Black Cricket Care Sheet

Black Crickets (Field Crickets) - Available in 6 sizes

Black crickets or Gryllus Bimaculatus are native to southern Europe. Their diet (progrub, bran and carrot) is vegetarian which means that they are safe to feed to animals and birds without risk of passing along the potentially fatal diseases present in meat fed larvae such as maggots.

Black crickets have similar qualities to brown crickets as a livefood and in nutritional terms are almost identical. Slightly larger than brown crickets they will withstand the high humidity required by certain reptile species better than the brown crickets.

Black crickets provide a highly nutritious diet (58.4% protein as a % of dry matter) for both birds and reptiles. Bred on Progrub, a protein rich meal blended specifically for cricket rearing by Livefoods Direct.

Because black crickets are a European field species, they are fairly hardy and travel reasonably well in moderately cold weather. However, the crickets may appear dead on arrival if temperatures fall below zero degrees Celsius in transit. If this should happen the crickets should be left in their shipping container and moved to a very warm room immediately. After 30 minutes the crickets should recover and can be handled and transferred to their storage container in the normal manner.

Black crickets are sold in a variety of sizes to suit all needs.

Feeding and Storage

Prepack and maxi packs of crickets should be stored in a cool, dark place at a constant temperature, preferably 18-20°C. A teaspoon of progrub may be added to prolong shelf life once the crickets have eaten the bran provided when packed.

Micro (hatchling) crickets are very prone to drying out and should always be given a source of moisture although a damp atmosphere or free water should be avoided. They can be stored in pre pack tubs unless you want to grow them.

Bulk crickets must be unpacked as soon as they arrive. To prevent escape, tip the contents of the bag or tub into a large plastic bucket and take the bucket outside.

Shake all the crickets off the cardboard into the bucket, and discard the cardboard.

When storing bulk crickets, It should be remembered that the larger instars (large or adults) are cannibalistic and more than capable of chewing their way out of and escaping from flimsy containers. Exo terra faunarium are a perfect container for medium, large and adult crickets and they are available in various sizes. They also do a small cricket keeper.

Livefood Accessories:

Exo Terra Small Cricket Keeper

Exo Terra Std. Small Faunarium

Cut several egg trays (the kind you see in supermarkets) so they can lay on their side in the box provided but so that the top of the trays are at least 3” below the rim of the container. This will give the crickets space to perch, hide and moult safely.

Provide a feeding dish of progrub on the floor of the box next to the egg trays. Put some sliced carrot on top of the egg trays AWAY FROM THE PROGRUB. This can be replenished every couple of days, but any old uneaten carrot should be removed to prevent fruit fly infestations. Also add a feeding dish containing solid water gel or a jelly pot for moisture. Keep the container at a temperature of 18-22 °C.

Jelly Pots

Insects are living beings. It is our responsibility to ensure that the customer receives their insects in as perfect a condition as possible. After this, they become the responsibility of the customer. They should be treated with the same care and respect as the birds or animals that will consume them. If customer do not care for their insects, we cannot be responsible if they perish prematurely. We can not guarantee a shelf life for bulk Livefoods because we have no control over the methods employed by customers to care for them.

Crickets are going to escape – it’s a fact of life. Fortunately, they are extremely sensitive to insecticides.

When it comes to feeding crickets most lizards, frogs, toads, salamanders and some small snakes and turtles, crickets are probably the single most widely- utilized food in the world. When you consider that they’re also used as food for arachnids, birds, fish and some small mammals, and a fishing bait, you can just imagine the incredible number of crickets which are gobbled up every day.

Crickets are usually available in several different sizes. The smallest size is a hatchling which also can be called a “pin head” are just a couple of days old and are very tiny. They are comparable in size to fruit flies and likewise are easily handled even by such small animals as newly – metamorphosed froglets. Then there is a range of sizes from smalls to adults depending on what you are feeding.

Shipping Live foods in the winter months EXTREME COLD WEATHER (OVERNIGHT 0C OR LOWER)

Live foods recovery advice:

Your Livefoods may be totally dormant on arrival and may appear to be dead.

- Move them immediately to the warmest spot in your home, (room temperature)

- Leave them in this area overnight if needed.

- Don’t handle your livefoods unnecessarily until they are fully recovered

Bulk bags are for transportation, once your livefoods are moving normally, handle and store them in the normal manner.

Remember. Your livefoods may appear dead but 90% of the time they will recover if you follow this advice.

A Pie Chart showing the Nutritional Breakdown of A Black Cricket