Breeding crickets

[reptileparadise]

I've tried breeding crickets for some time, but I never really got the hang of it. A lot of them died in the first days.
After a while, I got them through the first 2 or 3 sheds, but they just kept dying or dissapearing.

So I switched to Shelfordia tartara (spelling? ) or as they are called in holland, Red Runners.
They are red...and they run! Breeding them was just wonderfull! I bought 4 cricketcontainers (aprox 50 per container) and after 1,5 years, they where still thriving. Sadly, they are real escape artists so I got rid of them about a year ago. Even worse...I found one (adult female) last week...alive...So no more Red runners for me! Never!

After the red runner fiasco, I didn't have the guts to breed raoches. But a few months ago, I bought some B. dubia. Wonderfull animals. They take a lot of time to really get going, but when you have a nice colony, they should be excellent!
I have had them for two months now and I guess I've got around 200 to 300 babies. A few more months (5 or 6 or something) and I might start using them as food.

[Zephyr]

GO FOR THE FEEDER ROACHES!!!

Might I suggest B. discoidalis or B. dubia for your beardie and Blatta lateralis (Shelfordella tartara) for your tree frogs?

Lateralis are good escape artists, but this is only because they are good at finding faults in careless husbandry. Using a small sterilite container with micro screen glued for ventilation and about 3 inches between the top of any tank decoration/accessory, you should be able to keep them in their tank and breed them. Use some peat moss with potting soil for humidity as they are egg layers. Keep the temps at room temp for a good, steady flow of nymphs or higher for them to start cranking them out. These guys lay egg cases. VERY soft bodied and ideal for amphibians.

Discoids...
These are very easy to rear. They give live birth and need no substrate. They get to about 1 1/2 inches and are a favorite of beardies.

Dubias...
These, from personal and other's experience, either do really well or really badly. You will most likely be able to purchase adult males and females, and a few weeks after purchasing will find you are overwhelmed with bebies. XD
They are live bearing and can be cared for the same as discoidalis.

Contact Us
This page shows how feeder roaches are nutritionally superior to crickets. *Plus, there's a lot of back breaking labor in raising crickets, where roaches thrive on neglect. ;D* ((PLUS PLUS, 1 adult discoid or dubia = the size of 5-7 crickets.))

[Zephyr]

BTW, you can order some starter colonies from me.

[Sputnik]

BTW, you can order some starter colonies from me.

I'd take you up on that if you didn't live on the other side of the world!

Anyone know where I could get starter colonies from in the UK?
Do you know, almighty James? There isn't much you don't know the answer to...

[adamanteus]

Anyone know where I could get starter colonies from in the UK?
Do you know, James?

I can find out for you, Esther.

[Sputnik]

Thanking you very muchly.

[drache]

I just got into the roaches and I so much prefer them over crickets
I used to get 500 crix at a time and they smelled
I've got three roach species right now:
Blaptica Dubia, which are live bearers and can't climb (or escape)
Blatta Lateralis, which are egg layers and can't escape either and they're a cool colour
Nauphoeta cinerea - those can climb, but are easily foiled and they're live bearers too
all of these have required less work than crickets and breed relentlessly as long as they're kept warm enough

[Zephyr]

I love lobsters. ^^
I've got a colony 10000 strong. ^^

[jewel-dragons]

we breed roaches and crickets.... and that's going perfect....

[Loren]

I started with a few dubias a couple months ago- still waiting for the colony to build.
I have bred crickets in the past but found it to be alot of work. I'm sure there is a better system out there that makes it easier, but in the meanwhile I also started buying bulk- box of 500 half grown crickets for 8 or 9 bucks, lasts me for 2-3 weeks. So, I figure if I eat sandwiches instead of buying a lunch for a couple days at work each week, I can call it even.
I keep them in a large sterilite tub(66 qt?) with a large panel of screen taped over a large hole in the lid. Not really any escapes, and I feed them carrots and alittle bit of collared greens. They live really long for me that way.
I have also started cutting down on insect eaters- mostly just snakes on my wishlist anymore- and a separate shed for raising rodents.