Jerusalem cricket (potato-bug, Niña de la Tierra)

[smokehound]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reiKLeNjc2E

Trying to get a breeding project going. This species, for some reason, simply will not breed successfully in captivity, however I have a feeling i unlocked the mystery.

I'll add a pic later..

[Ifishtoolittle]

Ever breed any insects for bait? I'm thinking to buy 500 redworms and letting them loose all over my lawn and soil.

[DarkShadow]

...for some reason, simply will not breed successfully in captivity, however I have a feeling i unlocked the mystery.

You're gonna make 'em watch potato bug pr0n?

Hey, if it worked for the pandas...

[TroutOnly]

ifishtoolittle build youre self a worm bed in youre yard its easy i had one for many years when i was younger ,it was nice having great bait always at my finger tips,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,T/O,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[smokehound]

Redworms have a different habitat requirement than nightcrawlers.

They strongly prefer compost, rotting wood and vegetation, and the hotter it gets, the happier they are. You can actually culture them yourself without ever purchasing them. A more effective (albeit stinky) alternative is to simply dig a hole, fill it with cow or horse manure, soak it till waterlogged, then cover the hole with a flat board, or stone.

for the non-stinky method, Try this: Soak the ground really well in your backyard, in a full-sun area, then place a mound of lawn clippings, and soak, then cover it with a black plastic bag. WHile this will generally kill other animals, redworms will thrive this way. I did this myself for easy bait a few years back.


In about three-four weeks, you should have hundreds of them happily multiplying.

[Ifishtoolittle]

ifishtoolittle build youre self a worm bed in youre yard its easy i had one for many years when i was younger ,it was nice having great bait always at my finger tips,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,T/O,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks Bob. I did it once as a kid and like a kid I just did things for the heck of it without researching too much. Now while I did get hundreds of redworms I also got some unwanted roaches inside my ice chest bin. Lesson learned.


Redworms have a different habitat requirement than nightcrawlers.

They strongly prefer compost, rotting wood and vegetation, and the hotter it gets, the happier they are. You can actually culture them yourself without ever purchasing them. A more effective (albeit stinky) alternative is to simply dig a hole, fill it with cow or horse manure, soak it till waterlogged, then cover the hole with a flat board, or stone.

for the non-stinky method, Try this: Soak the ground really well in your backyard, in a full-sun area, then place a mound of lawn clippings, and soak, then cover it with a black plastic bag. WHile this will generally kill other animals, redworms will thrive this way. I did this myself for easy bait a few years back.


In about three-four weeks, you should have hundreds of them happily multiplying.

Thanks Smokehound. I'll give that bag idea a shot. Will shredded paper work in place of the grass clippings?

[TUNAVIC]

I hate those things,question,can they bite?I still think one of those bit me about 50yrs ago when I was a kid helping my dad turn the lawn over,could just be a bad memory but I really thought it munched me.

Cya Tuna vic

[DockRat]

Ever breed any insects for bait? I'm thinking to buy 500 redworms and letting them loose all over my lawn and soil.

I had a bag of free LA County compost sitting on the side yard for over a year. One day I looked in it and it was loaded with worms.

Get a bag of compost, add some water, tear a few holes in the bottom, leave the top of the plastic bag open, keep in the shade. Maybe add a couple worms (I didn't, I think they came in through a hole ?
You will get a ton of worms, no digging when you need them too.
DR

[Marley]

Try sheep manure for your worms. Or horse. Doesn't smell as strongly as steer or cow. Biggest redworms I ever saw came from the lamb project barns as school.
Smokehound, you really raising those things? Nasty creatures, those.

[City Dad]

You're gonna make 'em watch potato bug pr0n?

Hey, if it worked for the pandas...

DS, you Philistine... What he really needs to do is help the male crickets understand how important listening is (and a couple of Mark Ruffalo movies wouldn't hurt either.)

[smokehound]

Yes, they can deliver a painful bite. They have sharp, powerful jaws, and are predatory by nature. They're actually known for tunneling into anuroctonus (burrowing scorpion) burrows, and killing them, or raiding the nest of young. They also eat roots, with starchy roots being more desired, hence the nickname. They make great pets, very active, continually working on their burrows, some even make a crazy warning sound.

However, the two species i have are not found in urban regions, and are natives of riparian woodland.

Here are some pictures of them:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c177/smokehound/IMG_20140213_225939.png

Unnamed native species, found virtually everywhere in california where suitable undisturbed habitat remains.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c177/smokehound/IMG_20140213_231508.png

This one is called the "Mahogany" jerusalem cricket. I personally find this species to be attractive. More slender, less conspicuous.

While less scary looking, these are far more aggressive than the other species, and do not hesitate to bite.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c177/smokehound/Picture9-4.png

Tiny juvenile. It takes these insects 2 years or more to mature.

This species is very poorly understood. There are 30 different species in southern california alone that have not been named, including the two species i have, "mahogany" is just a common name, and the actual species has no name designated. It's pretty sad that people freak out and kill or mistreat them, as they are an extremely important component of the subterranean community, breaking through compacted soil, which makes habitat for other animals. They seldom injure plants, and are actually quite beneficial, eating old decayed roots..

Anyone have a rotting oak stump they dont want? :D

And CD, you've got it all wrong. what I need to do is demonstrate for them by showing them how it's done. Just gotta find a woman that's willing to wear a jerusalem cricket costume during sex.

But that might be difficult.. ..well, unless i search craigslist. :LOL:

[TUNAVIC]

Cool info on them,nice pics too,don't get me wrong I would never kill one just to get rid of it,actually I don't think of them much,when I saw your post it just gave me the willys remembering one attached to my hand as a kid,Ha!
I am most assuredly amazed by all the strange and unique creatures in creation,especially the ones I know nothing about,thanks again for the info.

Cya Tuna Vic