The Easiest way to Raise Crickets is to be Sure to Harvest for Beginners

In this modern era, small things like the way crickets are being developed with the aim of supporting the community's economy in the face of today's sophisticated era. The animal, which is only the size of a date palm, is a type of insect that has wings and can emit a distinctive sound (creaking). These insects will also be active to survive at night. Cricket comes from the Latin (Gryllidae) which is currently busy being cultivated by people in our country. The main reason for crickets livestock is to earn income because the crickets harvest will be sold and used as a source of pet feed such as; birds, ornamental fish, ferrets, snakes, various reptiles, and many other benefits.

In this way of breeding crickets , there are only a few types of crickets that can be cultivated such as honey necklace types, upo, complaints, natural sliring, genggong, white gangsir. This type of cricket does have many reasons in the cultivation process which in fact is for pet food. Indeed, in livestock these crickets are also different in ways, such as if you are going to cultivate necklace and slirting crickets, it will be different from the way of fighting crickets because the fighting crickets are taken from the wild, while for slirting crickets and necklaces of honey the mother and even the eggs have a lot of them. who trade.

As in the subject of this discussion, it is about how to breed crickets, which I will share with the right steps and procedures in order to produce maximum harvest quality. This way of cultivating crickets is also very easy and not as complicated as we imagine, and here I will also explain how to market crickets which of course for beginners do not know and so they can easily do it. Specialized for Cultivation friends who are already proficient and experienced, it also doesn't hurt to read my scribbles and use it as a sharing reference between fellow cricket breeders. In the implementation of the cricket cultivation method Of course, there is not only one way, but there are many methods that can be used, ranging from traditional to modern methods that use buckets and sand as media for cricket eggs, cardboard and plywood as the main cage for crickets. But in here, of course, what we will discuss is the simplest and easiest way of raising crickets , of course, many have done it in small/home-scale crickets livestock business. 

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In the implementation of this cricket farming method, the most important thing and must be done first is to determine the location and prepare the box/cage that will be used for the cricket cultivation process. Site selection and box/cage preparation are the main things that must be considered, because these 2 things are very important to support the final results of crickets that will be carried out. So the main capital for the success of the crickets livestock business is to cover these 2 things, namely, the selection of the location of the cage and the cage itself.

For determining the location that will be used, it is recommended to make a simple house / hut for the cage / box of crickets because of course it is adjusted to the living environment of crickets who like a quiet and dark place. In addition to making a special hut/house for the cricket box, you can also take advantage of the unused empty space in the house. This method is certainly more cost-effective and also easier to handle because it is under one roof with us. Indeed, the location of crickets must be considered, the comfort and safety of crickets from predators must also be taken into account. 

Another important thing that must be considered before running a cricket livestock business is the environmental temperature, crickets cannot tolerate cold temperatures, as a result they will die easily and cannot grow optimally. Crickets are also not resistant to hot temperatures, if the temperature is too hot, crickets will easily die from drought. So in determining the location of the cage for crickets in each area it is always different, this applies in all areas such as Yogyakarta, Magelang, Klaten, Solo, Ambawara, Semarang, Kudus, Kebumen, Juwana, Jepara, Pati, Pekalongan, Tayu, Purwodadi, Grobogan, Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, Bekasi, Banyuwangi, Jember, Surabaya, Nganjuk, Ngawi, Mediun, Central Java, West Java, East Java, Sematra, Kalimantan, Jambi, Papua, and many other areas and cities that I cannot mention all of them. What is clear is that the selection of locations in all regions is definitely different, all of this is due to different temperatures, crickets like temperatures that are not hot and cold, if the location of the cage is like this, the growth of crickets will be optimal and death will not occur. So to make a comfortable cage, give foam moistened with water for hot areas, and provide heating from a 5W bulb for cold areas, This way of breeding crickets is quite effective.

