Basic rules for breeding crickets at home

Crickets are jumping orthoptera insects, they are also mistakenly called grasshoppers. Sounds are produced by rubbing the elytra. Moreover, only males emit them, scaring away other males or inviting females to mate. This type includes:

• Real;
• Field;
• Brownies;
• Stem Far Eastern;
• Ants;
• Common ant lover.

The tropics are considered the homeland of crickets. Although many species have adapted and can live anywhere. For example, the field cricket feels great in the steppe or forest-steppe zone. This rather noticeable insect with a black, seemingly polished body can settle very close to human habitation. The house species can even live in an artificial environment next to a person.

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Growing insects as a business, report from the farm

In Asia, insects have long been eaten. This is not news, but still unusual for a European. When Russian tourists come to China or Thailand and see spots with fried insects on the market, the typical reaction is to take a photo or quickly move away. The bravest ones try it mainly for the sake of an unusual photograph for social networks. But since the locals eat them, it means they are grown somewhere. IQ Review visited a farm where crickets and butterfly pupae are raised for sale. Our report today is about the insect business.

This insect farm is located in Thailand in the Pattaya suburb of Huai Yai. It supplies products to local markets, where Thais and tourists from all over the world buy them.

Apparently, the beetle business is going well - land here is expensive. Of course, this is not the first line from the sea, but only 5 km. For comparison, a good home in this area costs $120,000. The owners' house is simple, combined with a farm. However, they have another piece of land at some distance, intended for breeding insects.

Mostly crickets are grown here for food. They are the ones rummaging around in the box in the photo. Here's the view from above.

Egg cells are used specifically. Insects gnaw holes in them and lay eggs, which fall to the next layer - this makes it easier to separate generations. They are fed pumpkin.

Here's a short video of what the farm looks like from the inside.

When the insects lay eggs, the larvae are separated directly from the cells and transplanted into separate boxes.

Insects grow quickly, a lot of them grow. This photo shows only a small part of what falls out of the cells when you shake them.

You may ask why insects don't try to escape from open boxes. Well, they don’t know that their original box is part of the business of growing them for food! They feel at home. All the conditions - warmth, as much light as needed and food - what more could a cricket want?

This video is not for the faint of heart. The box has been shaken a little, and the beetle catch is being prepared for sale.

Here is a bucket full of insects.

Next, the live goods are packaged and weighed. Here's how it happens.

The bugs scurry around in the bag... not for long. Like any living beings, without oxygen they suffocate. But it's for their own good. It's much better than dying in boiling oil.

In addition to crickets, butterfly pupae are sold here. They look like healthy larvae. We were not allowed to see the growing process. The goods were sold already dead.

SUMMARY

Raising insects costs next to nothing. Once you invest money in space and mesh boxes, you spend only on electricity and vegetables. The same customer base buys regularly. The product remains fresh for 2-3 days. There are several points selling insects in Pattaya. There are no millions here, but the demand is stable.

Additionally, you can raise chickens. It is not profitable to buy insects to feed poultry and livestock. A kilo of beetles costs $3, and a kilo of rice costs less than $1. But for homestead farming it is quite suitable. Visually, the owners of this business live well: they have iPhones and an indispensable attribute of the Thai middle class - a new pickup truck. Even 2 pickups.

We went to the farm with the owner of a small shop selling fried insects. After the purchase we were given a business card - come again!

Ananya bought a nearby market stall with bugs. The family business of the previous owners was going well, but not well enough to support all five family members. As a result, they quarreled and decided to sell their point.

About 3 kg of insects are sold per day - fried crickets and butterfly pupae. Their purchase price is $10. A plate of approximately 80 grams costs $0.6. The only expenses for cooking are oil, sauce and gas for frying. The outlet sells not only fried beetles, so it is not possible to calculate exact figures on profit and profitability.

The larvae are rich in protein. They taste like seeds. Bon appetit!

Life history of a species in a zoo

In the Moscow Zoo, the house cricket has been bred since the mid-80s of the last century as a food insect. It is included in the diet of many amphibians and reptiles. The house cricket can be seen on display in the Birds and Butterflies pavilion at the Insectopia exhibition.

As feeding insects, house crickets are kept in large groups of 500 or more same-aged individuals in each cage. The cages are filled with cardboard egg pads to create a larger area, allowing the crickets to spread out throughout the cages.

Temperature of keeping and breeding +30°+32° C. Dry food (a mixture of bran and gammarus) is poured onto the bottom of the cages instead of the substrate. Juicy food (grated vegetables) is distributed evenly over the cage area once a day. Crickets drink water from wet filter paper. When air humidity is low, the cages are sprayed with water daily.

Text author: N. N. Vasyukova

Feeding the crickets

In the wild, the cricket feeds on pieces of plants, small insects, and dead arthropods. Some individuals do not disdain cannibalism and destruction of the clutches of their relatives. But what to feed crickets at home?

When kept in captivity, the following is suitable food for crickets:

• finely chopped vegetables and fruits;
• greens, tops, burdock and dandelion leaves;
• milk in powder form, including infant formula;
• oatmeal and bran;
• food for cats and dogs;
• boiled chicken egg;
• boiled lean meat.

How to water crickets? Some experts suggest installing a drinking bowl, but this is not entirely safe: young individuals drown in them, females lay eggs, and it’s quite easy to turn it over. Another option - spraying one corner with a spray bottle - entails a persistent increase in humidity, and, as a result, the appearance of mites. Therefore, to save yourself from problems, you just need to give enough juicy and wet food, forgetting about drinking bowls and spraying. But we should not forget: lack of moisture will lead to death or cannibalism.

Do crickets need water?

