

into one of these large Rubbermaid bins: Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Box in Steel Gray: Office : Walmart.com (link needs fixing)

  • I cut out a piece of the lid and staple a piece of wire mesh.
  • I use a 75 watt moonlight bulb to keep it warm.
  • I keep the adult crickets at 85 F too. The adult crickets are contained in a 10 gallon aquarium.
  • I apply a layer of Insect-a-Slip Insect Barrier of about 3 inches on all Rubbermaid-type tubs regardless of how slick the interior is. Vaseline gets too dirty and it's a pain when cleaning the tub time comes around.
  • (Does not use the 9 x 12 inch lids)
Insect-a-Slip Insect Barrier...read the cautions:

*- Product Details"

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Edit: As long as a Sterilite tub (or similar) with slick sides is used, the crickets will NOT be able climb the sides. Therefore Insect-a-Slip or vaseline will not be needed.
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#3---Cricket Guidelines -- November 2020 (update)

Dry Diet:
For the 24/7 dry cricket diet use a good food (~16% protein, less than 5% fat, moderate fiber) that also contains vitamin D3, vitamin A acetate (retinol) or vitamin A palmitate, and vitamin B12!

Finely grind these pellets in a Krups coffee/spice grinder or place the pellets in a plastic bag and pound them with a hammer.

Water Crystal/Gel Alert! -- June 2019
I continue to read significant cautions about water crystals from very experienced keepers. Dehydrated water crystals have been found in the guts of deceased animals. Instead I use a couple layers of moist paper towels to provide moisture for crickets and dubia.

Diatomaceous Earth Alert!
Some chicken feeds contain diatomaceous earth. If diatomaceous earth is in a product, it should be listed on the label!

I only recommend Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed or Purina Layena Crumbles poultry feed, because they don't contain diatomaceous earth. If you cannot find those in the USA, don't buy poultry feed.

"Diatomaceous earth is a natural antiparasitic for bird flocks. If ingested by insects, diatomaceous earth is fatal. :( The microscopic diatoms cut up insects' insides and cause a nasty death. It is also used topically for insect infestations as it will cut through exoskeletons or soft bodied worms and cause "bleed out." I have not read of anyone accidentally using a chicken feed with it in there and what effects it had on a colony of roaches/crickets/mealworms, et cetera, but I believe better safe than sorry and to warn people of it in case someone wants to use a different brand."

Quoted from hmarie186 -- 1 February 2015

By following these tips it's easy to keep your crickets alive and thriving 1-2 months past purchase:
  • Crickets live about 9 weeks.
  • Keep them at normal room temps (68-74*F, 20-23.3*C).
  • Unbox your crickets as soon as they reach room temperature.
  • Take a 56 quart Sterilite plastic bin or an extra large Kritter Keeper.
  • Empty crickets into the container.
  • Place finely ground Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food, Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed, or Purina Layena Crumbles on the floor of the container OR in shallow ridged lids like Jif blue peanut butter lids).
  • Then alternate 4-5 half flats "standing upright" and back-to-back, front-to-front, back-to-back, and so on. The more space crickets have, the less they will die from overheating (heat encapsulation effect).
  • Place 2 layers of paper towels on top of the egg cartons.
  • Once daily thoroughly moisten the paper towels under the faucet and squeeze out excess water OR mist the paper towels with water.
  • Replace the wet paper towels on top of the egg cartons.
  • Then place collard greens or dandelion flowers/greens in a small dish next to the cricket food. Use veggies/fruits high in calcium and low in phosphorus.
  • A lid of wet Eco Earth's coco fiber also keeps crickets hydrated.
  • Keep the dry food dry to avoid mold and to keep vitamins and other nutrients viable.
  • Every so often use a small whisk broom to remove cricket feces and dead crickets.
  • In addition Armstrong's Crickets suggests lightly roughing up the lower sides of these bins with sandpaper to give crickets more space to hang out.
  • Cricket water dispensers and spare parts can be purchased from Armstrong's.
  • Always freeze (or otherwise destroy) all uneaten insects or worms from any gecko's enclosure. Do not toss uneaten insects or worms back in with the colony OR feed them to other geckos! This prevents bacteria or parasites from spreading.
High calcium/low phosphorus leafy greens like collard, mustard, and turnip greens, and pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens in a dish off to the side are excellent additions to dry insect and worm diets. Besides the actual vitamins, they add moisture.