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After determining the location for a comfortable and safe placement for the cricket box/cage, the next step is to make the box with materials such as triplex, wood, cardboard, bamboo, or aluminum. This material is used to make a box/cage for crickets with a size that adjusts to the location of the cage room. After the box/cage for the crickets livestock business is finished, the next step is to prepare the media for the convenience of the crickets' survival process in the cage. This media can use TRE (a former egg container), TRE can be purchased at a store or egg middleman of course at a very cheap price. The media can also use dry leaves such as dried sugarcane leaves, dried banana leaves, and other dry leaves that crickets like as in free.

The media for the survival of crickets either from dry leaves or TRE has the same function, namely for the crickets' house/hiding place for crickets. Remember, crickets really like quiet and dark places. These crickets after hatching should be immediately given media to feel comfortable even though they live in a cage/box. After the media, the box/cage for crickets should be made a cover that serves to regulate the humidity of the box. For the cover of this cricket box, 2 layers of cover are made, namely by using a waring / net / mosquito net cover and after that it is covered with a thick tarp / cloth / plastic. These two covers have different uses, waring to prevent predators such as geckos, lizards, mice, cats, etc. While the tarpaulin / plastic serves to regulate the humidity of the cricket box. how to livestock crickets  must be done carefully.

Meanwhile, to protect crickets from pests such as ants, you can use plastic cups that have been filled with oil and then attached to the legs of the box/cage of crickets. In this way it is powerful enough to prevent attacks from insects that can damage the survival of crickets that have been cultivated.

The above is an illustration of how to start a cricket livestock business in a good and right way, by trying to start, you will also gain experience knowledge so that you understand and are qualified to run a cricket livestock business in order to get maximum profit. If you are still in doubt and don't understand the correct way of raising crickets, then seek good knowledge from the internet, books, and ask directly to cricket breeders who already have experience. Ask how to raise crickets starting from breeding with their own brooders and raising eggs from the cricket breeders.

Below we will share articles on the stages of cricket cultivation starting from preparation for making cricket cages to harvesting, God willing, complete based on our experience. In general, the sequence of steps to start raising crickets can be seen below:

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Alright, the scribble above is just an introduction, below I will share in real terms the steps to run a cricket livestock business with proper handling in order to produce maximum harvests. This step starts from making the cage for crickets which includes the location and box until the harvest period. Here are the steps to start a cricket cultivation business:

1. Determine the location of the cricket cage in the right area, comfortable, and safe from pests.
2. Make a simple house for the crickets cage (a place to store the crickets box)
3. Make a cage for crickets/box for crickets for maintenance until harvest.
4. Provide a box cover, you can use waring and tarpaulin
5. Fill the Cricket box with live media. Crickets can use TRE or dry leaves.
6. Provide feed for crickets, feed can use aya feed voor, AD1, which has been mashed.
7. Also provide additional feed for the early breeding period of crickets, feed can use gambas, banana gedebog, young / ripe papaya, chicory, cassava leaves, papaya leaves
8. The last step is to try all types of feed from the main feed (voor) and additional feed must be complete so that the growth of crickets can be maximized. And don't be surprised if the cricket's food is not small even though its body is small but the number is very large.

Alright, to clarify the steps and stages of a good and correct cricket cultivation business , I will explain one by one for the points above!!

Steps How to Livestock Crickets

1.     Determine the right location and setting for live media for crickets (box housing and crickets enlargement box)

After confirming where the location for the cricket box house is, the next step is to determine the cage/box model that matches the character of the crickets' environment (the survival of crickets in the wild). This is reasonable because basically crickets are seasonal insects, the existence of this cricket population does not always exist in every season, but only in certain seasons. Based on the presence of the largest population of crickets, it is near the rainy season, so maybe because the air is still warm (not too hot) it will make the crickets survive and breed. 

For example, in a rice field area where the soil is dry (not muddy/muddy) then a field like this will become a target for crickets to stop by. However, not all of them are like this, based on research, not all areas (rice fields) are the preferred place for a group of crickets to survive, as an illustration of 100 rice fields only 10-15 plots are the chosen places for crickets for their medium of life, and others there are few crickets and crickets. even partially nil. This means being a lesson to the cricket farmers that not all places are suitable for crickets to live in, if the area is not too good for them, the crickets will leave it and look for a new environment or even the crickets will die in that place.

