The right type and amount of cover will reduce cricket cannibalism
In the wild crickets are separated by large distances and unlikely to encounter each other (hence why they chirp to find a mate). It is not natural for thousands of crickets to be in close contact with each other in a small container. It is therefore essential that you keep food and water in good supply and provide lots of hiding places, otherwise they will start to cannibalize.
Below are some tips to increase cover for your crickets.
Below are some tips to increase cover for your crickets.- Egg cartons have a high surface area and provide lots of individual hiding spots. Another option is folding in half, cardboard apple cartons that are used to transport apples to supermarkets.
- Placing cartons vertically will prevent droppings from collecting in the pockets and prevents you having to shake them every day.
- Choosing a high sided cricket breeding container will allow you to use larger square shaped egg cartons found at fast food places such as fast food restaurants or egg farms. This will increase the surface area and make replacing them very quick as you don’t have to cut them in half or have trouble stacking them vertically.
- Crickets don’t generate their own heat and have trouble moving about at low temperatures. This makes them vulnerable to being eaten. To avoid this keep temperatures above 68 Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).