There is no need to give water to crickets separately. After all, they get the moisture they need from wet food. But if it’s really hot outside or indoors, the temperature is above +30 degrees, and you’re worried about the health of your cricket, you can lightly moisten the walls of the container with a spray bottle. From the drops on the walls, crickets will be able to drink and quench their thirst. If you nevertheless decide to place a drinking bowl with water in the container with your pet, be sure to place a piece of foam rubber or a gauze napkin near it, which could absorb moisture if water spills.

Cricket lifestyle

Crickets belong to the suborder Longwhiskers, order Orthoptera and number more than 2000 species. They are able to adapt well to environmental conditions, feeling comfortable both in the hot, humid tropics and in practically barren, dry areas.

The house cricket, Acheta domestica, lives naturally in the desert areas of North Africa, where water is available only in the form of dew drops and there is virtually no vegetation. What do crickets eat in the wild? In such modest conditions, the desert inhabitant does not disdain anything; he feeds on the organic remains found, even those that have long dried up.

Persistently digging in the sand, it looks for eggs, larvae and pupae of other insects. At home, in dark basement corners or under the floor of a hut, the cricket behaves the same way and actively destroys flea nests and cockroach broods. What do crickets eat at home?

How to get rid of field cricket?

To avoid the appearance of field crickets, the soil needs to be dug up in spring and autumn. This will help eliminate insect larvae. It is also important to carry out regular cleaning of the site, removing construction and household waste, since crickets can use it as shelter for the winter.

If necessary, you can use insecticides, among which the most popular are:

• "Karbofos";
• "Nemabakt";
• "Antonem-F".

It is recommended to give preference to biological preparations, since they do not harm plants and do not pose a threat to people or pets. The disadvantages of such products are usually high cost or slightly lower effectiveness.

Please note that the field cricket is on the verge of extinction in some places, so it is not recommended to destroy it, as this can lead to the complete loss of the insect species, in addition, in some cities this may be prohibited by law.

Description and area of ​​residence

The true cricket is a typical representative of the family of Orthoptera jumping insects. Its close relatives are grasshoppers and locusts. The insect has an elongated body, a large head, and a gnawing type mouthparts. The antennae are long, thread-like, and vision is well developed. The hind legs with thickened thighs allow them to push off when jumping.

The elytra are dense, leathery, the wings are fan-shaped with veins. Females have an ovipositor, which they use to cut through stems to lay eggs. Few people know what a cricket looks like, but they have heard its chirping at dusk. It creates its trills by rubbing the elytra. The faster the vibration, the higher the sound. The special structure of the elytra makes it possible to produce sounds in a wide range.

The insects are widespread in Asia, Europe, North Africa and America. In Australia they are found only in Adelaide, where they were introduced from other countries. They find cracks for housing, dig holes or hide under stones. Activity falls in the summer months, because at temperatures below +21 0 insects become lethargic and stop feeding. The love of warmth forced crickets to seek refuge in human habitation. With the onset of autumn, they move into houses, heated warehouses and industrial buildings.

Habitat and lifestyle

House crickets live where there is human habitation. They prefer places with high humidity and natural shelter. The life of a cricket directly depends on temperature:

• at +30 ℃ they are active, hunt, chirp, and are able to reproduce;
• below +20 ℃ life processes slow down, mobility decreases;
• Around 0℃, crickets hibernate.

The male defends his territory from invasions, engaging in fierce battles with rivals.

Interesting fact! In a fight with an opponent, the cricket often loses its elytra (one or both). Having lost the ability to make sounds and attract a female, the male loses the ability to reproduce.

How often to clean the cricket container

To prevent bacteria and germs from multiplying in the container, it is recommended to clean your pet’s house at least 1-2 times a week. During this time, he should be placed in a temporary house. But if you notice that its abdomen is swollen, and an unpleasant odor emanates from the container itself, you should not limit yourself to cleaning alone. Your pet could become infected with microsporidia and you will need to disinfect its home.

Unsanitary conditions for keeping crickets encourage the development of mites, and this can lead to the death of your unusual creature. Therefore, do not ignore cleaning, and if you have already got a cricket, keep it not only comfortable, but also clean.

Financial part

The project for growing crickets is also interesting in the sense that it is quite profitable and simple. A beginner will not have to invest large sums of money to set up a farm. The purchase of equipment is not required, and 1-2 people are sufficient. The cost of the product is very low and fluctuates around $2 per 1 kg of weight.

The profitability of the project is considered high, since even at the lowest prices, you can receive up to 100 thousand dollars per year from a small farm. And the purchase of inventory, containers and other unforeseen expenses will cost no more than 25,000. That is, already from the first batches of sold products in any form, you can return the investment.

Video: how to breed and keep crickets?

Insect nutrition

In their natural environment, crickets feed on fresh grass shoots and bush leaves. Having settled on the site and significantly increased the population, they will begin to harm garden crops. Adults prefer to nibble on seedlings rather than weeds. Their diet is not limited to plant foods; insects require protein for development. Its source is small insects, corpses or their own offspring.

What does a cricket eat when it finds itself at home? In this case, he shows omnivorousness, eating crumbs of bread, droplets of liquid dishes and drinks, pieces of vegetables and fruits with equal pleasure. Meat or fish that falls on the floor will also be eaten by the little neighbors. Showing the instincts of a hunter, they can catch flies or small invertebrates that end up in the house.

Many seemingly harmless insects turn out to be a source of danger, so the question often arises: do crickets bite? You can rest assured about night singers, they don’t bite people. The jaws of the gnawing type are not adapted for attacking large objects; moreover, aggressiveness is shown only towards males in foreign territory.

Nutritional Features

Today, modern man has been able to tame even such a small insect as a cricket. The purpose of his breeding was melodic tunes, which he produces with particular regularity. In order to raise a full-fledged individual at home and count on offspring, you need to know the rules of nutrition and tirelessly follow the recommendations below.