With all the facts above, it should be a reference for cricket breeders to be more careful and pay attention to the location and media of crickets' life because basically, different places for crickets breed, the results will be different.

To overcome this problem as a cricket breeder, you must understand very well about the right environment for crickets for crickets, in essence if a cricket breeder has a location like what the location is, he must be smart to make the right settings to start crickets. A breeder must be able to change an area that crickets do not like into an area that crickets like, with this achievement, success in raising crickets will follow.

As in the existing fact that crickets are seasonal animals whose population increases with no random seasons, for this reason, cricket breeders are demanded to be able to regulate the temperature of the environment/cage so that crickets can feel the sensation of living like in the wild. Thus, the cricket farming business will be able to run at any season and at any time without knowing the change of certain seasons. This is of course a problem that will be a bit of an obstacle for beginner cricket breeders, but all this is not a heavy burden that has no solution, here I will thoroughly explore how to breed crickets for the most complete beginners to harvest success.

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How to set the right cage and live media for crickets

1. Choose a location that is not crowded (quiet), quiet, preferably far from the existence of daily human activities.
2. The location chosen to store the box/cage of crickets must get good air circulation so that the room temperature adjustment becomes smooth.
3. Keep it away as much as possible from any noise, from livestock, machine noise, human voices, etc.
4. Avoid places that become human activities, remember crickets really like quiet and dark places.
5. Setting the room so as not to get direct sunlight, try to be dark.
6. The location is better to avoid under the trees, this is intended so that the cricket house/box can absorb the heat of the sun from the roof.
7. Keep away from pet cage locations.
8. Make sure the cricket box house is safe from the threat of predators such as mice, geckos, lizards, chickens, cats, etc.

If some of the requirements above are deemed to have met, then the next step for the cricket farming method is to properly build a cage/box for crickets. Below I will explain in full about how to make a cricket cage.

2.     How to make a house/shack to store boxes/cages for crickets

In this stage it is about how to make an ideal cricket cage, to create this it is necessary to build a simple hut whose size can be adjusted to use. If the cultivation of crickets will be carried out on a large scale, then the cricket huts / cage houses are also built with their functions and uses. For a small scale, a simple hut can be made, moreover it will save more initial costs if you have an empty room/house as long as the place is adequate, not humid and water gets in when it rains.

In the construction of cricket huts/houses to be more efficient, you can use gedek (Javanese) which is woven made of bamboo that functions as a wall of ancient people's houses. Or even better if you build a hut with a semi-brick system, this will certainly be stronger and safer. For this problem, of course, there is no need to think about it, huts with big walls or bricks are also equally good for a cricket house. For the roof of the hut, asbestos can be given to further reduce initial costs.

For this cricket hut, the most important thing is that it is safe from predators and also direct wind gusts, so to anticipate the harsh winds the walls must be as tight as possible, if using a gedek, it needs to be covered with plastic or tarpaulin to cover the holes in the woven bamboo. Most crickets do not like direct wind gusts because this will affect their life in the enlargement box, if exposed to wind crickets will be difficult to grow and even die.

So the essence of all this is how to build a house for crickets that is safe from direct external wind gusts and safe from predators. For those of you who don't have land to build a hut, you can look for any location that has a stable temperature for crickets. In an alley of a house that has been closed or on the terrace of a house that has been given an additional fence so that wind and predators cannot enter.

