So what do you guys think about crickets to newts?

Iv got some crickets but i never seen my newt eat any not sure weather he likes them or not do newts genrally go for crickets??
Ciz

A lot of people feed their salamanders crickets, but if you leave too many in the tank, the crickets will bite them. To death. I lost two sals this way before I learned (from this site) what did it; I just thought they mysteriously died. I'd rather not take the chance and I don't use crickets, but like I said, a lot of people use them; sometimes they stalk and hunt the crickets, which is entertaining. From what I've read.
And if you do use them, make sure they're not to big for the size animal you have.

I would reiterate what otterwoman is saying - crickets can be dangerous, espceically to smaller amphibians, as bites can easily become infected and be fatal.

If you have to use crickets, go for the smallest size possible, and only feed what your newt will eat immediately - don't leave them running around.

Probably better to look for alternatives...

If you're keen on using crickets, one option could be a special feeding container or tank. I haven't had as much experience using this method with newts or salamanders, but with some of the other amphibians I've worked with (mostly tree frogs and pacmans) you can place them in a designated area for feeding and then put the crickets in. A benefit to this is that there's really no where for the bugs to hide so you can easily keep track of exactly how much your animal is eating and they won't get lost in the habitat where it can later harm your newt, as the others have mentioned. It may take some time for an animal to get used to this method, but I've found it generally be quite successful and (depending on how long it'll take them to digest and how comfortable you are with leaving them in the feeding tank) they can do their business in there which is easier to clean and it gives you a good chance to make sure everything is oh-kay on the inside.

Since most newts are aquatic, crickets are really a pain to use as food. There are plenty of live aquatic foods and frozen foods that are much more suitable.


While they are in their terrestrial phase, I suggest feeding only undersized crickets for the reasons previously stated. It is safer for your pets to feed a larger number of very small crickets.

I am a free range feeder with my pets- that is, I merely let the food items loose in the enclosure and watch the show. On my feeding days I usually do more that one feeding just to make sure all the crickets are eaten to prevent them from getting out of hand with my pets. I rarely hand feed any of my amphibians ( my Ambystoma tigrinum is the exception as she is so big her live foods easily escape or could harm her).

My newts absolutely love crickets, however you do have to be careful when it comes to choosing the right sized cricket for your newt. I usually stick the cricket on a platform in the middle of the tank and the newts just love to stalk them. If you are concerned about the cricket being to large, I would reccomend feeding it to the newt with a pair of tweezers so it cannot bite it.

Oh heck... I'll weigh in since I've kept, bred, and fed a few hundred thousand crickets.
Unless well gutloaded crickets aren't a great food item. This kind of goes without saying but in my experience the gutloading isn't always kept up with as well as it should be.
Also.....Unfortunately, the smaller the cricket the higher the chitin to "meat" ratio becomes as well.
As previously stated... when hungry, crickets will eat/attempt to eat anything...... even large reptiles.
They are a decent "part" of a diet and it's fun to watch animals eat them.
Adult females (the ones with the long ovipositor sticking out back) will also lay eggs in the terrarium and you'll end up with pin heads running around, drowning in water dishes and drops of water, and climbing out of the tank.