Learn about crickets
Plain, practical guides to buying, keeping and feeding live crickets, organized into reading paths so you know where to start.
Whether you just brought home your first box of crickets or you go through ten thousand a month, there is a lot to know, and most of it is easier to learn in the right order. Below are four learning paths. Pick the one that sounds like you and read the articles in order; each one builds on the last. Every guide is written by The Cricket Depot in San Antonio, and anything about your animal's health is always worth checking with your vet.
Path 1 · Beginner: your first crickets
For first-time cricket keepers. Read in this order and you will know how to choose, house and keep crickets alive.
- Cricket sizes explained — pick the right size before you buy anything.
- How to keep crickets alive and odor-free — the essentials for the first few days after delivery.
- Cricket bin setup and colony care — build a bin that does most of the work for you.
- How to gut-load crickets — make every cricket a better meal.
- Why are my crickets dying? — fix problems quickly if losses start.
- The cricket life cycle, egg to adult — understand why crickets keep growing in your bin.
Path 2 · Pet owner: feeding your reptile, amphibian or spider
For keepers of bearded dragons, geckos, frogs, tarantulas and other insect-eaters.
- Feeding crickets to pets — sizing, dusting and safety, species by species.
- How many crickets should I feed my pet? — starting-point portions by age.
- Crickets vs. dubia vs. mealworms vs. BSFL — how crickets fit into a varied diet.
- Feeder cricket species compared — house, banded and field crickets side by side.
- Wild-caught vs. farm-raised crickets — why backyard crickets are a risky meal.
Path 3 · Bulk buyer & breeder
For anyone buying 1,000+ at a time or raising their own.
- Buying live crickets in bulk — estimate how many you need, cost per cricket and storage.
- Cricket breeding guide — set up a laying dish and raise your own pinheads.
Path 4 · Curious: cooking & nature
Just-for-fun reading about crickets beyond the feeder bin.
- How crickets chirp and grow — the science of the chirp and the molt.
- Crickets in nature — their role outdoors and why never to release feeders.
- Cooking with crickets — edible insects, cricket flour and safety notes.
Quick references
Short pages for when you just need the answer.
A–Z topic index
Every article on the site, alphabetically. Also available as a list on the articles page.
- Breeding guide · Breeding
- Buying live crickets in bulk · Buying & storing
- Cooking with crickets · Cooking & curiosities
- Cricket bin setup and colony care · Keeping crickets
- Cricket sizes explained: pinhead to adult · Choosing feeders
- Crickets in nature · Nature
- Crickets vs. dubia roaches vs. mealworms vs. black soldier fly larvae · Choosing feeders
- Feeder cricket species compared · Choosing feeders
- Feeding crickets to pets · Feeding your pet
- How crickets chirp and grow · Cricket biology
- How many crickets should I feed my pet? · Feeding your pet
- How to gut-load crickets (and what to feed them) · Feeding your pet
- How to keep crickets alive and odor-free · Keeping crickets
- The cricket life cycle, egg to adult · Cricket biology
- Why are my crickets dying? A troubleshooting guide · Keeping crickets
- Wild-caught vs. farm-raised crickets: which is safer for your pet? · Choosing feeders
Glossary
- Pinhead
- A newly hatched cricket, under about 1/8 inch long. The smallest size we sell.
- Nymph
- A young cricket that has not reached adulthood. It looks like a small, wingless adult.
- Instar
- The stage between two molts. A cricket passes through several instars as it grows.
- Molt
- Shedding the old exoskeleton so the cricket can grow. Freshly molted crickets are pale and soft for a few hours.
- Wing pads
- Small, undeveloped wings visible on late-stage nymphs, a sign adulthood is near.
- Ovipositor
- The long, needle-like tube at the tail end of an adult female, used to lay eggs in soil.
- Gut-load
- Feeding crickets nutritious food for a day or two before they are eaten, so they carry more nutrition to your pet.
- Dusting
- Lightly coating crickets with a supplement powder (such as calcium) just before feeding.
- Frass
- Insect droppings. It collects on the floor of a cricket bin and should be cleared regularly.
- Egg crate
- Cardboard egg flats stood on end in a bin to give crickets climbing and hiding space.
- Water gel
- A water-filled gel or crystal that lets crickets drink without drowning.
- Eye-gap rule
- A sizing rule of thumb: offer feeders no longer than the space between your animal's eyes.
- Impaction
- A blockage of the digestive tract. Oversized or indigestible food is often mentioned as a risk; ask your vet about symptoms.
- Acheta domesticus
- The scientific name of the house cricket, the only species we raise.
Order crickets
Live house crickets, pinhead to adult. 1,000 for $45, then $20 per extra 1,000. Free shipping in Texas with a live arrival guarantee.