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THE COMPLETE CRICKET

BREEDING MANUAL Page

Foreword .................................................................................................. 6

PART 1- CHOOSING A BREEDING METHOD AND INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

1.1 How to Use This Manual .............................................................. 9

1.2 Which Breeding System do I Choose ........................................... 10

1.3 Benefits of Breeding Crickets ....................................................... 12

1.4 Conversions ................................................................................... 15

2.0 Cricket Biology

2.1 Species Selection .......................................................................... 16

2.2 Anatomy ........................................................................................ 18

2.3 Biology and Behaviour .................................................................. 19

PART 2- GENERAL TECHNIQUES (FOR BOTH BREEDING METHODS)

3.0 Container Design and Construction

3.1 Choosing a Container ..................................................................... 23

3.2 Lids ................................................................................................ 24 3.3 Ventilation ...................................................................................... 25

3.4 Feeding Port ................................................................................... 26

3.5 Screening........................................................................................ 26

3.6 Barrier Cream ................................................................................. 27

3.7 Component Set-up ......................................................................... 28

3.8 How to Make a Cricket Container ................................................. 29

4.0 Food and Water Requirements

4.1 Food and Water Components ......................................................... 40

4.2 Dry Food- Nutrition and Processing .............................................. 41

4.3 Wet Food- Nutrition and Processing .............................................. 45

4.4 Dusting and Gut Loading ............................................................... 47

4.5 Feeding Crickets to Animals .......................................................... 48

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5.0 Making Food and Water Dispensers

5.1 Design Considerations for Food

and Water Dispensers..................................................................... 54

5.2 Making a Food Tray ....................................................................... 55

5.3 Small Scale Food Dispenser .......................................................... 56

5.4 Large Scale Food Dispenser .......................................................... 59

5.5 Large Scale Water Dispenser ......................................................... 65

5.6 Large Scale Water Dispenser using Pebbles .................................. 71

6.0 Heating and Storage

6.1 Heating ........................................................................................... 75

6.2 Humidity ........................................................................................ 76

6.3 Heating Systems ............................................................................. 77

6.4 Reducing Heating Costs ................................................................. 80

6.5 Estimating Heating Costs ............................................................... 82

6.6 Managing Excessive Heat .............................................................. 83

6.7 Storage of Colony .......................................................................... 83

7.0 Maintenance and Pest Management

7.1 Cleaning ......................................................................................... 85

7.2 Pests ............................................................................................... 91

7.3 Genetics.......................................................................................... 95

7.4 Safety ............................................................................................. 96

8.0 Grading and Selling Crickets

8.1 Grading by Size .............................................................................. 98

8.2 Estimating Cricket numbers ........................................................... 102

8.3 Packaging and Transport ................................................................ 106

8.4 Economics ...................................................................................... 110

8.5 Marketing ....................................................................................... 113

8.6 Record Keeping ............................................................................. 115

PART 3- SMALL SCALE CRICKET BREEDING

9.0 Zega Substrate Breeding System (Small Scale Production)

9.1 Summary of Breeding Method ....................................................... 118

9.2 How to Make a Zega Substrate Breeding System .......................... 120

9.3 Management of a Substrate System ............................................... 128

9.4 Cleaning a Substrate System .......................................................... 129

9.5 Maintenance of a Substrate System ............................................... 131

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PART 4- LARGE SCALE CRICKET BREEDING

10.0 Batch Breeding System (Large Scale Production)

10.1 Summary of Breeding Method ....................................................... 135

10.2 How to Make a Batch System ........................................................ 137

10.3 Food and Water Dispenser for a

Pinhead Grow Out Container ......................................................... 147

10.4 Management of a Batch System ..................................................... 151

10.5 Pests for a Batch System ................................................................ 152

10.6 Cleaning a Batch System ............................................................... 156

10.7 Maintenance of a Batch System ..................................................... 158

LIST OF TABLES AND DIAGRAMS

Part 1- Choosing a Breeding Method and Introduction

Table 1- Advantages and Disadvantages between

Breeding Crickets and Cockroaches ................................. 13

Table 2- Conversion between Imperial

and Metric Units .............................................................. 15

Diagram 2.3- Anatomy of a Cricket ....................................................... 18

Part 2- General Techniques- For Both Breeding Methods

Table 3- Growth Rates .................................................................... 21

Figure 3.3- Air Flow through a Container ........................................... 25

Table 4- Design Summary for Constructing a

Container- Efficient Method ............................................. 30

Table 5- Detailed Instructions Constructing a

Container- Efficient Method ............................................. 33

Table 6- Nutritional Comparison between

Different Dry Food Types ................................................. 42

Table 7- Making a Food Tray .......................................................... 55

Table 8 How to Make a Small Scale

Food Dispenser ................................................................. 56

Table 9- Making a Large Scale Food Disperser .............................. 60

Table 10- Making a Large Scale Water Dispenser ............................ 65

Table 11- Making a Large Scale Water

Dispenser with Pebbles ..................................................... 72

Table 12- Temperature Ranges for Crickets ...................................... 75