To check nutrient levels (calcium, phosphorus, et cetera) of many foods enter the particular food on this United States Department of Agriculture link: Foods List
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#4---Common Mealworm & Superworm Beddings -- Use something else!

See below for low phosphorus mealworm and superworm bedding recommendations.


We wish to approximate a 1.5-2.0 calcium : 1.0 phosphorus ratio with the insects and worms we feed our geckos.

With the exception of Phoenix worms (BSFL) all the bugs and worms we feed our geckos are much higher in phosphorus than calcium. Phosphorus impairs the absorption of calcium. Feeding high phosphorus foods to the bugs/worms makes correcting that imbalance impossible. That's why supplements containing very low amounts of phosphorus as well as very low phosphorus content in the feeders' diets are important.

We lightly dust bugs and worms to correct this imbalance. Dusting should be secondary. Build a better feeder body! Feed bugs and worms the highest quality dry diet possible 24/7 + add low phosphorus/high calcium veggies in a dish off to the side (for example: pesticide-free collard greens and dandelion greens).

Wheat germ, wheat bran, and oats contain HUGE amounts of phosphorus in comparison to calcium. Check out the ratios! I don't recommend the following beddings either for keeping or for breeding mealworms or superworms.

EXAMPLES OF HIGH PHOSPHORUS MEALWORM BEDDINGS!
Click: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
Enter some food like wheat germ
Scroll down for calcium and phosphorus per 100 grams and compare
Kretschmer's Wheat Germ is commonly sold in the USA.


WHAT CAN BE USED INSTEAD? Here are some low phosphorus mealworm and superworm dry diets and beddings sold in the USA.

Finely grind the following foods in a Krups coffee/spice grinder or place them in a tough plastic bag and pound them with a hammer.
  1. Already ground ---> Click: Professional Reptiles' Pro Gutload
  2. Albers’ All Purpose Poultry Feed
  3. Purina Layena Crumbles
Here’s a caution about poultry feeds in general.
I only recommend Albers' or Purina Layena Crumbles' brands of poultry feed. If you cannot find those in the USA, don't buy poultry feed. Some poultry laying feeds contain diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is a natural antiparasitic for bird flocks. If ingested by insects, diatomaceous earth is fatal.
Diatomaceous earth should be listed on the poultry feed's label if it's in that product.​

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17342539_1319514908116112_444175116466682477_n.jpg
(click to enlarge)​

I encourage anyone who is thinking about keeping mealworms, superworms, et cetera, on a bed of wheat germ to check out the ratios of calcium : phosphorus first! According to this USDA Foods List, wheat germ is hugely high in phosphorus and extremely low in calcium. Judging by those numbers how could we ever approximate the recommended 1.5-2.0 calcium:1.0 phosphorus levels that way?

On the 14 September 2015 I confirmed in person with an experienced Registered Dietitian that this USDA foods database provides excellent and very reliable information.

For additional help click this USDA link: Foods List. Just enter almost any food in that link and then scroll to see calcium, phosphorus, et cetera.​
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#5---Gryllodes sigillatus (banded crickets)

In July 2018 a gecko keeper told me that Gryllodes sigillatus males are really loud!

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Hilde suggests:

"Get banded crickets. They do chirp, but it's so quiet, it shouldn't bother you. I regularly have 1000 of them, and they're nowhere near as loud as just (a) dozen regular crickets.

"There's info at this link to compare different species. It might help you decide which ones to use."