So, crickets are omnivores, so it is quite acceptable to experiment with the menu, adding or removing new dishes each time. Leftover fruit is considered a favorite delicacy, and you can give food that is not the freshest. Crickets will definitely be grateful for such vitamins, especially since they are not particularly selective in their food consumption.

In addition, you can pamper the insect with oatmeal and crackers, which they will happily eat. Any crumbs will be welcome, and the cricket doesn’t need much to feel full and start singing its catchy trill again. The diet may also contain coarse fiber in the form of a bunch of dry grass to normalize intestinal function. So it is important to observe all these subtleties and not deviate from the diet suggested above.

If you decide to grow crickets at home, you can use an old aquarium as a house, with an even layer of soil and substrate placed on the bottom. The presence of branches and dry grass is also necessary, otherwise the trill of the insect will not be heard.

Soft caterpillars and pupae can also make up the cricket's daily menu, but it is advisable to offer such ingredients in strictly limited quantities for the normal functionality of the digestive system. Insects also love leaves of all plants, dandelions, unripe grass seeds and clover leaves.

If it is crickets that are bred at home, then the adults feed well from the feeder, while it is advisable for the young to distribute the food over the entire surface of the soil. Over time and as the individuals grow older, the need for this disappears, but at first it is important to control so that the inexperienced insect does not starve.

Nowadays, special plant-based foods predominate on the market, providing a full range of minerals, vitamins and microelements. The presence of protein as the main organic compound is very important, since a deficiency of this element leads to the non-viability of laid eggs. Moreover, the female quickly eats them, so it is best to use boiled chicken protein in the diet.

Many crickets, accustomed to living at home, eat synthetic food from fish, dogs and cats, and such an unusual diet in no way affects their viability or reproductive function. Milk can be offered as a drink, but this is at the choice of the breeder himself.

Reproduction

Reproduction of crickets occurs when the insects create comfortable conditions and an abundance of food. In a population, there must be at least 4 females per 1 male, otherwise deadly struggles and deafening crackling are guaranteed. A small container (4 cm deep) is placed in the container, into which wet peat, sand or plain soil is placed. Soon the females will lay their eggs here. To avoid destruction of the clutch by males, this container should be covered with a fine mesh or strainer. Soon the larvae will appear, which after a few molts will become adults.

Raising crickets at home is a fairly simple task. The main thing is to create suitable conditions - temperature, humidity and refreshment, and then give your pets the required amount of food: dry and wet. Females are quite undemanding to conditions, so very soon the population will begin to rapidly increase.

What do crickets look like?

Grows from 15 to 25 cm in length. The color of the cricket is brown-red, there are 3 light stripes on the head. The wings are well developed and help the insect to fly short distances.

What do crickets look like?

It is easy to determine which sex of a cricket is in front of your eyes; the female has an ovipositor on her abdomen, which looks like a long caviar.

Life cycle and reproduction

Within a month after hatching, they reach sexual maturity. The banana cricket photo, which can be seen on the Internet, is capable of reproducing at any time of the year. Under appropriate conditions and care.

They do not have a pupal stage, so development occurs in the following stages:

• Egg;
• Larva;
• Adult.

Insects can reproduce only at a consistently warm temperature. They cannot tolerate heat or cold. After mating, the female is ready to lay eggs; she does this in places protected from prying eyes. Under stones, in the soil, in the ground (if in a terrarium). The eggs are small in appearance, 2-2.5 mm, yellowish in color and curved in shape, similar to bananas.

At a temperature of 28 degrees, a healthy adult female can lay up to 700 eggs in one season.

Temperature has a particular influence on how long the female will walk and how quickly the eggs hatch. The higher it is, the faster the development takes place. When the temperature is stable, the eggs hatch in 1-12 weeks. The larva needs to go through about 12 molts to become an adult. When breeding, you need to take this into account. For 1 male, you need to add 4-5 females. Then all insects will be comfortable.

Relationships with a person

Cricket
A very difficult topic for cricket. In Japan, it was customary to keep these insects at home in miniature cages. In Asia they are specially bred for food; in North America they are used as bait. In Russia today, many exotic animal lovers keep reptiles that eat crickets. Owners of these cold-blooded animals, along with reptiles, usually breed crickets as food for their pets.

If a cricket suddenly appears in a multi-storey building in the city center, you can be sure that it has escaped from a pet reptile lover. Much less often such escapes occur from insect lovers due to the fact that they also prefer to keep exotic crickets.

Sales channels

Not everyone will be able to immediately understand why crickets should be grown and who can buy them. But it turns out that even in Russia there are areas where this product is in great demand:

• feeding exotic animals (chameleons, spiders, hedgehogs);
• as bait for fishing;
• feed for birds;
• Dietary supplements based on chitinous substances;
• protein nutrition for athletes;
• exotic types of cuisine, in which fried cricket or various dishes based on flour made from it are popular;
• insect waste is often used as fertilizer for agricultural land.

To increase profits, you can simultaneously think about restaurant dishes and open a small eatery where our people will try exotic types of food. You don’t even have to go to Thailand or China to do this.

If there is a chance to export, then profits will increase significantly. Thus, in Canada and the USA, cricket is especially valued as fishing bait. And also throughout the world and in Asia in particular, cuisine based on insects, snakes and other exotics is popularized. The volume of crickets and cockroaches that, say, are grown in China is not enough to cover the needs of the local population. And you can become an importer!

Types of crickets and creating the necessary conditions for them

The success of cricket breeding depends on how successfully the conditions were created and the maintenance was organized. Insects must receive enough nutrition and be in an environment close to their natural habitat. In this case, you can expect the crickets to lead an active lifestyle and increase their population. If the conditions are unsuitable, then pets can even kill each other.

