Common Name(s): Brown Cricket, Commercial Cricket, Cricket

Size: Pinhead (1/16"), 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" 3/4", Full Grown (1")

Description: Crickets are commonly found in most pet stores. They are used as a standard feeder for most insectivorous pets. With a wide range of sizes and cheap production costs, crickets have become a popular staple.

Unfortunately, freshly shipped crickets are usually not very nutritionally complete. One way to help improve this is to feed the insects high quality foods prior to feeding the insects to your pet. This process is called gutloading. Gutloading should take place for 24-48 hours prior to when you intend to feed the insects to your pet. This requires some planning, but is well worth it. Please note that gutloaded insects should still be dusted with calcium and vitamins as per your veterinarian's recommendations.

Crickets can live a variable amount of time depending on what size they were when purchased. As a general rule of thumb aim to keep no more then you can use in 2-4 weeks. To care for crickets keep them in a warm place (average room temperature is good) and have food available constantly. There are many gutloads or cricket diets available that are safe to feed to the crickets constantly. Also, some of the gutloads and diets contain the moisture required for the crickets, usually coming in cubes that resemble gelatine. Another option is to feed fresh fruits and vegetable to the crickets, as this provides them with nutrition and moisture. You may also use cotton balls placed in small cup or lid filled with water to help prevent the crickets from drowning. Please make sure to wash the fruits and vegetables carefully as they could still have pesticides on them that will kill the crickets. Also, which fruits and vegetables you feed to the crickets will affect their nutritional value, so vary it as much as possible. Do not let mouldy food sit in the cricket container, as mouldy food has been linked to many problems and deaths in otherwise healthy animals.

Our crickets are shipped out in cardboard boxes with egg crates inside. The crates allow the crickets room to hide from each other, and as such should be transferred to the place you intend to store your crickets as they can become cannibalistic. Do not store your crickets in the shipping box, or in another cardboard container, as hungry crickets will eat through it. Glass or plastic storage containers, such as Tupperware or old aquariums are perfect for storing crickets.

Additional Comments: Crickets are commonly available and cheap to purchase, but are notorious for their noise and smell. Gutloaded crickets make a good staple food item. Be sure to continue to dust them accordingly. If gutloading and dusting is used, crickets are a great addition your pet's varied diet. No pet should be fed a diet consisting of only one type of feeder insect.

We strive to provide you with the freshest crickets available and the sizes you request. As such, crickets may have a delay of up to one week on all orders to ensure we can provide you with fresh, healthy crickets of the appropriate sizes. We do not recommend ordering full sized crickets as they do not ship well and usually only last less then one week.

Crickets, although easy to culture, are not recommended due to the space required and the smell. If you are interested in culturing your own crickets please visit one of the many sites that will give you details on how to do it.

*All sizes and shelf lives are approximate.

LARGES TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE: Crickets (Pinhead, 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 1")