How to make a house / hut for a cage for crickets that is correct and economical:

• To save initial costs, the basic area of ​​​​the Jangkrik box house is enough with soil, as long as it is not muddy (water ingested).
• Try to position the base of the cage higher, this is to anticipate water entering during the rainy season.
• For the type of semi-brick hut, the bottom is enough with 1.5 meters of brick, and above it is given asbestos and wind. It can be more efficient if the walls of the crickets' house can use asbestos with a minimum height of 2 meters, then the top can be added with gedeg. For the more efficient so that the crickets are not exposed to gusts of wind from the outside, the wall is enough to use a betheg that has been doubled with plastic / tarpaulin.
• The roof of the house / cricket hut try to use asbestos only, asbestos is very good at keeping the temperature because it absorbs heat.
• The          height of the house / hut of the crickets is only about 2-4 meters, this is intended so that there is not much space that can cause cold temperatures in the house of the crickets.
• If the house/hut for the crickets box is clear, then the next step is to make a cage/box for crickets according to the criteria for the interior of the crickets hut. Make it as comfortable as possible with the right size, and this size of course adjusts the space in the hut that has been made.

If at the stage above, namely the making of a hut/house for the cricket box, or in another way, namely placing the cricket box in an unused space, it has been fixed, then the next step is to make a box/box for crickets to cage the crickets that we will cultivate. You can get this Cricket Box by buying/ordering it at furniture-making places, but it will be more economical to make your own with materials such as plywood and battens.

3.     How to Make a Cage/Box for Crickets

At this stage, it is actually quite easy to do, basically we are only required to make a box design for crickets in the form of a box like a crate. Boxes can be made using materials that are cheap and easily available at the nearest building shops such as plywood/plywood. This crate/box is made as tight as possible so that the crickets can't get out of the box, it's better to apply wood glue to every corner of the plywood connection.

The box/cage of crickets must be given legs with a height of about 5-10 cm, give 4 feet to a rectangular box and give 6 feet if the box/cage of crickets is a rectangular crate. After making the legs, give the bottles of mineral water bottles that have been cut to step on the legs of the box. Don't forget the bottle for the sandals is oiled to prevent predators such as skeletons, ants, and so on. Why do we have to fill used bottles at the legs of the Cricket box? Because oil is really feared by any insects because of its sticky nature and difficult to clean, if insects are exposed to oil then 80% of them will die. In addition, used oil is also a residual material that is very easy to get, cheap, and safe.

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In addition to making cricket boxes with many-legged wooden crate models, they also use used cardboard for cricket boxes. This concept is a new thing in the world of how to raise crickets, but if we think logically, what is durable and long-lasting is the cricket box made with plywood/plywood. As a cure for curiosity, I personally did a test using used cardboard as a cricket box, but I don't think this concept is good because I found a lot of cricket larvae coming out of the crevices of the cardboard. But before that, I had anticipated by giving him cardboard plaster in all corners, as a result the cricket larvae still came out because they were very small in shape. Box crickets using cardboard are also less efficient because if the crickets are grown up, their teeth will be strong and they can even make holes to escape.

How to make the right cage/box for crickets:

• Prepare wooden battens (wood made to install tiles on the roof of the house), the function of this batten is to make a framework for the cricket box. Many battens are sold in building shops / wood shops.
• To make box walls, you can use plywood/plywood only to be more efficient, if you want super quality, you can use hard wood boards such as teak, Kalimantan, Jabon, etc.
• Immediately prepare enough nails (batten nails) and (small nails), lath nails to assemble the frame and small nails to attach the plywood to the box frame.
• Prepare also white cement or wood glue, this material is used to close the gap in each corner of the box cricket so there are no holes.
• Prepare a clear brown duct tape, usually used to tape cardboard boxes. This brown duct tape will later be useful for plastering the top of the box so that the crickets can't crawl up and out. This type of duct tape is slippery so that the cricket's feet cannot go through it.
• Preparation of the next material is to make a cover on the top of the box, this cover can use a fishing net. The function of this cover is to prevent predatory animals from entering the box, remember crickets are special food for animals such as lizards, geckos, mice, cats, chickens and so on. In addition, this waring lid also does not cover the box as a whole, air circulation remains normal and keeps the temperature stable.
• Furthermore, in need of bamboo shards that have been Sisiki (puree), bamboo serves as a template waring so rigid and easy to use to close the box.
• The last ingredient is a tarp / thick plastic to cover the cricket cage at the time of cold temperatures, do not forget tarpaulins / plastic is also made of bamboo frame so that the lid is easy to use.
• Do not forget to prepare woodworking tools such as saws, hammers, tape measures and other tools if necessary.

