Tree Cricket Care & Feeding

Tree crickets, unlike their cousin the common house cricket, are never found on the ground although you can find them nearly everywhere else in the world. According to Chris McAllister, Ph.D., tree cricket care in the same as any cricket care, just give them more items to crawl on since they do not like being on the ground. There are many species of tree crickets in all shapes and colors. You have most likely heard them on warm summer evening, but would not necessarily recognize one.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Peat moss
  • Toilet tissue tubes
  • Small paper cups
  • Twigs
  • Small branches
  • Leaves
  • Shallow containers
  • Sea sponge
  • Raw potato
  • Dry dog food
  • Rolled oats
  • Fresh fruit
  • Mealworm
  • 10-gallon mesh-screen cover
  • Clamp light or lamp
  • 25-watt light bulb
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cover the bottom of a 10-gallon aquarium with two inches of damp peat moss. Add empty toilet tissue tubes, small paper cups, small piles of twigs, small branches and a few leaves for the tree crickets to crawl on and hide inside.

    • 2

      Place shallow containers in the tank for food and water. Butter-tub lids or large jar lids work well.

    • 3

      Wet a sea sponge with water. Place the sponge in one container. The tree crickets drink from the sponge rather than directly from a dish of water.

    • 4

      Cut a raw potato into pieces and place it in the remaining container. Crickets also eat dry dog food, rolled oats, fresh fruit and mealworms.

    • 5

      Cover the tank with a 10-gallon mesh-screen cover. Use a clamp light or lamp with a 25-watt light bulb to shine in to the tank for at least 16 hours a day.

    • 6

      Change the food often to keep it fresh. Check the sponge daily to keep it damp. Mist the peat moss weekly and change it every two months.