Ideally suited for home maintenance:

1. House crickets are the most common species in captivity. They are small in size and are most often bred for food. With the onset of evening and until morning they can emit ringing trills.
2. Banana. The species is characterized by a high reproduction rate and love of warmth.
3. Two-spotted. A dry microclimate and relatively low air temperature suit them: 23° C will be quite enough for insects.

The two-spotted cricket is larger than the house cricket: its body can reach 3 cm

Keeping crickets involves paying attention to the characteristics of each species. But there are also general recommendations that are universal in any situation.

Container

The first step is to take care of the container for growing crickets. Any container made of plastic, glass or chipboard can serve as an insectarium. The main thing is that its area is at least 60x40 cm, and its height is more than 30 cm. In such a space, insects will feel comfortable.

People who know first-hand how to breed crickets at home advise placing boxes with cells intended for eggs on top of each other in the cage. This trick increases the useful area, and the number of pets will increase. In addition, the cells remind crickets of burrows - shelters that they dig in life in the wild. For young individuals that have recently been born, crumpled paper is suitable. Dry fish food mixed with oatmeal, peat, sand, and bran is suitable as a primer. But you don’t have to pour it in.

To illuminate the container, incandescent lamps with a power of 25 to 40 W are used. They will not only create light, but also be a source of heat. A 16-hour daylight period is sufficient for crickets to thrive.

Microclimate

The microclimate suitable for crickets consists of two important indicators:

The optimal temperature depends on the species. For example, the heat-loving banana cricket does well when it is above 26°C, although it would prefer a reading between 28°C and 37°C. For house and two-spotted crickets, a temperature of 23 °C is suitable. The higher the air temperature, the better the health of chirping pets and the more intensive their growth. But at the same time they need more food and more frequent bedding changes. Air humidity should be at least 40–50%

This value is especially important for cricket eggs, which can simply die in dry soil. Therefore, the substrate with masonry must be constantly moistened

If the humidity is too high, then mites will appear in the insectarium, and this will mean the possible death of the crickets.

Once suitable conditions have been created, the first residents can be allowed into the container.

Varieties of crickets

Thousands of species of these insects are found in nature, mostly inhabitants of the tropics and subtropics. In hot and humid climates there are large individuals that are bought for their spectacular appearance. Among the numerous types of crickets, the most widespread are:

field cricket

Insects lead a solitary lifestyle; they settle in meadows and fields, as well as light pine forests. The field cricket digs a hole up to 20 cm deep and 2 cm in diameter. It jealously guards its home, not allowing other males to approach it. The body is black (rarely brown), smooth and shiny. The head is round on the forehead with 3 simple eyes (ocelia). The field cricket feeds on leaves, seeds, grass roots, and small invertebrates. The body length of the male is 20-23 mm, the female is slightly smaller - 17-21 mm.

The entrance to the hole is masked with a tuft of grass. If the male's chatter does not scare away the uninvited guest, a fight begins. During fights, crickets bump their foreheads, jump on each other, and try to bite off an antennae or paw. A male without part of his limbs is considered a lower creature; he will not be able to fertilize females. Field crickets have many natural enemies, so they are very shy and cautious; when they hear noise, they hide in a hole.

Poorly developed wings do not allow the insect to fly, so it searches for food by running on the ground. During the mating period, females leave home and go in search of a partner. To attract them, males emit ringing trills while sitting near their burrows. A fertilized female lays hundreds of eggs in the ground. After a month, the larvae appear and will have to molt several times before turning into a mature cricket. With the onset of winter, the larvae hibernate in the burrows; by May of next year they will turn into adults.

You can meet field musicians in Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. Due to frequent droughts, the number of these insects is constantly decreasing.

Interesting fact. Crickets' hearing organs are located on their front legs; they pick up sound waves and vibrations. To hear better, the insect raises one limb upward.

House cricket

This is the only species that voluntarily coexists with humans. Insects find shelter, food and a favorable climate in houses. Previously, they settled in the warmest place - behind the stove. In modern conditions, it has been replaced by central heating pipes. Insects prefer to spend the warm season outside; they move into houses and basements in September.

The insect's homeland is Central Asia and North Africa, and will spread to colder areas, thanks to its close proximity to people. The house cricket is similar to a grasshopper with a flat body. Its size is 16-25 mm, the female’s ovipositor is 11-15 mm. The main body color is yellowish-brown, with noticeable dark spots and stripes on the back, abdomen and head. The wings are well developed, the insect actively uses them for flight. There are 3 pairs of legs, thickened thighs on the hind legs help to jump long distances.

Interesting. The antennae of crickets are an organ of touch; their length exceeds the size of the body.

Only night trills allow people to notice the appearance of an insect in the house. Are reconciliations dangerous for humans or pets? They are completely safe - they do not bite, are not poisonous, and do not damage furniture or things. The only concern is the chirping at night. Insects feed on the remains of human food and catch invertebrates. They need moist places to reproduce. The peak of sexual activity is observed in the summer, but egg laying and breeding continues in human housing.

Having received an unexpected neighbor, people wonder how long does a cricket live in the house? The life of the imago (adult) is short; it will disturb with its trills for no more than 3 months.

Interesting fact. There are many signs and superstitions associated with the appearance of a cricket in the house. Among the Slavs, this is a symbol of imminent marriage, recovery or improved well-being. It was strictly forbidden to kill an insect, otherwise the person would face an imminent illness and other misfortunes.

Stem cricket

The common stem cricket or trumpeter lives in the steppes and foothills, preferring to settle on bushes. Representatives of this species can be found in the steppe part of Russia, the Caucasus, northern Kazakhstan and southern Siberia. The color of the insect is from greenish to light brown. The body length of an adult (imago) is 9-14 mm, the size of the ovipositor is 6-8 mm. In the normal state, the wings are folded behind the back. The hind legs are covered with small spines.

