Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Cricket Care Guidelines I . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- April 2023 (update)
Click: Cricket Care Guidelines ll . . . . . . April 2023 (update)
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)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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
(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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hilde recommends this professional-grade sifter for mealworms: https://www.amazon.com/Polder-6631-75-Stainless-Steel-Extending-Rubber-Grip/dp/B00006NWBG
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By following these tips it's easy to keep your crickets alive & thriving 1-2 months past purchase:
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.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"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.
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!
Click: Cricket Care Guidelines ll . . . . . . April 2023 (update)
~ Hassle-free Cricket Care ~
Geckos Unlimited
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.
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)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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
(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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hilde recommends this professional-grade sifter for mealworms: https://www.amazon.com/Polder-6631-75-Stainless-Steel-Extending-Rubber-Grip/dp/B00006NWBG
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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.
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.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~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.
"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.
(click to enlarge)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~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!