Crickets are common omnivorous insects, known for their chirping and their role in the ecosystem, often serving as feeder insects. As omnivores, they consume a varied diet of both plant and animal matter. The specific foods they eat differ significantly between crickets living in the wild and those kept in captive environments, which impacts their health and nutritional value.
The Omnivorous Diet of Wild Crickets
In their natural habitats, crickets function as opportunistic feeders and scavengers, consuming nearly anything available to maintain their energy. This scavenging behavior is important for breaking down decaying matter and recycling nutrients within their ecosystem.
Plant material forms a large part of their intake, including fresh grasses, seeds, flowers, soft fruits, and decaying leaves. They also readily consume fungi and decaying organic matter, which provides both nutrition and moisture.
Wild crickets also seek out protein and fat sources from animal matter, including insect larvae, aphids, and the remains of dead insects. They are known to be cannibalistic, especially when food or water is scarce, and will prey on molting or injured members of their own species.
Captive Cricket Diet: Essential Staples and Hydration
The diet for captive crickets, particularly those raised as feeders, is carefully managed to maximize their health and nutritional content. The primary food source is often a commercial dry cricket chow, formulated to provide a balanced mix of protein, grains, and vitamins. These dry feeds are usually offered in shallow dishes to prevent them from becoming damp and molding easily.
Dry food is supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide both nutrients and hydration. Low-moisture produce is preferred because it minimizes the risk of mold and bacterial growth in the enclosure. Good options include slices of potato, carrots, and squash.
Hydration is a major concern for captive crickets, as open water dishes pose a high risk of drowning and fouling the habitat. Safe hydration methods include using commercial water gels or crystals, or moist sponges or cotton balls placed in a shallow dish. Fresh produce like romaine lettuce or cucumber is an excellent source of moisture, often eliminating the need for a separate water source. These moisture-rich foods should be replaced every one to two days to prevent spoilage and maintain a hygienic environment.
Advanced Feeding: The Practice of Gut Loading
Gut loading is a specialized nutritional strategy involving feeding crickets a highly nutritious diet just before they are offered as prey to an insectivorous pet. This practice is necessary because the nutritional value of a cricket is determined by the contents of its gut at the time of consumption. Crickets inherently have a poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (around 0.15:1), which can lead to metabolic bone disease in pets if not corrected.
The goal of gut loading is to elevate this ratio to a desirable level, typically between 1:1 and 2:1, using calcium-rich foods. Specialized commercial gut-loading diets contain high concentrations of calcium and essential vitamins like A and E.
Gut loading can also be accomplished using certain fresh foods with naturally high calcium content. Collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and sweet potato are commonly used for this purpose. Crickets must be fed this nutrient-dense diet for 12 to 48 hours before being fed to the pet to maximize nutritional potential.
Unsafe Foods and Environmental Hazards
Certain foods and environmental conditions can be detrimental to the health of captive crickets and the animals that consume them. Any moldy or spoiled food should be immediately removed, as it can introduce harmful bacteria and cause widespread illness. High moisture levels facilitate the growth of mold and increase ammonia levels from waste, both of which are toxic to crickets.
Foods high in sugar, such as processed snacks or certain sugary fruits, should be avoided or fed only in very small amounts. Similarly, citrus fruits, including oranges and lemons, are considered unsafe due to their high acidity.
Never feed crickets fruits or vegetables treated with pesticides, as these chemicals can accumulate in the insect’s body. This bioaccumulation can then be passed on to the pet consuming the cricket, potentially causing unpredictable health problems.