Crickets

I have noticed that some are feeding their axolotl crickets. So the question is how big are they, what type are they , and finally the one that bugs me most is do you need to 'prepare ' them in any way. Having looked at the ones in my front garden ( don't have any in the back garden) the legs seem rather spikey would they need to be removed first?. Thanks is advance.

Crickets hey! good choise!

There are two types commonly available in pet shops for feeding axys, brown and black, the main being black crickets are "silent" and the brown ones are chirpy.

They range in size, and you can pick them up in graded containers that should cost around £1.99 - £2.60 per portion (anywhere between 20 and 100 per box depending upon size)

In my experience putting them in the fridge for 30 mins in there box calms the crickets down, and makes escapees less likely, when you open the box.

A pair of tongs is advised to pick them up and offer to your axys, other than that you may get some success with putting a couple on the surface of the tank some axys will come to the surface and hunt them.

Hope this has been helpful

Russ

*EDIT*home caught crickets are probably going to be grass hoppers, who are great fliers and have a large range - therefore impossible to know if they have ingested any weedkiller/pesticides

Many thanks for that Russel, after holidays will try some!.. The grass hoppers indead are mighty jumpers and are hard to catch ( though I have done to show various children) as I am quite fond of them I wasn't aiming to feed them...

off topic i know but if you hold a grasshopper in your closed hand for 30secs they become quite tame, and will stay there for a while!

ok..kids are playing quietly..off to catch me a grasshopper....

I admit, I'm soft: I can't feed them live food. Specially crickets, as I used to catch them when I was little and I even had one as pet.

But out of curiosity: those back legs really don't hurt them?