# Freezing Crickets in Mini-icecubes



## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Currently, I hide 10 or so crickets (that have been frozen and thawed) throughout Snar'fs cage so he can do a little hunting/foraging. He seems to love it and when he returns to his cage at night, the first thing he does is check out the cricket situation.If you appraoch the cage during the evening, he will jump off the wheel and hurry over to see what you've left for him. needless to say, the crickets don't remain hidden for long: he returns to his cage at 9...crickets are usually gobbled up by 9:30 at the lastest (sometimes he has a bit of a nap in between).

I would love to extend this cricket spree by maving them available throughout the night. The only thing I've been able to come up with is freezing them in water, like little cricket ice-cubes in teeny containers: plastic bottlecaps; I have little plastic domes from my AeorGarden; small plastic containers, etc. There will be a some mess/wet spots, as I am assuming he will just pluck the cricket out of the container once it's thawed but I don't know why this wouldn't work...??

Ideas? Thoughts? Other suggestions? Cautions?


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

Snarf is such a lucky hedgehog!! This sounds ok to me though you will have some wet spots as you mention.

Not to side track the thread but what do you do to them again? How long do you gut load and what do you load with? Then do you just stick them right in to the freezer?

I really really hate feeding Truffle crickets. They smell and seem to get away from me often. Toffee does not really care for them though I try to get her to eat a couple a night (I make sure to feed them BEFORE the mealworms aroma comes out). I would be much more apt to feed crickets IF they were not such a pain. Truffle loves them though. And I know how good they are for them.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

When the cage is too hot, people use ice packs to cool it down, so would ice cubes cool it down?

Could Snarf bite the ice cubes and cause any damage to his teeth? 

If he started licking or pushing at the ice cube, I'm assuming he'd get colder?

Could his tongue get stuck to the ice cube? I've had mine get stuck to ice cubes before :roll: . It helps if you run water over them before though. 

The fleece fibers would get stuck to the ice cube, could he ingest them?

Just some thoughts, love the idea though.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I am totally freaked out about the little creepy things but Snarf LOVES crickets and so does his vet...so I suck it up. :roll: 

I am open to criticism/ideas here...this is exactly what I do:

-buy a Tub-o-Crickets - 50 4 or 5 week usually
-dump entire tub contents in 4l pitcher (less chance of escaping)
drop in a few carrots
-cover pitcher with old pair of nylons :lol: and LOTS of rubber bands. :lol: 
-let them gutload for two full days...I am weird here but I figure positive energy is a good thing and I want to offset some of the bad karma from killing them, so I put the pitcher (aka Bug Jug) in front of an sunny, open window during the day...I know, I know... :roll: 
-pop the entire jug in the deep freeze
-when they are most definitely frozen to death...I take no chances, I pick them out - watching for yucky looking ones - and put them in a smaller container and put that in the freezer
-every morning I take out enough crickets for Snarf for the day and put them in the fridge
-every night when Snarf goes back to his cage, I hide them (6-8) under fake plants and between rocks, etc

That's it. No muss, no fuss, no touchy the disgusting crickets.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

CanadienHedgie said:


> When the cage is too hot, people use ice packs to cool it down, so would ice cubes cool it down?
> 
> Could Snarf bite the ice cubes and cause any damage to his teeth?
> 
> ...


These are some of the same concerns I have. I am hoping:
- he won't have any interest while they are little bottlecaps of ice - but I don't know...teeth are definitely a concern, as is him popping a rock hard cricket in his mouth and hurting his teeth/mouth
- I was going to leave the entire thing - cap and ice and all - in the cage, so unless he tipped the cap when the ice was melting, fleece fibres/mess wouldn't be a concern

I think I am going to try it with one while I am sitting there hawk-eyeing him and see what he does. I am freezing a couple to try - I also want to see how long it takes for them to thaw.

If anyone has any suggestions I am open to them. Right now, he gobbles up the crickets and only eats half of his kibble...little rotter.


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## kiania (Mar 15, 2011)

Freezing assorted foods in ice (or freezing juice/blood) is a common occurance in zoos. Assuming you're making cricket-sized cubes (rather than big blocks), and that you don't have your heat set to the lowest possible, I honestly see no problems. In the past, the insectivorous primates I've worked with get fruit cubes (chunks of fruit in ice) from the time that we all start wearing t-shirts rather than being bundled in 5 layers of fleece (ie spring to late summer). Other animals get frozen veggies and fruit even during February/March without an issue.

All the animals I've worked with, or seen during conferences regarding this as an enrichment, will chew on the ice (particularly if it is flavoured with juice or blood). As long as you aren't making huge cubes, I've never heard of an animal suffering from broken teeth. Ice is a bit like dried cat kibble.

I've also never had an issue with my monkeys, or other small mammals, who need to have an indoors kept at a toasty temperature, being given frozen treats as long as it is nice weather. Our pigs get them occasionally even if it is a little overcast.

So, as far as I can see, the only issue would be if you had your heat source on low (I'd move it up so that it is definitely registering in the middle of the suitable range), or if the hog got cold from the wet patches. Personally, I'd use one of those plant pot saucers for the cubes, or something similarly sized in a bottle cap, so that the cold water doesn't soak into your substrate (fleece, or whatever).


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Wow, kiana!! Who knew there would be an expert on frozen cricket-cubes??

Thanks so much!!


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## kiania (Mar 15, 2011)

More frozen fruit/veg/meat/juice/blood, but I'd imagine it'd be the same for insects as it is for everything else keepers freeze up for their broods!

Be nice to hear how it goes!


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