When breeding crickets, can I use sand from the park instead of substrate?

Question

I want to breed crickets for my anole because they are getting expensive. I can't afford substrate. Can I use some sand from the park that's across the street?

Answer 1

You can get the large egg crates and put them in a screen cage built for them with cardboard to eat, or you can use any sand as long as it is clean and not too coarse.  If money is tight, you could always buy crickets from a bait shop because after they've been in there for a long time, they start to get fragile anyway.

Answer 2

Growing crickets is pretty easy but you need to deed it more than "cardboard".  Egg crates are good for providing protection -- they'll hide underneath.  Yes, dry sand is good.  Your crickets will have excrement on the sand or substrate, so have enough substrate or sand for other biological organism to decompost the wastes.  Crickets are omnivours but keep to plants so your cricket cage would stay clean and not foul smelling -- rolled oats and vegetable and fruit scraps are good. They will also need some moisture like a small piece of wet sponge on a dish, not open water or they will drown.

Answer 3

NO!  NEVER USE SUBSTRATE THAT YOU FOUND OUTSIDE FOR YOUR BUGS!!!

hello pesticides!

get a large piece of tupperware to hold em in, some flukers gel (good source of water that will keep them healthier for your anole), some cardboard egg crates for them to walk on, and lettuce.  VOILA!