Crickets FAQ: Nutrition, Care, and Feeding Tips

A Cricket

What are Crickets?

The house cricket, or Acheta domestica, is one of the most popular feeders for insectivorous and omnivorous reptiles, amphibians, and other species. Their popularity is largely due to their low cost and availability, and they are also well-balanced nutritionally when it comes to feeder insects. They are grey-brown in color and easily recognizable. As well as being a common feeder for pets, they are also a well-known delicacy for human consumption and are eaten in various ways, including fried and roasted.

Nutritional Information for Crickets:

• Moisture 77.1%

• Protein 15.4%

• Fat 3.3%

• Ash 1.1%

• Fiber 2.2%

• Calcium 275 mg/kg

• Phosphorus 2520 mg/kg

  
  

My crickets died. What happened?

This is another drawback to crickets; they are known to die seemingly without any apparent reason. Keeping their container sanitary, as well as removing rotten food, will help to prevent this, but this may still happen. Do not feed any dead crickets to your pet.

What do I feed my crickets?

You can feed your crickets commercially packaged foods that are made to provide a good range of nutrients for your crickets, which is the best thing to do for your crickets and your pet. You can also feed them salad items such as sweet potato, butternut squash, acorn squash, and dark leafy greens such as collard greens, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. Avoid anything you wouldn't feed to your reptile; you can feed a little fruit, but this can be messy and sticky and attract fruit flies.