Table 13- Cleaning Food and Water Dispensers ............................... 85

Table 14- Making an Ant Guard for Power Cords............................. 94

Table 15- Grading Crickets ................................................................ 98

Table 16- Counting Crickets- Large Scale ........................................ 103

Table 17- Transport Methods.............................................................. 107

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Part 3- Small Scale Cricket Breeding

Figure 9.1- Diagrammatic Representation

of a Substrate Breeding System ......................................... 118

Table 18- How to Make a Substrate System ....................................... 122

Table 19- Removal of Detritus from a

Substrate System ................................................................ 129

Table 20- Maintenance Schedule for a

Substrate System ................................................................ 132

Part 4- Large Scale Cricket Breeding

Figure 10.1- Diagram of a Batch Breeding System ................................ 136

Table 21- Summary of a Batch Breeding System ............................... 138

Table 22- Detailed Instructions to Make a

Batch System ..................................................................... 141

Table 23- How to Make Food and Water Dispenser

for a Pinhead Grow out Container .................................... 147

Table 24- Cleaning a Batch System (No Substrate) .......................... 156

Table 25- Maintenance Schedule for a

Batch System ..................................................................... 158

Glossary .................................................................................................... 161

Appendix 1 Example Marketing Brochure ...................................... 163

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FOREWORD From a young age I had a fascination with wildlife, especially reptiles and insectivorous

animals. This curiosity led me to become a biologist and to have a passion for keeping

and breeding native wildlife. I started breeding crickets to reduce my expenses at the pet

store associated with wildlife rescue and reptile keeping.

For example one of my passions is

rehabilitating marsupial carnivores called

quolls (Australia’s native cat- Refer to

photo 1.1). Quolls have an insatiable

appetite for live foods, with a single

animal eating a pet bought container of

crickets every second day. It quickly

became apparent that keeping a family of

Quolls over a period of many months was

an expensive exercise.

To add to my hip pocket woes, were a

growing number of pet monitor and dragon lizards. Like most people in today’s busy

lifestyle I didn’t have the time to scrimmage through the garden looking for insects…and

then there’s the potential risk of pesticides! The solution was to breed crickets and

cockroaches myself. The only problem was that I had a full time job, a young family and

not nearly enough time to breed crickets in the way described in brief and incomplete

internet blogs. Over time I developed techniques which greatly streamlined the process

and now breeding crickets can be done with around the same amount of effort as

cockroaches. After a while it became apparent that many people require a regular and fresh

supply of live foods and I was soon being approached by wildlife parks, pet stores, wildlife

rescue members, vets and the general public. This led me to breed them on a small to

medium scale for many years and to a wide range of clients.

Breeding crickets is an ongoing experiment to find better and more efficient methods. If

you have tips or experiences to share, please do not hesitate to pass on this information,

for the benefit of all reptile and wildlife enthusiasts. To get you started all you need to do

is follow steps 1 thought to 4 as outlined in the following section (Section 1.1- How to

Use This Manual). Above all have fun, and I hope you and your animals enjoy a productive

and successful breeding cricket colony!

Glenn Kvassay

Bachelor of Applied

Science (Biology)

1.1 Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus)

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PART 1-

CHOOSING A

BREEDING METHOD

AND INTRODUCTION CHAPTERS 1-2

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

A plentiful and fresh supply of live food is the cornerstone of keeping healthy and happy

insectivorous animals. Many of you will know the thrill of providing live food to your

animals, and seeing how they benefit both physically and mentally.

Sadly for the consumer, purchasing crickets from a pet store is expensive and often results

in the disappointing experience of purchasing dead or dying crickets. Many people attempt

to breed crickets but often fail over the long term, due to the demanding maintenance

required by conventional methods.

With the systems and techniques

contained in this manual you will be able

to produce large amounts of crickets

inexpensively, consistently and with

minimal effort (around the same effort as

cockroaches). This manual will benefit

people who wish to:

Reduce costs associated with

providing live food for insectivorous

animals such as reptiles, frogs, arachnids

(spiders, scorpions) and fish.

Produce an additional income

by selling directly to the general public,

pet stores and wildlife parks etc.

Pet stores/wildlife parks and

zoos which wish to breed crickets to

reduce operating costs.

Wildlife rescue carers who require large quantities of crickets to feed insectivorous

mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Wildlife rescue groups that wish to raise money and provide inexpensive feeder

crickets for their members or as a fund raiser.

Crickets are now found in gourmet restaurants and are bred as a mainstream food

source in Asia.

University and research Institutes

Fishermen

Crickets are prolific breeders which lend themselves to being bred for commercial

production. With a little extra effort, you may wish to add extra containers and sell excess

stock to the public and turn an expense into an income. In developing this manual a

number of options are provided from simple set ups suitable for small collections to more

elaborate systems suitable for commercial production.

1.2 The greatest benefit of breeding crickets

is a healthy animal and a happy owner.

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Below is a summary of the information contained in this manual:

Systems which minimise maintenance in conjunction with automated

feeding/watering devices.

Efficient container design, which is durable, maximises growth rates, and saves time

in maintenance and feeding activities.

