Why Do My Crickets Keep Dying?

Diagnosing Dead Crickets

Crickets are pretty hearty little critters, but they’re not bombproof. They are prone to a lot of the same issues as reptiles, including viruses and parasites. Luckily, most of these problems are easy to diagnose and fix. But you should be aware of what to watch for, depending on the kind of crickets you have.

These are the main causes of feeder cricket death.

Cricket Species Susceptibility

The first thing you should be aware of is which problems affect which species. The main species of feeder crickets are Acheta domesticus (the brown house cricket) and Gryllodes sigillatus (the banded cricket).

For either species, you should expect some mortality. But if you start to notice dozens of your crickets dying, or lots of either the males or females, that’s a tip-off that something is wrong.

Most of the diseases in this article primarily affect brown house crickets. Banded crickets are immune to a lot of these problems, but they can have their own issues like aggression and high chitin content.

Habitat Conditions

Sometimes, you just have the wrong conditions in your cricket habitat. Each of these things can lead to cricket die-offs. Most of these problems can be prevented with a good habitat setup. 

Humidity

High humidity increases viral and bacterial growth and is generally bad for your crickets’ health. You’re ideally looking for 50%. In a dry climate, at room temperature, you can expect humidity in your crickets’ habitat to stay around 50% without any misting.

Keep them somewhere warm and use dry egg flats (changed regularly) to maintain the humidity. Cut air holes and line them with mesh screening to prevent escape attempts. You can also get a dehumidifier to control the conditions inside the habitat.

Overcrowding

Crickets’ metabolism will increase the internal temperature and humidity. Not to mention competition between individuals. In a large-scale habitat, you would want around 1,000 crickets in a 20-gallon tank, with lots of egg flats for hides.

Ammonia Buildup

When crickets die, their bodies produce ammonia. This is why people often complain about the smell of feeder crickets in their house. Ammonia can be deadly to crickets, so remove the dead ones whenever you notice them. Make sure there is adequate airflow in the habitat, too.

Viruses

Insects get sick just like any animal. Sometimes these issues are pretty simple to deal with; you can just cull the sick crickets and clean their habitat. Other times, it might mean you need to switch cricket species entirely. These are the main diseases to watch out for.

Iridovirus

Iridovirus is common with store-bought crickets and can even be carried by reptiles that have eaten store-bought feeders. It won’t hurt your reptile, but will sneakily spread through your cricket colony and can cause mass die-offs.

Iridovirus normally manifests itself by increasing the libido of all your crickets. It spreads through reproduction, and will spread like wildfire through your crickets. You may also notice the females have a swollen abdomen. If you “autopsy” one of the dead females, you’ll notice their fatty tissues will have a bluish hue. This is how the disease gets its name.

If your colony comes down with Iridovirus, your best bet may be to switch to banded crickets.

Cricket Paralysis Virus

Cricket Paralysis Virus (CrPV) does pretty much what it sounds like. You’ll notice your crickets slowly being unable to move, starting with their legs. It can happen very quickly, sometimes overnight. Feeders may also release a foamy substance from their joints.

Your first line of defense with CrPV is to remove the dead crickets, cull (or kill) any that are showing symptoms, and move the healthy crickets to another container. Then, thoroughly clean their main habitat with bleach and replace the egg flats. Once everything is clean, you can move the crickets back in. If that doesn’t work, you will probably need to switch to banded crickets.

Densovirus

Densovirus is another disease that spreads very rapidly and causes major die-offs. Like CrPV, it affects brown house crickets, but it can be hard to spot before it’s too late. It spreads primarily through cannibalism, which is not uncommon among crickets. But, it’s something you can avoid by making sure your colony isn’t overcrowded.

Because it’s so serious and spreads so quickly, your best bet is to prevent it. If densovirus wipes out your colony, you will probably have to start from scratch with banded crickets. The science is a little unclear on whether banded crickets are immune to densovirus, but general consensus is that they have some resistance.

Parasites

Parasites are a pretty common part of a bug’s life. This is the main reason we raise feeders under controlled conditions, and why you should never feed your pet wild insects. But there are still a few parasites to watch for with an at-home colony of feeders.

The most common parasite for feeder crickets to get are nematodes. Nematodes primarily affect banded crickets, and only the males. If you keep banded crickets and notice the males are dying, nematodes are the primary suspect.

Nematodes are often the result of too much humidity, so remove your crickets, clean their enclosure, and drop the humidity below 40%.

Mites are another parasite that can affect feeder crickets. Mites can spread to your reptile’s enclosure and cause problems for your pet, so if you notice them in the cricket enclosure, take action quickly.

The best solution is to first (you guessed it) clean your crickets enclosure thoroughly. Then, get some mite spray (most pet stores stock it in the bird section). Before you set the enclosure back up, spray down some paper towels with the mite spray and set the clean enclosure on top. This should stop the mites from coming back.

That’s just about it. If your crickets are dying, the problem is probably here somewhere. In any case, the best solution is to maintain clean, dry conditions with lots of air flow to prevent disease and parasites.

But if it’s too late, don’t fret. In most cases, the best solution is to thoroughly clean your crickets’ enclosure, cull the affected ones, and remove any dead insects. If that doesn’t work, your second best solution is usually to switch to banded crickets, which are less affected by disease.