The common trumpeter waits out the hot day under the leaves; active trills calling for females are heard in the evening and at night. Insects are phytophages; they feed on plant foods.

Attention. When ovipositing, females cut plant stems to place eggs in them. If insects settle in large numbers in a tobacco field or vineyard, they cause significant damage to the planted crops.

The eastern trumpeter is a species found in the Russian Far East, Japan and China. The insect has an elongated body of a light green color, with a dark stripe visible on the abdomen. The elytra are short and transparent. The brown antennae are much longer than the body. The trumpet size is 11-13 mm. The female lays eggs in the stems and petioles of leaves; the larvae appear in July.

banana cricket

The field cricket (Gryllus assimilis) is common in Central America. His homeland is Jamaica. This is one of the largest representatives of the family. Adults reach sizes of 18-25 mm. In favorable conditions they breed all year round. Individuals reach sexual maturity in 1 month. Insects eat plant foods and invertebrates, and there is cannibalism among them. When there is a lack of food, insects eat eggs and larvae.

Interesting fact. The males of this species chirp less than others, for which they are nicknamed “silent crickets.”

Their rapid growth and large size have made these insects the subject of breeding for pet food. Crickets are a favorite part of the diet for turtles, lizards, reptiles and birds.

Breeding crickets May 22, 2012 12:58 #325

alexeo Offline Regular Thanks received: 47

Does anyone have experience in raising crickets at home? Help me please. :Save: Answer a few questions. There is a container measuring 60x40x40 cm, is this enough? (I used oatmeal as a soil, covering an egg carton) How many crickets are needed for stable growth of the colony? In the corner of the container, I placed a small cage: 20x10x6 cm for laying larvae, filled it with quartz sand. How to determine which of them are females and which are males? )) At what period do they begin to sing and courtship? Do they need any special temperature regime for this? In general, I will be glad to listen to any advice and nuances on this topic.

Do you need a miracle? Do it yourself! Our diary The administrator forbade posting entries to guests.

Prevention of crickets

Even if the war with insects did not end in their favor, it is worth taking the necessary measures to prevent crickets from repopulating the area. The main measures to protect your home and garden from invasion by uninvited guests are:

• use of mosquito nets on windows;
• timely removal of food waste;
• maintaining a normal level of humidity in the room;
• closing all small holes and cracks in walls, windows and floors;
• installation of special grilles on ventilation openings;
• maintaining order in the local area and timely removal of garbage;
• arrangement of compost heaps as far as possible from residential premises.

What does the house cricket (house cricket) eat?

Under natural conditions, the basis of the menu of house crickets is any plant food. However, insects require protein supplements in their diet. They satisfy this need by attacking small invertebrates, eating dead insects of other species, or even attacking their own kind. Quite often, young individuals of crickets become an additional dish for an adult relative, and eating egg clutches is common.

Once in human homes, crickets gain access to a limitless source of food. House crickets enjoy eating pieces of vegetables, fruits or bread crumbs left after breakfast, lunch or dinner. If a cockroach or other small insect gets in the way of a house cricket, it will certainly become part of its diet. No less attractive to crickets are droplets of any drinks consumed by humans, with the exception, of course, of alcohol.

On a note

Many exotic lovers buy crickets for their home and enjoy their wonderful third in the evenings. In fact, the idea is good, but such a pet also requires systematic care. If a cricket lives in an old aquarium, then the soil layer needs to be updated once every 2 to 3 days, otherwise the insect may die.

The diet of domestic crickets should be as varied as possible, and there are no problems with this. Insects feed on everything from the common table, are particularly stable in their digestion and are unpretentious in their daily diet. Over time, the breeder can observe how taste preferences and so-called “favorite dishes” are developed.

The tops of garden plants are an integral part of the daily menu, since it is coarse fiber that allows for the timely regulation of the natural digestion process of this representative of Orthoptera. For some individuals, sweet corn sticks, burdock and lettuce leaves become their favorite foods.

To prevent food from spoiling and rotting in the aquarium, it is recommended to feed crickets 1-2 times a day in moderate portions. It is advisable to chop the fruits on a fine grater, and dry the herbs and pre-cut them into short pods.

In fact, crickets are very friendly insects, which, unlike moths, aphids and mosquitoes, cannot be called household pests. They coexist perfectly with humans and become an inexhaustible source of relaxation and inspiration.

References:

1. Gorokhov, A.V. Life forms of crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) of Central Asia / Gorokhov A.V. // Entomol. review – 1979.- T.58, No. 3.- P.506-521.
2. Gorokhov, A.V. On the morphological criteria of the genus in crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) / Gorokhov A.V. // General entomol. – L.: Science – 1986. – T. 68. – P. 17-19.
3. Zhantiev, R.D. Bioacoustics of insects / R.D. Zhantiev. – M.: Publishing house Mosk. University, 1981. – 256 p.
4. Zhuravlev, Yu.D. Insect cultures used for feeding amphibians and reptiles in the terrarium of the Almaty Zoo / Zhuravlev Yu.D., Pugacheva N.A. // Scientific research in zoological parks. – M., 1994. – Issue. 4. – pp. 110-111.
5. Knyazev, A.N. Developmental cycle of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus Deg. (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) under laboratory conditions / Knyazev A.N. // Entomol. review – 1985. –T.64, Issue 1. – P. 58-74.
6. Yasyukevich, V.V. Cultivation of crickets for feeding exotic animals / Yasyukevich V.V., Rivkin L.E. .// Scientific materials - practical conf. Animal culture and biological resources. – M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK., 2005. – pp. 146-148.
7. Alexander RD The evolution of genitalia and mating behavior in crickets (Gryllidae) and other Orthoptera / Alexander RD, Otte D. // Misc. Pabl. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan. – 1967. – Vol. 133. – R. 1-62.
8. McFarlane JE Studies on group effects in crickets / McFarlane JE // Can. J Zool. – 1984. – Vol. 44. – P. 1017-1021.
9. Wineriter SA Group and individual rearing of field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) / Wineriter SA, Walker TJ // Entomol. News. – 1988. –Vol. 99, No. 1. – P. 53-62.
10. Wyniger R. Insektenzucht / R. Wyniger. – Stuttgart: E. Ulmer Verlag, 1974. – 368 rub.

