The common brown cricket is a light brown color, has long antennae, wings, and large jumping legs. Brown crickets are a popular feeder insect for birds, reptiles, amphibians, scorpions, tarantulas, and other pets. They are high in protein and require only a moderate amount of upkeep. Since they are nutritious and sold in 10 sizes from Timberline they make an excellent staple food source for any size animal.
Remove the crickets from the shipping box as soon as you get them. Keep the egg crates or partitions from within the shipping boxes to use within your own cricket container. These egg crates provide a climbing area for the crickets, allowing them to spread out, de-stress, and enjoy their new home. Crickets 1/2" and larger need to be kept in an 18-20 gallon container that is at least 15" tall. You’ll need a container that’s slick enough on the inside to prevent the crickets from climbing out. Also, crickets require a good amount of ventilation. If you use plastic tubs or aquariums as a cricket enclosure, don’t use a lid. Remove any potato used in the shipping box. Crickets don’t need bedding material; using it can actually harm their health and life span.
| Protein | 16.8% | (min) |
| Fat | 5.6% | (min) |
| Fiber | 3.6% | (min) |
| Moisture | 75.6% | (min) |
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*Analysis done by independent laboratories |
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The ideal temperature range is between 70°-75° F. Avoid temperatures above 80° and below 65° F. The cricket container should never be exposed to high humidity, direct sunlight or cold drafts. Keep the container dry and provide plenty of ventilation. Crickets shipped during cold weather might arrive looking dead; just release them into the container and allow them 3-4 hours to warm up at room temperature. Cold temperatures can cause them to become dormant, but a few hours at room temperature usually perks them right up.
Always make fresh Timberline Cricket Power Food and Easy Water available in shallow containers (like our Easy Water Tray). Keep no more than a two-day supply in the container at any time, replacing the supply of food and water every two days. Following this rule will decrease your cricket mortality rate. Never mix the Power Food and Easy Water together. Avoid fruits, vegetables, or a bowl of water, which can cause bacteria growth, increased mortality and a bad smell.
Keeping the cricket container clean will ensure a longer, healthier life for your crickets, and will allow you to keep them on the sales floor for maximum profit. To clean the container, remove any dead crickets, shed skins, and waste material. Wash the container out with hot water (you can also use a very mild bleach solution) between cricket shipments. Thoroughly rinse the container and allow it to dry before adding a new batch of crickets. Never expose your crickets or cricket container to any kind of pesticides or cleaning solution other than a mild bleach solution.
When choosing a cricket size, the best rule of thumb is to choose a size that’s smaller in width than the animal’s mouth you are feeding. It’s usually better to guess small on cricket size, rather than large. Your animals will still eat a cricket that is smaller than ideal size, but if the cricket is more than a mouthful, it’s too big. Our customer service representatives can help to choose the right size or combination of sizes for the animals you keep. With ten sizes to choose from, we’ll certainly have the size and quantity you need!