1. Can the crickets be kept in the cup for longer than 14 days?
a. Sure they can but the mortality rate is going to increase significantly. I would urge the consumer to use the RLB within the allotted time for best results. Adding a very small sliver of potato may help if the goal is to extend the shelf life 5 or 6 more days.
2. What environmental conditions can negatively affect the RLB?
a. Read our cricket care sheets and understand some of the basic rules for keeping crickets. Maintain room temperature, do not expose to direct sunlight for more than a few minutes, avoid using most aerosols and all forms of pesticides and cleaning solutions near the cups, prevent foreign bugs like ants from coming into contact with the containers, etc. For more cricket care instruction click here.
3. Can the cup be reused to hold or transport crickets in the future?
a. Yes. But all the packaging material within the cup should be discarded and replaced with fresh material. The cup should be washed in hot water. A mild detergent can be used but the cup needs to be rinsed extremely well and allowed to air dry. The cup is not dishwasher safe.
4. How can you tell if the food source is no longer viable?
a. The food source will not spoil within the 7 day shelf life of the crickets. The food source consists mostly of moisture and it actually tends to dehydrate well before it would ever spoil. The food source may dehydrate prior to 7 days but this will not affect the health of the crickets within this time frame. The food source can not be rehydrated or reused. You may discard the food source if it has dehydrated but it will not harm the crickets if it remains in the container.
5. Is the food source a gut loading source for the crickets?
a. Yes and no. The food source is extremely nutritional but it is not a full vitamin/mineral enriched supplement. It is always Timberline's recommendation that you coat the outside of your crickets with a true vitamin/mineral supplement designed for feeder insects. Please follow the supplements instructions for dosage and frequency.
6. The RLB contains a few dead crickets, is this harmful?
a. Even under the best conditions a few of the crickets within the RLB will perish prior to the end of their shelf life. This is natural and a generous overcount is added to every cup to ensure proper living quantities. If at all possible, try to remove any dead crickets. While this is not essential, it does warrant the effort. Crickets shed their skins in order to grow. It is very likely the container will contain some of these skins. These old skins do not pose much of an issue but they can look like a dead cricket which may lead you to think the container is "less healthy". In reality, the opposite is true. Crickets that shed their skin are growing and very healthy. Close inspection can help discern between skin and dead. Do not purchase a cup that contains a large number of dead crickets (10+). Timberline has a 72 hour Health Guarantee; pet stores should contact us if the product(s) does not arrive in good condition.