If we have got all the ingredients above, we don't have to wait any longer, immediately make a box of crickets so that the crickets can be carried out quickly. The size of this cricket box depends on taste and of course adjusts to the interior area of ​​the hut/location that will be used to store the box. For the step by step making of the box, I certainly don't need to mention it in detail, because I think just making a chest of course everyone can do it.

How to Make a Box Cover / Cricket Cage

As in point no 3 above that a box needs a cover to protect the crickets in the box from predators. The cover of the box is also an important thing that must be considered because without a cover, the box will be entered by various predatory animals which will later damage the crickets that we run. Crickets can be eaten, and if any are missed they will most likely die from trauma, remember crickets can live comfortably if the place is quiet and far from other animal life. With the entry of predatory animals, of course, the crickets will be stressed and will eventually die so that the harvest will fail.

To prevent bad things like the above, we must prepare a cover that functions as a cricket security, in addition to securing and closing tightly but also providing healthy air circulation. And this is of course what I will explain how to make a cover that does not interfere with air circulation but is safe from predators.

No need to make turns, first prepare a waring that is the size of the box's mouth hole, then attach the waring to 3 sides, the way of hooking can use bamboo/wood battens and nail it to the box. The meaning of only 3 sides that are hooked is the other side to open and close the box when needed, such as when feeding or other things. If this stage is finished, we still need more lids, because this lid is basically only to prevent predators and air circulation. Next, make the second cricket cover with a thick tarpaulin/plastic, but first make a square frame the size of the Cricket box. This cover is useful for keeping the temperature warm and dark, so that the crickets are comfortable and can grow optimally.

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Maybe for about how to make the lid, I think my cultivation buddy already understands it, starting from how to make it and also all its functions. For those of you who are lazy or can't make it yourself because you're busy or your skills aren't qualified, you can order it from a carpenter or buy it because there are currently many who sell ready-to-use cricket boxes.

How to Make Crickets Live in a Box

At this stage, it is about how to do the settings in the cricket box so that the crickets feel comfortable with the sensation of living like in the wild. I think this stage is very important because it will affect a lot about the life of crickets, by living like the sensation of the outdoors, of course the crickets will be healthy and also fast in growing.

The hut, box and cover are not enough for crickets to use . We still need the living media, but don't worry, the cricket media in this box is not as difficult as making catfish or eel live media. Live media for crickets can use TRE, for those who don't know what TRE is, I'll explain. TRE is an egg container made from processed cardboard materials by the factory, for the cultivation of TRE crickets it is very good to use as a living medium, crickets will like it and hide in the crevices of the TRE pile that we have made.

The TRE form that has room for eggs is very good for hiding crickets, with that crickets feel like they have lived in freely as in soil cavities. Even the cavity is getting wider because the TRE is arranged / stacked between the legs and the result will be to form a lot of space.

How to arrange TRE (egg container) in a box/cage of crickets

The first step of course is to prepare the TRE itself, TRE can be obtained from chicken egg sellers. Try to get a used TRE only so that the initial cost of crickets does not swell. It's very easy to get one, go to a chicken/duck egg seller and ask if there are any used TREs you can buy. If there is, buy enough TRE, but if it's cheap, you can transport it in the maximum amount so that the next time you want to develop a cricket farming business, just use it.

The second step is to clean the TRE from dirt and dust, do the drying before the TRE is used for at least 6 hours under direct sunlight. By drying, dust and dirt are easy to clean, thus making the crickets' living media healthier and cleaner. If there is dirt that sticks and is difficult to clean, use an old toothbrush to brush it. For dirt that is easy to clean, just tap / hit it and it will fall by itself. Remember, to clean TRE does not require water because it is made of cardboard, if exposed to water TRE will be soft and easily torn.

