Most reptiles and amphibian pet owners like to use crickets as a common food item. Crickets really quickly grab the attention of your pets as they move around quickly. These tiny creatures which are about one inch in length live about eight weeks and are relatively easy to house and breed. You need to be familiar with a few characteristics of crickets before you start the breeding process as to have a successful culture and avoid deaths in insects.
Crickets have a flattened body with long antennae on their heads. Male crickets are some what smaller than the females and are usually nosier. The interesting fact is that only male crickets make noise. If your breeding container gets loud there must be a lot of male crickets moving in them.
Crickets normally tend to show nocturnal behavior and you would observe them chirping loudly during night. You don't need to make special light arrangements as crickets are more active in the dark.
Crickets are insects therefore are cold blooded. There is a profound effect of the temperature of the surroundings on the usual activities of crickets. If temperatures fall too low crickets may become "dormant" i.e. they will become slow, chirp less and even grow at a slower pace. This may lead to slow increase in the number of crickets and may not help your process.
Crickets do well in a slightly warm environment and there a number of temperature control devices available in the market which can be used in the breeding containers. "Warmer" crickets grow quicker so you will have a large number of them in less time if you maintain ideal temperature.
Humidity or moisture content in the containers is also very important as dampness or high humidity may contaminate your culture. Mold formation becomes a serious issue and can destroy your culture. Adequate ventilation along with humidity control is vital for healthy colony formation.
Substrates included in your containers (if any) should not be soiled. Make sure you clean your containers on a regular basis to avoid humidity buildup.
You should keep in mind that health of your crickets ultimately decides the health of your pet. Whatever you feed your crickets during the breeding process enters your pet. If you make some effort by "gut loading" your crickets, more nutrition will be passed to your animal.
Crickets have a fairly large abdomen which can be filled with a number of nutrients essential for the healthy growth of your pet. You can select quality vegetables and fruits for your crickets or use powder food products that are available commercially. A water source also needs to be provided.
Remember that food particles and foul water may cause odor so you need to clean the containers and replace food and water frequently. You will definitely see a marked reduction in odor when the containers are clean and maintained.
The most important consideration to keep in mind before starting the breeding process is selecting container of the right size. You should not overcrowd the containers as crickets may start dying. There are no exact dimensions of the container but the size should have adequate space for the number of crickets you plan to house.
Crickets have a flattened body with long antennae on their heads. Male crickets are some what smaller than the females and are usually nosier. The interesting fact is that only male crickets make noise. If your breeding container gets loud there must be a lot of male crickets moving in them.
Crickets normally tend to show nocturnal behavior and you would observe them chirping loudly during night. You don't need to make special light arrangements as crickets are more active in the dark.
Crickets are insects therefore are cold blooded. There is a profound effect of the temperature of the surroundings on the usual activities of crickets. If temperatures fall too low crickets may become "dormant" i.e. they will become slow, chirp less and even grow at a slower pace. This may lead to slow increase in the number of crickets and may not help your process.
Crickets do well in a slightly warm environment and there a number of temperature control devices available in the market which can be used in the breeding containers. "Warmer" crickets grow quicker so you will have a large number of them in less time if you maintain ideal temperature.
Humidity or moisture content in the containers is also very important as dampness or high humidity may contaminate your culture. Mold formation becomes a serious issue and can destroy your culture. Adequate ventilation along with humidity control is vital for healthy colony formation.
Substrates included in your containers (if any) should not be soiled. Make sure you clean your containers on a regular basis to avoid humidity buildup.
You should keep in mind that health of your crickets ultimately decides the health of your pet. Whatever you feed your crickets during the breeding process enters your pet. If you make some effort by "gut loading" your crickets, more nutrition will be passed to your animal.
Crickets have a fairly large abdomen which can be filled with a number of nutrients essential for the healthy growth of your pet. You can select quality vegetables and fruits for your crickets or use powder food products that are available commercially. A water source also needs to be provided.
Remember that food particles and foul water may cause odor so you need to clean the containers and replace food and water frequently. You will definitely see a marked reduction in odor when the containers are clean and maintained.
The most important consideration to keep in mind before starting the breeding process is selecting container of the right size. You should not overcrowd the containers as crickets may start dying. There are no exact dimensions of the container but the size should have adequate space for the number of crickets you plan to house.