Q&A for How to Catch Crickets

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  • Question
    What container should I use if I choose to breed the crickets?
    Brandon Runyon
    Entomology and Pest Control Expert
    Brandon Runyon is a board-certified Entomologist based in Evansville, Indiana. He has over 18 years of experience as a Pest Control professional, and is the Technical Director of Swat Pest Management. Swat Pest Management serves areas throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, where they provide safe, cost-effective solutions for client’s pest control needs. He authored Bugged by Bugs: A Comprehensive Guide to Pest Control, a user-friendly guide to commercial pest control practices in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and offices. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Entomology, and received a MS in Entomology from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also received an MBA from Western Governors University.
    Entomology and Pest Control Expert
    Expert Answer
    When breeding crickets, use separate containers for breeding adults and maturing young crickets. Having at least two containers is optimal: one for the adult breeding pairs and another for the developing young crickets. It's crucial to separate the full-grown adults from the immatures and eggs, especially when the eggs are fertilized and ready to hatch, as adult crickets may consume the eggs. This segregation ensures the proper care and development of the young crickets without interference from the adults.
  • Question
    Which method works best?
    Community Answer
    The duct tape and the soda pop bottle works the best, and can be easily transported.
  • Question
    What do I do if the crickets are too small?
    Community Answer
    The trap will work even if the cricket is small - but close the lid after catching it.
  • Question
    How long do crickets live, and will wild caught crickets breed if I have a container set up for breeding?
    Community Answer
    Crickets can live up to 3-4 months. Usually no longer than 3 months. Yes, crickets can breed if you have a breeding spot for them.
  • Question
    Where do crickets live?
    Community Answer
    Crickets live in marshes, forests, swamps, and deserts all over the world, with over 120 species in the United States alone. Crickets thrive in moist, humid areas with an abundance of plants. They can often be found underneath rocks and plants, inside log,s and along roadsides
  • Question
    What happens if you hear it but cant find it. What do you do then?
    Community Answer
    They like areas with tall grass, so check there. Be sure to wear gloves, as grass can be sharp.
  • Question
    How do know if I have crickets?
    Community Answer
    You will hear them chirping at night and you might see black bugs with long legs.
  • Question
    Does the bottle trap really work?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it really works.
  • Question
    If the bottle trap is put vertically, how are the crickets going to climb into it?
    Caeiia
    Top Answerer
    They can climb vertical objects, like walls.
  • Question
    Can a cricket hurt or bite me?
    Community Answer
    No. A cricket's mouth doesn't have enough force to puncture or even scrape your skin.
  • Question
    What do I do if there are ants in my cricket trap?
    Community Answer
    They ants won't harm anything. You can try to remove them if you want, but they pose no harm to your cricket trap or the crickets themselves.
  • Question
    What should I feed crickets?
    Community Answer
    Regular cornmeal will work.
  • Question
    Can you use any type of sugar for the traps?
    Community Answer
    Yes, any sugar can be used to catch crickets, although brown sugar can attract more ants than crickets.
  • Question
    Do I have to use a soda bottle?
    Community Answer
    No. A regular water bottle should work just as well as a soda bottle.
  • Question
    I'm looking to get a hedgehog, and I'm planning on getting crickets and putting them in a glass 'cage' so I can feed them to my hedgie every now and then. How do I catch just a few?
    Jackson Cordone
    Community Answer
    Just use the bottle method to catch crickets overnight and release any crickets you don't want or need.
  • Question
    How do I know what the food source of the crickets are?
    Community Answer
    Crickets usually don't roam far from their day/sleeping quarters so you can listen for their chirping. Look around there. You also may find cricket droppings near the food source.
  • Question
    Where do I find crickets in my backyard?
    Community Answer
    You can find crickets in bushes and tall grass. Sometimes you can find them in small or medium trees.
  • Question
    Can I feed cherries to my cricket?
    Community Answer
    No, you should avoid feeding cherries to your cricket.
  • Question
    How can I be sure to only catch crickets when trying to catch them?
    Community Answer
    You can't completely. Usually you will get mostly crickets, but there will almost always be ants, roaches, or other creatures with them.
  • Question
    Does this work on all types of cricket, such as farm raised?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it will work on farm-raised crickets.
  • Question
    Will the duct tape and water bottle method work if the crickets are in trees or bushes?
    Community Answer
    They will come down eventually, so place the bottle or duct tape at the bottom of the bush or tree.
  • Question
    How can I make sure that I won't get ants in my soda bottle trap?
    Community Answer
    That is impossible, as ants can get through the tiniest spaces imaginable.
  • Question
    I set up the bottle trap and it didn't catch crickets. I put sugar in and it hasn't worked yet. Does anyone know why?
    Community Answer
    You probably just need to give it time.
  • Question
    Where can I find crickets?
    Community Answer
    You can check outside, or you can purchase them at a pet store.
  • Question
    Are these crickets safe to feed to my Venus fly trap?
    Everclay amenay
    Community Answer
    Yes, crickets are fine for Venus fly traps. In fact, they are very good for them.
  • Question
    What size bottle do I need to catch crickets?
    Community Answer
    It really depends on how big the crickets are and how many, but a 2-liter bottle should work fine; you can use a smaller one if you don't plan on catching many.
  • Question
    Are the breadcrumbs little bits of bread or the kind you'd sprinkle on fish or chicken?
    Community Answer
    They are little bits of bread. You can buy them or make them yourself by tearing bread slices into small pieces.
  • Question
    Could I use fruit instead of sugar and bread for bait?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but they love bread crumbs and sugar.
  • Question
    How does duct tape work?
    Everclay amenay
    Community Answer
    Duct tape gets them stuck and does not allow them to get away, so they are still there in the morning for you to collect.
  • Question
    I want a pet cricket! Do you have any suggestions? I live in Clovis, California and I haven't seen a single cricket in my life, but I want a wild cricket pet. What do I do?
    Everclay amenay
    Community Answer
    Look in tall grass and in bushes for males, and on trees for females. Females are easier to find because they are easier to reach on trees and make a really loud trilling noise.
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