The third step after the TRE is clean from dust and dirt is to make settings to organize the TRE in the cricket box. The trick is to arrange TRE one level evenly throughout the base of the cricket box. Then overlap the TRE by arranging the TRE against the TRE that was installed earlier, this is useful to prevent the TRE from sticking together and make room for the crickets to hide. As above, the next TRE arrangement is the same, give enough TRE, it's very good to arrange TRE more than half the height of the cricket box.

If all of the things above are in order, then to start a cricket farming business, I think it can be done, immediately get cricket seeds/eggs and then take care until they hatch and are ready for harvest.

4.     How to Care and Feed Crickets

At stage no. 6 this is the stage where the most decisive factor for the success or failure of the crickets to be run. Here I will explain how to care for crickets which includes feeding and drinking appropriately. If the cricket eggs have hatched into small cricket larvae, then our task is to provide the right feed so that growth goes well so that it can enter the harvest period correctly.

The results of maximum growth of crickets larvae will be very good for a period of time and also shorten the treatment period because in the way of crickets livestock has the concept that the faster the harvest period, the higher the level of profit generated. Logically, a fast cricket harvest will certainly save time, costs, and also energy for daily maintenance. With the faster the crickets to be ready to harvest, of course, it also saves feed, it is necessary to know because the crickets feed is not small, indeed the body is small but because they are very large, the feed must also be a lot.

The main problem here is how to provide good cricket feed so that the crickets can grow quickly and maximally. Crickets can be said to have entered the harvest period not from the reference age, but rather to the last molting phase, or can be called Tlondo crickets. With proper feeding, the growth and turnover of the skin will also be faster, as well as shortening the time for feeding, so it is more efficient.

Harvest crickets in general can be done after the age of 28-30 days after hatching with good care provisions too, but if you are more careful in the care and feeding then crickets can be harvested after the age of 22-25 days. With a difference of 3 days, of course, it will be very beneficial for cricket farmers, saving feed, time, and also handling.

Another reason that requires the harvest of crickets to be accelerated is that the weight of the crickets has no effect if the harvest at an early age is actually more stable in weight. It has been proven that crickets are fast in growing, so the food they eat is directly absorbed by the body and becomes meat. On the other hand, for crickets that have been growing for a long time, when they eat, the food that has been put into their bodies only comes out and becomes dirt. You can prove yourself that crickets that are slow in growth will have a light weight when weighed, besides that their skin changes are also not the same, so they are less targeted if you want to get maximum profit.

In addition to feed which is the main capital for crickets to grow optimally, there are other things that also affect the temperature factor of the cage itself. Indeed food has a big role in the growth of crickets but temperature and season are also involved. For this reason, the temperature setting of the cage must be very carefully considered, provide a temperature gauge in the cage. If it's winter/rainy, warm it up with a 10W light bulb for each box.

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Well, below I will explain what feeds are very good to support the growth of crickets so that they have a short harvest period!!

Food For The Right Crickets

The right food for crickets must be provided if you want to get a good harvest. This feed consists of main and supplementary feeds and all of them are very easy to get because many are selling them at the nearest animal feed shops in your city. 

The provision of additional / companion / interlude feed is also very important so that the crickets do not get bored of eating only the main feed. This complementary feed can use vegetables, fruit, or other green leaves. Complementary feeding should be given with a character that has a high water content so that it can be a source of drink for crickets.

It should be noted that in the wild, crickets are very fond of eating fresh green leaves, this is of course also a lesson for cricket breeders to also provide food in the form of green plants and fruit. If in the wild, crickets really like purslane leaves, then in the cultivation box they should be given complementary feed such as sliced ​​young papaya, young/old papaya leaves, papaya tree (the inside of the tree), banana leaves, banana gedebog ( good for crickets), cassava leaves, chicory, gambas, and other vegetables that are cheap and easy to get.

Well above are some feeds that can be given to crickets in order to speed up the growth and harvesting process, you can also add some menus that are easily available in your area.

These are some types of food consisting of main feed and complementary feed for crickets . The more efficient the cost of feed, the greater the profit you get at harvest, but never reduce the portion of eating crickets because this method will actually be detrimental from all sides.