Care SheetSCIENCEMATERIALSCENTER

RegionXIIIEducationServiceCenter

5701 Springdale Road, Austin, TX78723

(512) 919-5351

CRICKETS & MEALWORMS

Crickets belong to the order Orthoptera and have incomplete metamorphosis, meaning there is no larval stage. Females have an obvious ovipositor on the rear of the abdomen; it is used to deposit eggs into cracks and crevices. Males are the only singers; they call by rubbing wings together or a wing against a leg.

Crickets can be maintained in a bucket with a screened lid or deep trash can. No lid is required if the sides of the trash can are taller than the crickets can jump, and if the sides are too smooth for climbing. Line the bottom of the container with cat litter.

Feed chicken feed or dog food as main diet. Also give potato, carrot or apple for moisture. Remove all food before it spoils, and replace it with fresh food. If your crickets are to be used as food for other animals, you will need to make sure the crickets have a nutritious diet rich in calcium.

Water should be available at all times, in a shallow dish. Add gravel, cotton or a sponge to the water to prevent drowning.

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Mealworms are the larval stage of the flour or darkling beetle. The complete life cycle (egg to larva to pupa to adult to egg) takes about six months. The larval stage is known as a mealworm and goes through several molts during this stage.

Mealworms can be kept in a plastic tub such as a dish pan or sweater box. You shouldn’t use a lid, because the worms do not climb and a lid may trap moisture leading to mold problems.

Feed a grain product such as bran, oatmeal, crushed unsweetened cereal or crushed unsalted crackers as the main diet. The dry food also serves as the substrate to line the box and should be at least an inch deep. Moisture is provided by adding sliced potato, carrot or apple. Additional dry food should be added about twice a month; add moist food about once a week (these times will vary depending on the size of your mealworm colony).

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  • Return any unused crickets or mealworms to the SMC. Do not release into the local environment.
  • Anyone who handles the animal or its caging must wash their hands with soap and water.
  • Students should only work with the animals when supervised by an adult.