Innovative breeding methods which for the first time allow crickets to be bred with

significantly less maintenance, without offensive odours and similar amount of effort

as cockroaches.

Plenty of tips on how to save time, effort and money through energy conservation or

efficient food storage and processing.

Details how to manage a commercial colony from breeding through to dispatch,

transport and marketing.

Plenty of tips to make the dispatch of crickets to your animals with minimal effort.

This manual is an accumulation of years of experience and experimentation which will

provide you with a short cut to successful cricket breeding.

1.1 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

It is said that “A Picture Paints a Thousand Words”. Throughout the manual we have

provided more than, 230 photos, tables and diagrams to help you visualise our systems.

This manual has a lot of information which relates to both private and commercial

production. We have separated small and large scale production methods (into different

Parts) so you won’t need to read all sections, just sections relevant to you.

To do this is as simple as following steps 1 through to 4, as outlined below:

Step 1 (Part 1)- Choosing a Breeding Method and Introduction

This book covers two breeding methods, one for small scale production (Zega Substrate

Breeding System) and another for large scale production (Batch Breeding System). The

first step is to read the following section (Section 1.2-Which Breeding System do I

Choose”) and determine which method is best for you.

Step 2 (Part 2)- General Techniques (For both Breeding Systems)

As the name suggests, these are general techniques that are applicable to both small and

large scale breeding methods. Part 2 should be read by everyone.

Step 3 (Part 3)- Small Scale Breeding (Zega Substrate Breeding System)

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Read this section only if you are a small scale breeder (includes small scale commercial).

If you are a large scale producer, skip this section and read Part 4 instead.

Step 4 (Part 4)- Large Scale Breeding (Batch Breeding System)

Read this section only if you are a large scale breeder. If you are a small scale breeder,

skip this section and read Part 3 instead.

Author’s Recommendation

Where multiple options are provided for a method, look out for this symbol which shows

the authors preferred method and would be a good starting point for most people.

To cover all skill levels from beginner to advanced, we have included both “Basic” and

“Efficient Methods”.

Basic Method

These conventional methods are not necessarily the most efficient or durable options,

however they are quick and easy to construct. This is a good starting point for beginners,

who can then move to more efficient method at a later time.

Efficient Method- Overview

People who wish to build more advanced techniques that are durable, productive with

lower maintenance, should refer to the “Efficient Method” sections. These sections are

essential for commercial production. They may involve a little extra effort upfront,

however they will repay this extra effort many times over. The “Efficient Method-

Overview” provides an overview of the process. Tables relating to these sections have a

green background colour for quick reference.

Efficient Method- Detailed Instructions

These sections provide detailed instructions for the “Efficient Method”. They are very

descriptive and provide a tried and tested formula to save you effort with unnecessary

experimentation. Tables which relate to these sections have an orange background colour

for quick reference.

If in doubt, just refer to the photos…

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1.2 WHICH BREEDING SYSTEM DO I CHOOSE

Many people unwittingly provide too many insects to their animals, when most species do

better when you alternate their diet with fresh fruit/vegetables/meats and occasional

fasting. As insects are high in fats and energy this can result in overweight and

malnourished animals (common with bearded dragons). Be sure to familiarize yourself

with the correct eating requirements of the species you are feeding. Once you know how

often your animal requires insects, you can work out how many crickets they require per

week.

As outlined above there are two cricket breeding methods to choose from as outlined

below.

1) Substrate Breeding System (Private use and Small Scale Commercial)- Part 3

(Chapter 9)

Each substrate breeding container will generate approximately 1 pet bought container

of crickets per week (approximately 33 large crickets/container).

The waste wet food generated from an average family (two adults, two kids) can

produce sufficient crickets to support 4 substrate breeding containers. Additional

containers will require wet food supplementation. Four containers will feed

approximately 3 to 12 adult bearded dragons (depending on cricket consumption rate

chosen)- Refer to Section 8.4 (Economics) for further details.

I would recommend this system for someone who wants to breed up to 4-6 pet bought

containers of crickets per week (6 containers-approximately 200 large crickets/week).

This equates to approximately 800 large crickets/month. More containers can be

added as required to meet needs. Larger quantities of crickets I would recommend

using a Batch Breeding System.

Six substrate breeding containers can fit into a 1.0m wide, 1.7m high, 0.6m deep (3.28

feet wide, 5.58 high, 2.0 deep) stacked shelving (3 shelves above each other, two

containers on each shelf)- Refer to photo 6.3.

Further details of this system including advantages and disadvantages are outline in

Chapter 9.0 (Zega Substrate Breeding System).

2) Batch Breeding System (Medium to Large Scale Commercial Production)- Part

4 (Chapter 10.0)

Where you want to produce more than 800-1000 large crickets per month I would

generally recommend the Batch Breeding System.

This system is very productive producing more than 3 times the number of crickets

per breeding container (6 containers produce approximately 700 large crickets per

week) however it is more labor intensive, involves more components and needs to be

actively managed.

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Further details of this system including advantages and disadvantages are outline in

Chapter 10.0 (Batch Breeding System).