Discover the Appetizing Diet of Crickets and What They Eat

“Discover the Appetizing Diet of Crickets and What They Eat”

Every child who has ever caught a cricket and held the tiny, chirping creature in their hands has probably asked this question: “What Do Crickets Eat?” For those who keep these insects as pets or for feeding other pet animals, the import of this question escalates. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of crickets to uncover their dietary habits.

Understanding The Cricket’s Food Habits

Crickets feeding on carrot
Sean Wallace, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Crickets, known for their riveting chirp, are omnivores devouring just about anything. They have a unique menu that is as diverse as the species itself. With over 900 species across the globe, the dietary pattern quite naturally bounces from one type to another.

Exclusive Eaters

Specific types exhibit unusual eating habits. For instance, snowy tree crickets munch exclusively on fruits such as cherries or berries and thrive on plants producing these fruits. Then there are the Northern mole crickets, these subterranean dwellers primarily dine on tree roots and corms.

House Crickets & Their Broad Palette

A house cricket on a cloth

Moving closer to home, house crickets, the species most of us are likely familiar with, are not picky eaters at all. Their dietary habits extend far beyond organic materials and plant life. They’ll consume clothes, paper products, leather goods, or any food they manage to find.

The Survival Diet

Cricket survival instinct even takes them to cannibalistic extremes in the absence of food. Dead insects are also acceptable to add to their unusual diet. Hence, it is crucial to dispose of any cricket carcasses and diligently keep potential foodstuffs out of their reach.

Homemade Delicacies for Pet Crickets

Cricket feeding on hay

Those nurturing pet crickets or breeding them as food for other pets may find it challenging to maintain a desirable diet. Common household foods can meet cricket needs.

  • High protein content to avoid cannibalism.
  • Commercial cricket feed or homemade nourishment comprising dry cat food, powdered milk, alfalfa pellets, and calcium supplements.
  • Kitchen scraps, especially vegetables, and an adequate water supply can fill any nutritional gaps.

Cricket Consumption: A Unique Mechanism

The process of how crickets eat is worth a mention. They employ palps, appendages near their mouth, which act like tiny hands feeding them. They deftly handle these appendages to push food into their mouths, thereafter commences the chewing and swallowing.

Summing Up the Cricket Diet

Close up shot of a small cricket

So in response to the big question, “What Do Crickets Eat?” the answer is, quite a lot, depending on the species and situation! They truly have a diverse and fascinating diet.

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