Obtaining the feeder insects for a carnivorous pet can be the most difficult part of caring for one. If you have a mantis, tarantula, scorpion, or centipede as pet, you may learn how to keep a colony of feeder crickets at home by following the steps in this article.
It’s surprisingly simple to breed crickets at home, which is a terrific way to ensure a steady supply of crickets in various sizes for use in animal feeding. This blog post will help you with five easy maintenance tips to nurture crickets colony at home.
1. Housing
Where you put your crickets is entirely up to you. Crickets can be successfully bred in various containers, including ten and 20-gallon tanks and plastic tote bins. Ensure the sides are high enough so the crickets can’t leap out, or at least ensure the top is adequately aired.
Provide the 3/4-inch crickets with an egg crate for climbing and hiding, as well as food and water.
2. Food for the Crickets
Most insects, including crickets, will eat almost anything. What to feed crickets matters little in this case.
Using a cricket feed that is available for purchase is the simplest option for maintaining your cricket population at home. However, this may be pricey in the long term. If you don’t have any of those things, you can use ground dog or cat biscuits and sliced veggies or fruits.
Having a plentiful supply of protein is essential for a healthy cricket population. Protein should make up 15 and 30 percent of their daily caloric intake. Don’t overdo it with the protein; it could be harmful.
Use foods like carrots, cabbage, apples, and fruits like watermelon and papaya, which have a high water content and will make a bigger mess.
3. Maintain Proper Temperature
Crickets can survive in temperatures ranging from 68 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 35 degrees Celsius). If you can keep the temperature within that range, you won’t need to worry about cooling or heating them. Heat the enclosure with a heat mat or a light bulb if necessary.
Like all other insects, cricket develops more rapidly with high temperatures.
They come out at night, although crickets are nocturnal insects. They can function adequately in the dark. So you Don’t have to provide additional lighting.
4. Water
The water cricket is a species that has to drink often yet cannot survive in water that has been let to sit. Although preventing this with gravel, sponges, or cotton in water bowls is possible, these solutions rapidly become soiled. Ideally, you would use a commercially available gel pack or a water cushion.
Alternatively, you can use the water in fruits and vegetables, which will also offer you essential nutrients. Oranges excel in this respect more so than other fruits. If your orange slices are drying out too rapidly, try cutting many “entry holes” into a whole orange to keep the juices within for longer.
5. Cricket Enclosure Maintenance
The cricket cage should be cleaned every two weeks, depending on the population. You should eliminate the dead animals and clean up the poop, so mold and sickness don’t start growing. The cardboard should be changed whenever they become too dirty to use.
Final Thoughts
Farming crickets on a small scale at home is easy, requires little maintenance, and can yield significant profits.
I have made things as simple as possible for you. Therefore I have put up the most crucial facts for you here. Your turn has come now. Using these strategies, you can establish your micro-farm at home.