Notes

1. ↑ 123Daniel Otte & Richard D. Alexander.
   The Australian Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). - Academy of Natural Sciences of Ohiladelphia, 1983. - P. 162. - 477 p.
2. Francis Walker.
   Catalog of the specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria and supplement of the British Museum. - London: ed for the Trustees of the British Museum, 1869. - P. 15. - 223 p.
3. ↑ 1234
   Systematics and synonymy (English). BioLib. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
4. ↑ 12Striganova B. R., Zakharov A. A.
   Five-language dictionary of animal names: Insects (Latin-Russian-English-German-French) / Ed. Doctor of Biology sciences, prof. B. R. Striganova. - M.: RUSSO, 2000. - P. 23. - 1060 copies. — ISBN 5-88721-162-8.
5. ↑ 12Lagunov A.V.
   Review of the fauna of orthoptera (Orthoptera) of the Ilmen State Reserve (Russian) // Eversmannia: Ecology and faunistics. - M.: Ilmen State Reserve Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2006. - Issue. 5. - pp. 20-23.
6. Real insects and their friends. Find out everything about their life and habitat. Issue 2. 2010.
7. Adakhovsky D. A.
   Materials on the fauna, distribution and ecology of orthoptera insects (Orthoptera) of Udmurtia. (Russian): Biology. - Bulletin of Udmurt University, 2010. - Vol. 6. - pp. 119-128.
8. ↑ 12McPartland, John Michael;
   Clarke, Robert Connell & Watson, David Paul. Hemp Diseases and Pests: Management and Biological Control. - Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CABI Publishing, 2000. - P. 87. - 251 p. — ISBN 0-85199-454-7.
9. ↑ 12Gordh, G. & Rick, David H.
   A Dictionary of Entomology. - Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CABI Publishing, 2003. - P. 454. - 1040 p. — ISBN 978-0-85199-291-4.
10. ↑ 1234567Robinson, William H.
    Handbook of Urban Insects and Arachnids.. - Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. - P. 352. - 472 p. — ISBN 0-528-81253-4.
11. ↑ 12
    House cricket Acheta domesticus (Russian). mypets.by. Retrieved August 5, 2011. Archived July 5, 2012.
12. R.D.
    Zhantiev. Bioacoustics of insects. - M.: MSU, 1981. - 256 p.
13. Insect Sounds
14. Ploger, Bonnie J. & Yasukawa, Ken.
    Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field. An Hypothesis-Testing Approach to the Development, Causation, and Evolution of Animal Behavior. - USA: Elsevier Science, 2003. - P. 32. - 472 p. — ISBN 978-0125583305.
15. House cricket Acheta domesticus
    (Russian). Website: “Living Water” (vitawater.ru). Retrieved August 5, 2011. Archived July 5, 2012.
16. ↑ 12Nadezhda Belichenko
    . A startup from Texas is trying to teach Americans to eat insects // www.vedomosti.ru, April 14, 2017
17. ↑ 1234Mistes (A.N. Bakalov).
    House cricket Acheta (Grillis) domesticus (Russian). www.dom-bez-kluchey.ru (11/28/2011). Retrieved November 2, 2012. Archived November 22, 2012.

Cricket Reproduction

Crickets have polygamous relationships, each male is the owner of a certain territory, which is inhabited by several females who are part of a kind of harem of this male. If another male encroaches on the territory of this male, fierce fights occur between them.

An obligatory attribute of the mating games of these insects is the famous trills of crickets, performing their musical serenades, the male attracts the female for mating.

Crickets breed throughout the year, but their peak sexual activity occurs in the summer. A fertilized female cricket prepares holes in the ground where she lays her eggs, somewhat similar to bananas. During one oviposition, a female cricket can lay from 40 to 179 eggs.

After one to two months (depending on the temperature and the environment in general), larvae begin to emerge from the eggs. The larva in its appearance resembles an adult cricket, but in order to become one, it will have to go through 10 molts, occurring over 7 weeks, during which the body undergoes restructuring. After the last molt, the larva produces a normal, mature cricket.

How do crickets reproduce?

Males attract the attention of females with their “serenades”. When a couple is formed, fertilization occurs. The female lays up to 30 eggs at a time in crevices in the soil. It is curious that crickets, having finished their task, die. After just two weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae that will have to overwinter on their own. As they grow up, they dig tunnels. In spring, the larvae turn into adults - full-fledged insects.

The house cricket, or house cricket, (lat. Acheta domesticus, Gryllus domesticus) is a species of arthropod insects from the order Orthoptera, family true crickets, genus Acheta.

The etymology of the Latin name of the species is not reliably known. The origin of the Russian name for this insect is associated with the ability of males to make specific crackling and chirping sounds.

Life cycle

Sexual differences in insects are manifested in the presence of a chirping apparatus in males and an ovipositor in females. The dimensions of the appendage are 10-15 mm; with its help, females lay eggs in the ground. The cricket is a type of insect with incomplete metamorphosis. This means that its development takes place in three stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• imago.

Larvae of species with incomplete metamorphosis have much in common with adults. For their appearance, a sufficient amount of moisture and high temperature are required. The female mates several times and lays eggs from 2 to 4 weeks, one at a time or in groups of 2-4 pieces. In total, up to 500 of them are buried. The number of surviving masonry depends on natural factors. Having emerged from the egg, the larva molts for the first time. During subsequent moults, the number of facets in the eyes and the length of the antennae increase, and wing primordia develop. It will take them 1-1.5 months to transform into an adult. How long do crickets live? The life cycle of most species takes only 3 months.

