the best and cheapest suggestion for cricket keeping is to get a big [deep] rubbermaid bucket/bin with a lid, cut a big hole in the lid and use a hot glue gun to glue a piece of mesh screen to the underside of the lid. you can toss in the egg cartons that come with your crix so they have somewhere to hide. also, toss in some old paper towel tubes or toilet paper tubes. they will hide in there and make it easy for you to pick it up and shake a few into a plastic bag for their calcium shake n' bake. I was getting 250 a week, but that was getting expensive. now, I'm getting 500 every two weeks, which is a bit cheaper and saves on shipping charges. I'll look around for the site that has good pictures of how to set up the cricket bucket...I thought it was here, but I can't find it right now and I have to hit the sack -- early and long day tomorrow. check back here tomorrow night and I'll try to post the link for you. oh, and as far as letting your beardies run around the house...may not be a good idea unless you have some 105 degree basking sites for them. an hour or so is fine, but all day will probably end in disaster. they are far too curious a creature and will surely find something to get into that they shouldn't. I wouldn't trust your ig around them either.
The rubbermaid container with the screen in the top works great! I use it for my beardie's crix and I get a 1000 at a time and with some egg cartons in there it works awesome! I will try and find the link I used for the instructions! http://www.tncbeardies.com/Crickets.htm Here they are with pics Works great and cheap!
Yep, that's what I do. 8) But I don't even use the lid. I have a 32 gallon container and they can't climb out. I find the extra circulation really helps keep the smell under control. It really is great to have all the crickets I ever need right there in my storage closet. So convenient and cost effective.
thanks jnjsmom -- that was the link I was looking for! now I have it bookmarked for future reference 8-}
Well I don't take Celestrial out as much 'cause she looks so delicate but Silverspike sits on my shirt on top of my breasts and just basks there when i'm outside (outside is around 100 in the summer here) and if it gets too hot he crawls on to my shoulder and moves under my hair just sits there. He's so tame. i can let him stay there for hours while i go to stores and such lol but the whole "Lookie! That thing MOVED!" from the lil squeakie kids are getting on me and my mother's nerves (just came back from lil bros ball game lol) I got my crickets from ReptileFood.com I'll have to get one of those containers for the crickets. the iguana and dragons aren't usually together ever. a few times i had them out at the same time but that was because i was running out of time to do things. I watch my lizards pretty well when they are out and about, All doors are closed windows are shut and holes are blocked the dragons like running across the floor but they haven't figured out how to run on their hind legs yet. The iguana can, the lil she devil just jumps from the ceiling and hits the ground then takes off lol scared the crap out of my dad. but back onto the crickets i'll be going out later and i'll look into buying a container like that. i have left over screen from the iguana's outside cage so height wont matter.
lizards are quick lil buggers! mine is becoming an escape artist! I hope its soft screen! I used screen from and old screen that was in my garage when we bought our house and it was not soft and can you say OUCHIE? My poor fingers have never been the same! Ahhh well!! I take Jester out quite a bit and I get the squeeks too especailly when I take her to go get her crickets. I had a horde of kids following me around the pet store the other day.
eww! don't you hate that!! it's one thing to point and whisper but to follow you ACK! i feel like running back to the car and locking the doors when that happens but most the times people think it's a pin till they slightly turn their heads and stare at you then they jump and gasp. it's soft mesh. me and my mother had that debate over it when i brought it home but yes it is really soft, slightly flexible, but really strong (i tried ripping it)
Jester is a really even tempered beardie who doesnt stress out over anything really...lol. So I take her with me to get her crix usually becuase depending on who is working they will give her free silkies and what not...and ya cant beat free wormies! And she enjoys the outing! But holy crap the last time I went it was take your kid to the pet store day and even Jester was getting annoyed. Thankfully it wasnt too bad and shortly after I realized I had a following I found my retile guy and got my crix and got the heck outta there after I found my own kid whom I lost in the process. At least its soft! I dont remember if the site mentions this or not or if I read it on another site...but to help ensure no escapes put packing tape half way up. The crix cant climb over it . But ya gotta replace it every now n then as the dumb arse crix eat it. At least with soft screen ya wont have a bloody screen like I did lol!!
ewwwww lol but crickets are dumb mine have been commiting suicide by bashing into the walls over and over and ooovvveeerrr now theres lil blood dots all over the cage it was gross cleaning it earlier *shudders*
Everyone seems to think the only bad thing about calci-sand is the possibility of impaction. It's just awful stuff - for other reasons as well. When i first got my beardies three years ago the shop sold me calci-sand, they said it was best. But the problem i later found out when i had to take my female to the vet is that when they mess on the sand, it dries out so when you try to remove the messed area there is still traces of faeces there, then the beardies come along eat a bit of that area of sand and get really poorly. It's the same with any type of sand - the vet said just use newspaper or paper towels, which is also a whole lot cheaper than sand. Sicne then i've never had any problems
my vet and dana and loren at sundial reccomend using washed play sand at 8 inches of length. this debate could go on and on and it always does sand vs. everything else you have to pick what your comfortable with and stick with it.
That's true, there isn't gonna be a 100% right answer for everyone (though there are a few 100% wrong answers ). You learn as much as you can, take that information and make the decision you feel is best.
I use shelf liner, but mine is a light tan color so it looks like sand. Actually I have shelf liner over the entire floor and a sandbox at one end with playsand for my dragons in case they should want to wander onto it. My female Dragon Gummy will only poop on sand, while Le'Chuck, the male wil poop anywhere. They are in seperate cages too, but the general layout is pretty much the same for both. I keep my crickets in a 20 gallon tank under the dragon cages. I also feed silkworms, wax worms occasionally, superworms and king mealworms. Le'Chuck doesn't care for crickets, and will readily take any sort of worm, while Gums loves crix and rarely eats wormies. My snake eats mice, and I keep those in the freezer
