Gutloading Crickets

Gutloading Crickets
By Devin Price

Many new reptile owners aren't aware that the crickets that they purchase from their local pet store lack the nutritional value that their reptile needs. This is especially true of the large chain pet stores that simply ship the crickets in and keep them in drawers just long enough to sell. The old expression applies to you favorite pet too "you are what you eat!" We will try to give a brief overview of not only how to feed, but what to feed crickets.

The process of feeding" the food" is called gut loading. The process is simple. Prior to feeding your reptile, place the crickets in a container with nutritious food and a moisture source. We recommend the Critter Totes specifically made for crickets. These small cages allow easy feeding of reptiles without cricket escapees or direct handling of the crickets.

Our diet consists of equal parts dry dog food, rolled oats, bran, & chick starter mash. Basically any non sweetened feed or cereal will work as the base food. We grind this food in our blender. This may sound like overdoing it but we keep and breed quality reptiles and believe that healthy feeders are the foundation for happy and healthy pets.

They will also need a moisture source. Some cricket keepers use chick waterers or wet sponges, but we have had nothing but trouble with water in any form in our cricket cages. So we prefer using fruit & veggies as moisture sources. We usually use whatever is growing in our garden at the time, some great choices are orange slices, carrots, potato pieces, prickly pear, or any kind of greens.

In Review

Keep the crickets in a plastic box with nutritious food (any dry pet food or cereal) for 24 hours before feeding them to your pet. Add a moisture source (any fruit or veggies) Make sure to remove old veggies on a daily basis to prevent any mold or fungi.