[For Beginners] How to Keep Bell Crickets

I am now in my 6th year of keeping bell crickets.
I have summarized my own way of keeping them.
These are just the basics.

If there is a topic you are interested in, please check the table of contents.

What you need to keep bell crickets

1. Breeding container
2. Mat (soil to spread at the bottom)
3. Spray bottle
4. Hiding place
5. Food dish
6. Food

At a minimum,you can keep bell crickets with just these items.

Please see below for detailed explanations of each item and recommended products.

1. Breeding container

There are no specific rules, but it is important to prepare a case ofa size suitable for the number of crickets you are keeping.If it is too narrow, it can cause stress or cannibalism, so I recommend choosing a size with a little extra room.
◎ Small to medium case -> about 10 crickets

◎ Medium case around 30cm wide -> up to about 20 crickets
◎ Large case around 50cm wide -> up to about 50 crickets

Containers can be insect breeding cases, aquariums, or deep hibachi pots. If you have a large number of crickets, you can also use a plastic storage bin.

However, because fruit flies are easily attracted by food and damp mats when keeping bell crickets, for long-term care, afruit fly preventiontype of case is recommended.

2. Mat (soil to spread at the bottom)

For the mat (soil), use something that makes it easy for the bell crickets to walk and can maintain moderate humidity.

If you use soil from a garden or field as is, it may contain bacteria or small insects, which can cause mold or disease.
I highly recommend using commercially available productsinstead.

Such products have fewer bacteria and are safe to use, as they often contain charcoal to help prevent mites, mold, and bad odors.
Also, the grain size is adjusted to be easy to use from raising larvae to egg-laying.

While it is possible to keep them using gardening soil like 'lawn topsoil' or 'Kanuma soil,' you need to sterilize it with boiling water before use, and some types are not suitable for egg-laying.

In any case, especially if you are keeping them for the first time, I thinkchoosing a dedicated mat will lead to fewer failures.

3. Spray bottle

A spray bottle is used toprevent drying out.You don't need to be picky about the type; one from a 100-yen shop is sufficient.
The frequency depends on the environment, but lightly moistening the surface of the mat when it starts to dry out is fine.

Also,

avoid spraying water directly on the bell crickets.The idea is to moisten the mat and the walls of the case.

Commercially available insect water or special breeding water for bell crickets is also sold, but basically, tap water is fine.

There is no doubt that they contain beneficial ingredients for insects.
If you are interested, please give it a try.

4. Hiding Place

Since bell crickets spend their days in dark places, you should provide a hiding place for them. Here are some examples of things you can use:
◎ Charcoal or bamboo charcoal (wash with water and dry)

◎ Tree branches, bark, or driftwood (wash, boil, and dry)
◎ Dried leaves
◎ Wooden boards or small reed screens
If you find it too much trouble to think about, you can't go wrong with store-bought items.

Bell crickets like to spend time on vertical surfaces, so wooden boards (thin wood sheets) or reed screens are excellent as perches for them. It also seems to make molting easier.

If you have space, adding these will allow you to observe the cute sight of many crickets lined up and resting together.

5. Food Container

Bell crickets need both plant-based and animal-based food. Therefore, you need to prepare two feeding areas:

・For animal-based food (bonito flakes, bell cricket food, etc.)
・For plant-based food (vegetables, fruits, etc.)

Since food spoils easily if placed directly on the soil, it is recommended to skewer vegetables and fruits and stand them upright.

Place food pellets in bottle caps, jar lids, or small, shallow dishes.

※ Ceramic dishes are convenient because they are easy to keep clean, but be aware that the surface can be too slippery for the crickets to climb.

There are also specialized store-bought products available, so check them out if you are interested.

6. Food

It is said that if you only feed bell crickets vegetables, they will lack animal-based nutrients, which can lead to cannibalism.
Therefore, you must provide both animal-based and plant-based food to the bell crickets.

🌱 Examples of plant-based food
Eggplant, cucumber, carrot, pumpkin,
Cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, apple, etc.
They are omnivorous, so basically anything is okay.
It is fun to try various things to see what they like.

🐟 Examples of animal-based food
Bell cricket food, goldfish or medaka fish food,
Bonito flakes or dried sardines (crushed into powder), etc.

Additionally, some specialized bell cricket food contains both plant and animal nutrients in one. If fresh vegetables spoil easily in the summer and are difficult to manage, check the product instructions and consider using these.

Daily Care

Taking care of bell crickets is not that difficult.
There are mainly three things to do:

・Feeding
・Watering
・Cleaning (removing dead crickets, etc.)

Since vegetables spoil easily, especially in the summer, you should basically replace them every day.
You should also wash the food containers and replace the food every two to three days.

For watering, use a spray bottle every few days to moisten the dry mat.
Since it is not good for them to be constantly soaking wet, be careful about the amount and frequency of watering. Once you get used to it, daily care will only take a few minutes a day.

Conclusion

If you raise bell crickets well, they will lay eggs, allowing you to raise a new generation the following year.

I have omitted the details on egg-laying and larva management this time, but if you are interested, please look it up and give it a try.


I hope your bell cricket keeping goes well and you enjoy their wonderful chirping! 🦗✨