House cricket (house cricket) - description, appearance, characteristics.

House crickets are fairly small insects. The size of the slender, slightly flattened body, covered with a hard chitinous shell, in adult individuals ranges from 16 to 26 mm in length. The color of the domestic cricket can be grayish-yellow, straw-fawn or various shades of brown with streaks, specks or spots of indeterminate shape.

On the head of the cricket, which resembles a flattened egg in shape, 3 dark arcuate stripes are clearly visible. The small eyes located on its sides have a complex facet structure. The mouthparts of crickets are of the gnawing type in structure. The antennae, consisting of several segments, are an organ of touch. Often their size is slightly greater than the length of the cricket's body.

The rear pair of well-developed membranous wings helps house crickets easily fly from place to place. At rest, the cricket's wings lie along the abdomen and resemble long, sharp tails. If necessary, house crickets can travel quite long distances. When the insect is on the ground, its wings are reliably protected from damage by dense elytra that lie flat on the back, with the right one slightly overlapping the left.

Like all orthoptera, the house cricket has 3 pairs of legs. The hind legs have thickened thighs and are designed to perform fairly long jumps. It is noteworthy that the hearing organs of these insects are located on the shins of the front pair of legs. The paired appendages located on the last segment of the abdomen are quite long and resemble peculiar antennae sticking out in different directions.

Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the presence of a special sound apparatus in male crickets, which is similar in structure to the sound apparatus, but differs from it in greater complexity and a different arrangement of components. The stridulatory vein, which functions as a closure, is located on the right elytra, and the vein against which it rubs is located on the left elytra. When they rub against each other, the familiar trill of a cricket appears. In crickets, the sound apparatus is more developed and occupies a larger area than in grasshoppers.

Female crickets have an ovipositor at the very end of their abdomen, shaped like a spear. Its length ranges from 11 to 15 mm. With the help of this organ, females dig holes in the soil into which fertilized eggs are laid.

The average lifespan of a house cricket rarely exceeds 3 months.

What to feed the larvae

Zophobas larvae: on the left - just molted, still white

Typically, the larvae are fed potatoes, apples or carrots - this is cheap and always available, and this food also provides the larvae with the necessary water. It is also common to keep them on bran or oatmeal - these products serve not only as food, but also as a substrate, in which the larvae can burrow and feel safe. Just in case, we note that for other animals (cockroaches, crickets, etc.) this method should absolutely not be used; darkling beetle larvae are the only ones that can be kept on the food substrate. Both larvae and adult beetles can consume protein sources such as dog or cat food and even dead fish, leaving behind only tough skin and bones. Does not cope well with pure fats or very fatty foods such as avocados.

Nutrition

banana cricket

House and banana crickets prefer plant foods. They like cucumbers, carrots and lettuce the most. Also, insects will not refuse fruits: apples, pears and some citrus fruits.

On a note!

Breeders can diversify the diet of their pets in the summer, when fresh greens, dandelions, burdocks and other plants begin to grow outside.

In addition to plant food, the banana cricket needs a high protein content, which allows the larvae and adults to fully develop. If a person ignores this need in insects, they will begin to eat the corpses of their own kind, as well as destroy the oviposition of females.

Some owners even offer their pets dry food intended for cats and dogs. In this case, it is extremely important to maintain sufficient drinking regime.

Important!

Regular drinking bowls are absolutely not suitable for this species, as they can drown in them. It is necessary to place gauze or cotton cloth at the bottom of the container.

Farm at home

There is also the opposite side of the coin. Fishermen and reptile lovers are often forced to independently breed these insects at home in terrariums. Not every reptile agrees to eat frozen dead food, and the cost of such food in a pet store can ruin lovers of rare animals.

The optimal combination of insects is 1 male to 5 females. When there is an overabundance of males, fierce fights arise between them, which leads to injuries among the breeders. A male that has lost its elytra is unable to produce mating trills and becomes unsuitable for breeding.

Females are provided with a moist substrate for laying eggs. Containers with the substrate are covered with a mesh with a mesh size of 2 mm. The net is needed to prevent insects from digging up and eating the eggs. In favorable home conditions, the female lays 200-500 eggs, shaped like a banana.

The humidity of the substrate must be carefully monitored. When dry, the white eggs dry out and become transparent. This means the death of the masonry. In the case of a dry substrate, the female may try to lay eggs in the drinker. In this case, the masonry will also die.

The house cricket is an insect with an incomplete metamorphosis cycle. There are only three stages in its development:

• egg;
• nymph;
• imago.

The pupal stage is eliminated. The nymph is very similar to the adult, but lacks wings. The nymph has 9-11 stages of development. That is, young domestic crickets will molt 9-11 times.

At home, egg development lasts 10 days, so containers with substrate must be replaced every decade. The fry that emerge from the eggs must be fed with soft protein food, placing the food in a container with low sides. You also need to provide young domestic crickets with water. Wick drinkers are suitable for this.

Depending on the room temperature, the development of house crickets lasts 40-60 days or more. After completing the development cycle, they are suitable for feeding domestic reptiles.

This material tells about what a cricket eats, where it lives and how it can serve humans. Perhaps it will help those who decide to keep these insects at home in an insectarium.

Grasshopper and cricket - similarities and differences

Both insects belong to the same order Orthoptera. They have an elongated shape, a large head, and well-developed eyes. Males of both families have a chirping organ - elytra. Insects have much in common in the process of reproduction, development and nutrition, but upon close examination it is difficult to confuse them. What is the difference between a grasshopper and a cricket? Grasshoppers are larger in size, some species reach a size of 35 mm. Their body is usually colored greenish for camouflage in the grass. The hind legs of grasshoppers are much better developed, because they live in open spaces and need powerful limbs for jumping.

