So i went to get some crickets for my gecko and noticed that some of the dead crickets had tiny maggots in and around them. I also noticed 2 fruit flies in the container as well. I got rid of the crickets and the ones left in my geckos tank. I am now worried that my gecko has ingested some a cricket with maggots inside. Could this be harmful to him or will he just digest them?
Maggots in Crickets
- Thread starter Tevalo
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dragondragon
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No
Riffherper
Well-Known Member
Just a bit of extra protein, even if this has occurred which is unlikely it'll be completely fine.
B
Beans
Guest
If there was fruit flies I'm pretty sure they would be fruit fly maggots in which case the maggots would be clean. There wouldn't be any harm in feeding those. Just more protein which is always good 
if you don't want magots then change the crickets food every few days.
if you don't want magots then change the crickets food every few days.
dragondragon
Well-Known Member
If they were fruit fly maggots they wouldn't be in the crickets
Yeah I get the maggot problem too.
I buy about 4 containers of crickets at a time them house them all in a big plastic container with drilled holes for ventilation & cat litter pellets for substrate.
Every now & then I'll find a small housefly inside buzzing around...I mean the drilled holes are pretty small but they still manage to crawl in.
I have a sponge inside the water dish & once the water drops & exposes the sponge, that's where the maggots are.
And I don't think they're fruit fly maggots because I usually feed the crickets a mixture of cat kibble & fish flakes.
I buy about 4 containers of crickets at a time them house them all in a big plastic container with drilled holes for ventilation & cat litter pellets for substrate.
Every now & then I'll find a small housefly inside buzzing around...I mean the drilled holes are pretty small but they still manage to crawl in.
I have a sponge inside the water dish & once the water drops & exposes the sponge, that's where the maggots are.
And I don't think they're fruit fly maggots because I usually feed the crickets a mixture of cat kibble & fish flakes.
B
Bluetongue1
Guest
The maggots in the dead crickets could be either fly or beetle larvae. Either is a good source of food for geckos. If you check out Geckodan’s website he has instructions on how to raise Australian Bush Flies in order to use the maggots as lizard (or bird) food. My guess is that the fruit flies were attracted to the food you are feeding the crickets.
The best way to exclude other insects from a colony of feeder insects, be they crickets or woodies or what ever, is to glue flyscreen over all of the ventilation holes. It is not entirely foolproof but will make a huge difference.
Blue
The best way to exclude other insects from a colony of feeder insects, be they crickets or woodies or what ever, is to glue flyscreen over all of the ventilation holes. It is not entirely foolproof but will make a huge difference.
Blue
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