Do you want to keep your crickets alive longer? Do you need to find out What Not To Feed Crickets?
What do crickets in captivity normally eat? What do they eat in the wild? Which foods should they avoid?
In this article, we will discover what not to feed crickets.
What Not to Feed Crickets
Do not feed crickets acidic food. Anything with vinegar or citrus is harmful to them. Keep clear of anything that can create acidity or bubbles.
Baking soda will kill crickets. Pesticides on unwashed produce or outdoor plant mulch must be washed off. Mold grows on food and in cricket terrariums. Keep the food dry and allow for air circulation to prevent humidity.
What Foods To Avoid Feeding Crickets
Crickets like to eat almost anything we feed them. We can opt for an all-in-one paste that is sold in many pet shops to keep our crickets alive longer. The nutrition they receive in a pre-packaged container or jar of cricket food is sold to make our lives easier.
There are some foods you should avoid if you are undertaking the feeding process on your own. Here is a list of no-nos for crickets to eat:
- Vinegar
- Saltwater
- Citrus
- Baking Soda
- Oily foods
- Moldy or Rotting food
- Unwashed Fruits and Veggies
Vinegar
Do not feed your crickets anything with vinegar. This included pickled items.
Saltwater
Any foods that are left sitting in saltwater will be harmful for crickets. The water should be freshwater or rinse out any saltwater foods first.
Citrus
Avoid foods that are high in citrus. Lemons, oranges, limes or grapefruits should not be given to crickets unless you plan of killing them.
Baking soda
Keep baking powder or baking soda away from crickets that you wish to keep alive. The powerful killing agent dries them up from the inside and they perish quickly.
Oily foods
Any foods that are saturated in oil could clog up the insides of a cricket. Certain oils like cedar or neem are meant to kill crickets and other insects. Leave these oils out of the way to prevent contact and clogging of their respiratory systems.
Moldy or Rotting food
Anything that has been sitting around for a while could cause a cricket to die if they ingest the bacteria from mold or rotting food.
Unwashed Fruits and Veggies
Unwashed foods could contain pesticides on them. They will surely kill crickets in a a very short time.
What Do Crickets Love To Eat?
The list could be huge and debatable. We hear and listen to many cricket keepers who feed all sorts of food options to their crickets. We’ve collected the best answers and listed them below:
- Romaine lettuce
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Cricket chow
- Fruits
- Seed and Nuts
- Bread
- Cereal
- Pet food
- Chicken scraps
- Smaller insects
- Plant mulch
Romaine lettuce
Leftover salad and remnant of lettuce that you have washed an chopped would be great for crickets to consume its potassium, vitamin K and A.
Carrots
Peel carrots or cook them first. The beta carotene in carrots are very healthy for crickets and will keep them alive longer.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a great source of vitamins K and C. A little goes a long way. Make sure you wash them first.
Potatoes and Squash
Even the peels that you wash or soak will be safe and healthy for crickets to eat. Potatoes and squash provide healthy starches.
Cricket Chow
The easiest way to feed crickets is to simply buy specially formulated cricket food available in many pet shops.
Fruits
Try feeding peeled slices of washed apples, bananas, grapes, and berries. The water content in fruits keep them hydrated as well.
Seeds and Nuts
Seeds and nuts are small, healthy and nutritious. They contain good fats for your crickets to absorb.
Bread
Leftover bread that does not have mold on it is a great option for crickets who seem to eat just about anything.
Cereal
Cereal without sugar are easy to keep around and feed to crickets. Wheat germ, puffed rice or select grains can keep your crickets full.
Pet Food
Do you have any other pets? The dry kibble for dogs and cats is great to offer crickets as well. They are formulated with nutrition packed in every bite.
Veggies
Green veggies like mustard greens, broccoli and collard greens are very healthy to wash, cut up and offer to crickets.
Chicken Scraps
Your leftover chicken scraps will provide health protein for crickets. Raw chicken should be avoided.
Small Insects
Crickets eat small insects in the wild and you can offer them to your little guys as well. Give them live or dead ants and ladybugs if you can. They also eat larvae or pupae of insects.
Plant Mulch
Plant matter, stems, leaves or wild grass can be offered as a source of nutrition for crickets as well, but they need to free of pesticides.
How To Feed Crickets Safely
Prevent mold from developing on the food or the containers where you crickets are currently living. Clear all dead crickets. Keep the food dry as wet food creates mold.
Crickets will know when they are full. They will not overeat. If you are gut-loading crickets to feed them to another animals, dust them in calcium supplements before giving crickets to your pet.
What Should I Do When Feeding Crickets?
You need to prevent their food from getting mold and you must fight humidity. Both factors can kill crickets faster than their 2 month lifespan.
Crickets need air circulation and fresh food. 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, but provide aeration with holes or more ventilation.
Fresh produce can contain remnants of pesticides. Wash all foods thoroughly.
Conclusion
Crickets will eat almost anything you give them. The goal is to prevent mold, bacteria or pesticides from entering their captive habitat where you are raising them. They will live for 2-3 months under ideal conditions.
If you are keeping them as feeder insects for your reptiles, amphibians or fish, then sprinkle or dust them with calcium supplements to add an extra amount on nutrition when they are eventually offered as a meal.
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