The time of their activity also differs - crickets play music at night, and grasshoppers during the day. Their graph is related to the structural features of the wings. The apparatus of grasshoppers must be dry in order to make sounds. They are waiting for the warmth to dry the dew from the grass.

In the old days, not all insects were valued, but individual insects were considered the true guardians of the hearth, a favorable sign for the future. Of course, the cricket, whose song personified peace and family well-being, also fell into the “pet” category.

Features of keeping crickets

Container

If you decide to have such an original and noisy pet in your home (crickets make characteristic sounds, so immediately ask yourself if you are ready for this), make sure to purchase a fairly spacious container. Its size will depend on the number of pets and how comfortable conditions you are going to create for them. You can keep a whole thousand crickets in a container 450 by 425 and 500 centimeters, or even several. The difference will be in the level of comfort.

If the walls of the container are high, you don’t have to cover it, however, in order to avoid all sorts of troubles associated with finding a cricket under the bed or in the bathroom, it is better to take care of a special mesh lid.

The walls of the container must be smooth - it can be glass or plastic. This is necessary in order to prevent the pet from escaping vertically. Do not forget that crickets move very well and quickly on flat vertical surfaces.

If you are going to keep a cricket in a wooden box, then it is better to cover its inside walls with thin glass so that it is not so easy for the cricket to climb up them.

House

Even if you have taken care of a spacious container, do not forget about a special house. You can use egg cartons for this. Place it vertically with small pieces of cardboard between the sides. This will prevent the egg combs from sticking together and there will be good ventilation in the house. Crickets love to hide in such houses.

Substrate selection

At the bottom of the container you will need to pour... not substrate, but dry food. It could be oatmeal, dry baby food, gammarus... Some people add dry food for cats or dogs. True, there is a lot of debate regarding the usefulness of the latter, whether it is worth doing this. So, it's up to you to decide. You will need to place a feeder on top of the food layer. Its role can be played by a board or plywood - on it you will put a portion of wet food every day - carrot salad with apple, lettuce, burdocks, dandelions...

By the way, its appearance depends on the cricket’s diet. The more varied its diet, the more beautiful the cricket looks.

Some tips for keeping crickets at home:

1. Crickets must be provided with a sufficiently spacious container with ventilation and a lid. The size of the container directly depends on the number of crickets (for example, for 1-2 thousand crickets a container 450x425x500 would be suitable). If you take a container that is high enough (50 cm is quite enough), then for banana crickets you can even leave it open, then they will not jump out and fly away, unlike brownies or two-spotted crickets. For other species, it is still worth taking care of a mesh lid. The container should have smooth walls; plastic or glass are well suited for this purpose, since crickets move well on vertical surfaces.

   If you use other materials (wood or chipboard), then you can stick strips of tape or thin glass (5-10cm) on the inside of the cage walls, or coat the perimeter with Vaseline from top to bottom for a few centimeters.

2. Crickets must have “houses.” Egg cartons are suitable for this purpose. It is better to place them vertically than horizontally, while placing simple cardboard spacers between them so that the egg combs do not stick together. With this arrangement of cardboards, a more optimal ventilation mode is ensured.
3. At the bottom you need to pour dry food: gammarus, oatmeal, dry milk, baby dry formula. There are many conflicting opinions about adding dry cat or dog food to crickets. Some believe that this is beneficial for crickets, while others are categorically against the use of such food, because they believe that such feeding can have a detrimental effect on the health (or even life) of the pet. We do not use this in practice (as well as various feedstuffs), so the choice is yours.
4. In the top center we place a feeder - plywood or a board, on which we place wet food every day: finely grated carrots, apples, lettuce; in the summer you can give burdocks, dandelions, etc. For one thousand crickets per day, two burdock leaves measuring 40x20cm, or 120g, are enough carrots. Remember to feed your crickets wet food; empty crickets have no nutritional value.

   A little secret: carrots travel through the food chain from the cricket to the leopard gecko, making its color brighter and more saturated due to the vitamin carotene present in carrots. The better the crickets eat, the more beautiful and healthy your pet will be.

5. Crickets do not need a drinking bowl; they consume liquid from wet food. If it is very hot (+30 outside), then you can spray the sides; the crickets will drink from the droplets without the risk of drowning. If you still want to put a drinking bowl, then put foam rubber or cotton wool in a container with water. Juveniles need moisture more, so the container with the substrate in which the crickets hatch must be periodically moistened. Read more about this below in the section on breeding crickets.
6. If the ambient temperature is 26°C or lower, it is recommended to install a luminaire with a spot heating lamp (25-40 W). For this purpose, it is optimal to use a clothespin lamp, which is attached to the wall of the box. If necessary, crickets come out to warm up at the warming point, where the temperature is 35-45°C. It is advisable that the overall temperature in the cage does not fall below 26°C. The use of additional ultraviolet lighting promotes the synthesis of vitamin D3 in crickets, which has a beneficial effect on the absorption of calcium by leopard geckos.
7. Once or twice a week you need to clean the cage, as it is important that microbes and bacteria do not multiply in it, which can lead to the death of the entire colony (and in some cases, the death of animals!). If you notice lethargy, bloating of the abdomen in crickets and a strong unpleasant odor from the cage, be careful, this disease is most likely caused by the microsporidia Nosema grylli. If this happens, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the container where the sick crickets were located and check whether all the conditions for keeping the crickets were correct. If the maintenance conditions are not followed, the crickets may develop mites. This may also have an adverse effect on the population, but if measures are taken in time (lower humidity, add lighting), then such troubles can be avoided.