goofy cricket question

[teela1342]

Okay, here is one for you.

I have a litle can of crickets. You know - the yummy ones "packed in natural juices" that have to be refrigerated after opening. It has been opened for about 3 weeks now.

My question is - how long do they stay good for after opening them? My roommate suggested tasting a couple to see if they have gone bad yet. :Pukey: Jake only gets them as treats, so they aren't being used up that fast. I don't want to feed him spoiled bugs, but I also don't want to throw them out if they can still be eaten.

Any ideas?

[Kalandra]

From zoomed's website:

How long does the canned food last after opening? A. By putting the food in an airtight plastic container the food will last up to two weeks. (I have heard that it lasts up to a month from customers who have called, but I have never had the food last that long.)

They do sell other canned foods and don't specifiy if this includes the can o' varieties.

[Ododad]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I gotta say this: If you taste one, let me know! :laugh:

[teela1342]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I gotta say this: If you taste one, let me know! :laugh:

Not even if there were money involved. The smell is bad enough!

Kalandra - thanks for the info :)

[Schmuzzle's Mom]

The pet store where I buy some of my canned bugs said two weeks in the fridge. I personally freeze them and so they will last longer. I take out what i need as I need it and presto. :slurp: I get live crickets and meal worms from the pet store as it is alot cheaper and freeze them alive and feed in the same manner, defrosted of course. I have seen the canned bugs in the small tins which is what I have right now, but have seen in he reptile section, plastic containers of freeze dried bugs of different varieties that are not in juice and would not smell so bad and I bet would last alot longer. :Pukey:

I have started feeding two live mealies in Muzzies treat dish at night since they cant escape out of there. ;) Live crickets on the other hand not so much LOL! :laugh:

My vet recommended that 1/3 of her diet be bugs, so I tend to try to offer them every night in her treat dish along with a variety of other treats. She doesnt always eat them and is not overweight, so that is what works for her. Each hog is different though. :slurp:

[Ododad]

Not even if there were money involved. The smell is bad enough!

Kalandra - thanks for the info :) lol :laugh:

[teela1342]

My vet recommended that 1/3 of her diet be bugs, so I tend to try to offer them every night in her treat dish along with a variety of other treats. She doesnt always eat them and is not overweight, so that is what works for her. Each hog is different though. :slurp:


I read somewhere that bugs are high in fat and should just be used sparingly for treats. That didn't make sense to me since that is what they eat in the wild. I just assumed it had something to do with the fact that pet hedgies are less active than wild ones. What kind of bugs do you feed her? I am always trying to inject some variety into Jake's diet.

**I hadn't thought of freezing the critters. Thanks for the idea.

[HedgieSpirit]

When I got live crickets, I put them if the freezer for 15 minutes or so. When I took them back out I let them warm up a bit. I was hoping it would just "slow them down" a bit so Chloe could catch them....but, as it turns out, freezing crickets, then letting them warm back up to room temperature does not work too well. lol. About half of them started to move a bit but their limbs were very brittle and many of them had legs fall off. So, I put them back into the freezer to put them out of their misery. Chloe enjoyed her cricket pop sickles...I think I need to go buy more.

[teela1342]

When I got live crickets, I put them if the freezer for 15 minutes or so. When I took them back out I let them warm up a bit. I was hoping it would just "slow them down" a bit so Chloe could catch them....but, as it turns out, freezing crickets, then letting them warm back up to room temperature does not work too well. lol. About half of them started to move a bit but their limbs were very brittle and many of them had legs fall off. So, I put them back into the freezer to put them out of their misery. Chloe enjoyed her cricket pop sickles...I think I need to go buy more.


ewwwww . . . that sounds like the makings of a cricket horror movie. :laugh:

[Ododad]

When I got live crickets, I put them if the freezer for 15 minutes or so. When I took them back out I let them warm up a bit. I was hoping it would just "slow them down" a bit so Chloe could catch them....but, as it turns out, freezing crickets, then letting them warm back up to room temperature does not work too well. lol. About half of them started to move a bit but their limbs were very brittle and many of them had legs fall off. So, I put them back into the freezer to put them out of their misery. Chloe enjoyed her cricket pop sickles...I think I need to go buy more.
That's a very good idea, I am going to try that. I once put some live crickets in with Odo, but she didn't catch all of them and the singing drove Dar crazy. I am not allowed to do that anymore. :rolleyes: