Crickets are a common food source for lizards and other reptiles. However, frequent trips to a local cricket supplier can be costly, which is why many reptile owners choose to order crickets in bulk for food, or even breed and raise their own cricket colonies for convenience.
This option is preferable not only for convenience, but also because it gives owners the option to “gut load” the crickets (i.e., feed the crickets a nutritious diet and pass those nutrients on to the reptile as they eat). You can also dust the crickets with a multi-vitamin supplement before feeding them to your pet to ensure optimal nutrition.
To keep and eventually breed crickets, start with about 30. Keep the crickets in a container that allows air to flow but prevents escape. A plastic or glass container with a screen on the top works well, but choose the screen material carefully, as crickets can eat through nylon screens. Make sure the crickets have something to climb and places to hide.
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It’s very important to keep their living space warm. You can do this with a lamp or heater. Ideally, the temperature in the habitat should be kept at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, never below 70 degrees Fahrenheit or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also provide food and water for the crickets. However, crickets drown easily, so get a very shallow dish and place an “island” in the middle of it. Then use another shallow dish just for food. From this dish you can feed them store-bought cricket food and vegetables.
Once the habitat is ready, it’s time to prepare the breeding dish. You’ll need another container. It can be a 2-inch deep plastic storage container or something similar. Fill the container with lawn substrate purchased from your local pet store or backyard soil. Make sure the soil you use doesn’t contain any pesticides or other insects. Then fill the container with about 1.5 inches of water and place it in your cricket’s habitat.
In a few weeks, the crickets should lay eggs. Sift through the soil in the tray with your fingers to find the eggs. The eggs are usually laid about 1.5 cm deep in the soil. Once you are sure the crickets have laid eggs, remove the tray and place them in a container separate from the adult crickets. It is important to keep the adult crickets and larvae separate, as adult crickets tend to eat the larvae.
Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will be roughly the same size as the eggs, and you will eventually need to return the larvae to the main cricket habitat to become fully grown.
There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to keeping and breeding crickets.
- The crickets are chirping. They can be noisy, and although their chirping is soothing to some, be careful that it doesn’t become a nuisance to you or anyone else you live with.
- The crickets may escape. But don’t worry, a good way to regroup them is to lure them into a container with heat and food.
We hope you enjoy raising and breeding your own crickets, and we’re sure your reptiles (and wallet) will thank you!
