Instructions
Purchase crickets from a pet store to use as food. It is better not to gather crickets yourself because the crickets in your yard might have been exposed to chemicals and toxins that could hurt or kill your reptile. If you do gather wild crickets, keep them in captivity for a few days before using them as food and monitor their health. If any die or act sick, do not feed them to your pet.
Keep the crickets in a container with food and a moisture source until you are ready to use them as reptile food. Either dog or cat food is a good choice for cricket food. Fresh fruit and vegetables or a damp (not wet) sponge is a good choice for moisture.
Gutload the crickets to increase the nutritional value of the food for your reptile. Feeding the crickets a nutritious diet of dog food, oats, bran, fruits and vegetables for several days or even weeks increases their nutritional value considerably.
Keep a black tube in the container with your crickets. These are sold as feeder tubes. Crickets like hiding in dark places, so they gather in the feeder tubes. When it is time to feed your reptile, remove the tube from the cricket container and cover the opening with your hand. Bring the tube over to your reptile's home.
Remove your hand from the top of the tube and shake the crickets out into the reptile's cage. Unless you are feeding a turtle, crickets can be let loose in the environment. If you are feeding crickets to a turtle, you might have to feed one at a time with forceps.
How to Feed Crickets to Reptiles
Many different reptiles eat live crickets and need them as part of a healthy diet. Research the reptile that you own to find out if you should be feeding live crickets and the frequency and quantity that your pet needs.