Click: New Crickets Are Here!
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#6---Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......thanks to Olimpia -- August 2013

Click: #6---Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......thanks to Olimpia -- August 2013 [+ April 2022 update]

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April 2022 update: Some commercial "gut loading" diets are designed to rebalance a cricket's Ca : Ph ratio close to 1:1 prior to supplement dusting. Those particular diets are designed for short-term use only: 48 hours prior to lightly dusting crickets before feeding them off to your geckos! Those formal bug "gut-loading" diets supply very high doses of calcium to bugs. That HIGH calcium content kills bugs IF used beyond 48 hours. Ayana Evans highly recommends Mazuri Better Bug or Repashy Superload to gut load your crickets for 48 hours. Both Mazuri Better Bug & Repashy Superload are designed to alter the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in crickets to near 1:1 before you use a dusting supplement. These formal gut loading diets kill feeders due to their high calcium content when used beyond 48 hours!

I feed a powdered food with a normal calcium content to my crickets 24/7. That creates better bugs! Bug/worm diets like Repashy's Bug Burger (Cricket Crack & Dinofuel ??) fed 24/7 will make your life easier & provide nutritious food to your crickets. Ayana Evans recommends a bug food with a normal calcium content to feed crickets that aren’t going to be fed to your gecko within 48 hours. Some reputable regular bug foods are Repashy's Bug Burger & Zoo Med's Natural Cricket Care.

Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas. Fluker's gutload has a new formula (2022). Fluker's gutloads might be better than they once were.

Ayana Evans recommends this gut loading study done on crickets, mealworms, and superworms.


"Lettuce (except dark, leafy greens) is just water and nutritionally irrelevant. People don't even give lettuce to tortoises and iguanas because it's worthless as food. The same could be said for potatoes. Fish flakes are very high in protein and this can lead to a build-up of uric acid in feeders/reptiles and end up causing gout. A little now and then is fine but this should never be the bulk of any gutload."

"Thanks to Olimpia Martinotti! -- August 2013. Here's a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."

------>Keep bulk-ordered crickets in plastic 56 quart Sterilite storage bins with smooth sides. IF you wish, cut out a panel on two sides. Then attach aluminum screening with hot glue. IF you use the container's lid, do likewise. This will provide plenty of air flow. Bad air is the #1 killer of crickets, along with poor hydration. Having good airflow will make the difference when you start getting bulk orders of crickets.

------>Lightly dust
crickets by swirling them in a pinch of supplement powder inside a tall plastic deli cup. Then remove excess powder by gently "bouncing" those crickets against the bottom of your tall deli cup. These crickets end up evenly, but lightly, dusted.

"Hope that helps!"

(Last edited by Olimpia; 08-21-2013 at 02:03 PM.)

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Thanks to GU's SpottedDragon on 30 April 2019:

"Yeah, I'd also avoid tomato, I'm glad you pulled it.

"For explanation - it is a deadly nightshade, and the leaves contain a mild (in small amounts) poison that is meant to keep insects and grazing animals from eating the plant. The toxin is called Solanine and in mammals causes hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate...in a reptile I'm not sure what would happen - but it could upset the system."
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#7---Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......thanks to Olimpia -- share version

Here's a healthy dry diet/bedding for mealworms/superworms and for bugs too! After you get mealworms or superworms, replace the bedding they come in with already ground Professional Reptiles' Pro Gutload dry insect & worm diet (1-775-359-1085). Let's keep those worms in 6 quart plastic Sterilite tubs with bedding & ventilation at room temperature, NOT in the refrigerator.

Wheat germ, wheat bran, and oats contain hugely excessive phosphorus amounts! Phosphorus impairs the absorption of calcium. Use something else for a mealworm or a superworm bedding!

\/ \/ \/
In addition to a balanced dry diet to cover the basics, offer your geckos' feeders some veggies and fruits from these lists.

Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms . . . . . . thanks to Olimpia -- August 2013

"A commercial gut loading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here's a list of great ingredients to use:
BEST: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
GOOD: sweet potato, carrots, (oranges), mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
DRY FOOD: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."
 
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