What good are Crickets/or how bad

I have lots of Crickets in the greenhouse--I don't want to put the chickens back in, as I am starting to replant-and they will kill my plants also--the Crickets didn't bother my tomatoes that were on crop support---any way--does any one know about what they eat--I had fertilized with about a foot of horse manure and bedding material-2 months ago--now as I started rototilling , they are running everywhere--

I remember reading [somewhere] that Crickets ate some other mites or pests of some kind-I think in a Vineyard publication. I don't suppose any one else has heard anything beneficial about Crickets--at least my toads are looking well fed.

I never thought of it till you posted this. Also my frogs are well fed but no clue as to what they eat. When they are purchased from a petstore they are fed potatos and other foods manufactured for them so I can only assume they eat vegitation but I have personaly never seen damage from them.

I have never seen anything I could definitly blame on Crickets either--I think they may bother young seedlings if they were hungry--but have never had that problem either--I brought home a bucket of tadpoles this spring and made a little pond for them--and they turned into todes, not Frogs-as I suspected -cool--any way I have at least 100 todes about 1 1/2 --2 inches in there--and they are sure fat--I was hopeing that someone might read this who was way more informed than me--maybe no one knows much about them either--thanks for the feed back--Michael

I would think someone here knows and just hasnt seen the thread yet. Sometimes it takes a bit but it almost always gets ansered by someone who knows what they are talking about or at least has a better idea than most.

I have been watching the seedlings emerge--I can't see any damage yet--we'll see

Ok, I am one of those silly people that love crickets and enjoy their "song" I even go out of my way to put them IN my house..keeps me connected to the outdoors.. I found some interesting facts on the web that you might like to read http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/crickets/crickets.htm

Thank you-It seems that they are omnivores -I have raised them on purpose to feed fish--but never realy have had a problem with them-as I sit here writing I can hear them singing away outside-and some get in the house--and that is fine also--if they can avoid the cats--good for them--

Good link, Rarri...

(Hey Michael! Didja see they offered a recipe for chocolate-covered crickets?) ;>)

Yeah I noticed that--I think I will stick to my round-about way of eating them--feeding them to my fish---my Catfish and blue Gill think they are great and also the Tilapia eat some also--I have some other kind of fish I am not sure what they are--I don't know any fish experts--and my Aquaculture books don't picture them either--[they also go crazy over Crickets]--they are simular in size and shape to BlueGill are grey and have scales like a Carp--and a small mouth-about the same shape and location as blueGill, but small--if anyone knows any Fish People--I would like to know what they are--[taste good though, and few bones]

This message was edited Jul 28, 2004 2:57 PM

Could they be redear? AKA shellcracker? (The adults will have a tinge of red underneath and also sometimes a red area on the end of their dorsal fin.)

I cought a small one and took a pict to show you--they have not been over a pound but close--when they get big they get more BlueGill looking -just a little longer and not so stocky-I wonder if it is some pond relative of the Shiner--but I don't think Shiners got that big or live in ponds--??

Not a shelllcracker.

Sure looks very similar to a shad though. Ya'll got those down there?

Dont Shad have a larger mouth--I don't know much about Shad--Do they live in Ponds? --The size of the mouth kind of reminds me of the Whitefish I used to catch out of the Columbia River drainage as a child--but I think the mouth is not that small and Whitefish don't live in ponds, --I think--??

I have caught an interesting cricket and will post it's photo next week. Meanwhile, I hope that recipe calls for some high temperatures, as crickets often carry salmonella and other poisonous bacteria. Especially the types that eat rotten things.
OK, yech, back to the original question... I wonder also, should we leave them in the garden or catch them??? I understand the type I caught (can't remember the name) eats aphids and rotting fruit.

Sorry, I am just no help on the fish, looks like a minnow to me if that tells you what I know...

Good look forward to seeing the picture-I have become interested in Crickets, largely because of My lack of information, about them, as relates to gardening.I also hate to start killing something, when I am not sure I need to.For all I know they could be doing me some valueable service,because I have noticed a major drop in Aphid numbers, and White fly #'s as well. Now your comment about Aphid eating, realy has me wondering--
-when viewing the inlarged picture of the fish, it is about life-size on my screen [9 inches] I supose this varies on different size screens.

Yep, Michael...the shad looks like it does have a bigger mouth. Also look at the tail...it is different, too. Sorry.
http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=114
You sure have my curiosity piqued. We just stocked a friends pond two years ago. I'll try to find out what choices we had back then.

RE; the Fish
I sent a e-mail to the Fla. Fish and wild life. and after they responded--I sent the Man [Bob] the picture--any way it looks like a Golden Shiner-from the info he sent me--however it isn't gold--he is checking, but it appears to be a Shiner of some sort--and they do live in weedy ponds [that also fits]---- Michael

Great job on identifying your fish...
About the cricket....

Good news,

1. I got pictures
2. It definitely eats aphids and rotten fruit
3. I will share info when I get the film developed

Bad news,

1. Not a rare cricket, but a type of Katydid (related), couldn't find exact photo ID, but a shield back type
2. When we weren't looking (sorting seeds and chaff), my two boys got it out of the box, and, well, she didn't make it. Which makes me so glad about bad news number one.

So I won't be killing any crickets in my garden, wish they were big enough to munch on squash bug nymphs. And I won't be killing any (more) Katydids either. She sure was pretty, sniff sniff sigh...

Don't know if this applies, but---when I had trouble with Squash Bugs--an old Timer told me---to soak all the seeds of the plants , that were bothered with Squash bugs in Kerosine before I planted--and the Squash bugs woulden't bother them any more--any way--I started soaking all my pumpkin and other Squash seed in Kerosine over night, before I planted --and it worked for me--[I was amazed they even grew after soaking in kerosine]---It [I guess] confuses them and the seedlings smell different ---you have to use regular kerosine , not the deoderized kind--Michael

Wow...that's a good sized shiner then, eh, Michael! (Big enuff to pan fry!)

Have never heard of the kero trick...maybe it deters the female from laying her eggs on those plants or something.

Congrats on the cricket info. Now if I can just get these giant grasshoppers outta my greenhouse I'd be just fine. They definitely eat plants! And some are huge, big as crows! (Well, in my mind they are!)

i have had a hard time with Grasshopers also--the last time I used ant bait --I bought some that was yellow-and came in a brown plastic bottle[been looking for it again]--any way when I sprinkled it around the greenhouse, the grasshopers ate it also--and I got rid of the ants and grasshopers. [last year]
I don't know if it killed the crickets or not because they wern't too many then, and I didn't notice.

I took a picture of one of the Crickets in the Greenhouse--I believe this is a Field Cricket.

Here is a different angle-
I also have some mole Crickets, but not many, thankfully.

I almost got to see a cave cricket yesterday! A friend saw it, then it ran back under the dirt in her whiskey barrel, and I missed it =-(

Great idea on the kerosene, I will have to check to see if it is allowed in the USDA organic rules. Meanwhile, I harvested most of my squash today. So they can't have them. :-P

I tried planting radishes around the base, but the flea beetles ket eating the seedlings. I bought a tansy today, and just got my safers soap in. And next year I will put marigolds there...

Shoe, I heard semaspore helps with crickets, you have to do it early before they start breeding. You might look into it. Totally natural...

Cornius