Posted by drachenfliege on September 02, 2002 at 10:50:08:
In Reply to: how to keep crickets well?? posted by allenhk on September 01, 2002 at 20:56:13:
Crickets are territorial and probably don't enjoy the neighbors. Always make sure that they have a comfortable amount of space to grow before adding new crickets. *Every square inch that another cricket is in is seen as at least four inches lost to the cricket who has to fight for food and breeding room. Crickets need fresh fruit and vegetables (peices of melon are good for giving them water since they can't have open water trays). Be careful when feeding them apples because they get apple juice on their anntennae and try to nibble themselves. Make sure that your current crickets have been settled in their home for a good long time and feel safe/well fed before you start increasing their numbers. Do they have potting soil or something to burrow into? When they start breeding (when they are about two weeks old) they will need a sandy sort of substrate to lay their eggs in. Part of their soil needs to be damp, but not wet or it will mold and your crickets will die.
:I keep my crickets in a 7'x4' terrarium. I have offered a cardboard as their hideaway, carrot, dried shrimp and worm as their food.The terrarium is always kept dry. However, there is always a 'massacre' whenever I buy a new bunch of crickets. Lots of crickets are dead after one night!!!
:How comes? fighting? poisoned? infected???
:Have I done anything wrong???
:Can I feed the crickets occasionally with ground cuttlefish bone??
:Thank you in advance for answering.
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