Hi all

I think I have pinheads in cleo's tank

I leave my apartment for the weekend (from friday midday or evening till sunday night), and I leave crickets for Cleo for the weekend (along with a piece of carrot for the crix) Well, yesterday I arrived, cleaned the tank and took out the crickets that were left. Well, this morning she was out and I was looking at her and I see this little things walking around the paper towels. I thought they were ants, cause I've had ant problems around before. I looked around the tank but didn't see any ant line to the tank... I looked closer at them, and they are not ants. I checked her moist hide and there was a bunch in there. I couldn't deal with it right then cause I had clas and was already late, but I'll clean again when I arrive home. The thing is, could they be pinheads? They kinda resemble microscopic crickets, but I really haven't seen a pinhead before. Do anyone have a picture of a pinhead that I could see? I was thinking that if they were pinheads I would put all the spagnum moss of the hides in a plastic bowl with some food and water (I got the water gel thingy for the crix) and raise these pinheads (and save a little money on food, since they are already here it's worth using them, right?). Maybe try to catch the ones that are already walking aroound Cleo's cage and put them in the plastic bowl also, and clean off the ones I can't catch. But I would like to kow if they are really pinheads. Thanks!

Hmm, its possible they're pinheads, but I don't thnk they are. Pinheads are very noticably crickets. They look just like miniature versions of the adults, but without wings or ovipositors. They're about the size of a pinhead (imagine that!). If you're using the typical pet store type crickets (European house crickets) the pinheads will be light peachish-tan, like the adults. They also tend to hop around, so if your's aren't jumping, they're definatley not crix. Shagnum moss isn't a very ideal place to lay eggs either as its not dense like dirt or paper towels would be. The way I see it, if they're not crix you have either an annoying pest that likes your moss, or worse, MITES.

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They do hop around, and kinda looked like crix, but are so small that it's hard to tell. I did placed the piece of carrot back in before going to school so if they are hungry, that they don't bother Cleo. I know that they had kinda long antennae, but imagine, I had just woken up and my eyesight is not too good (specially in the morning) so I couldn't tell if they were or not. I think they were like 1mm long, maybe less but not more than that... I didn't measured them.. I'll look closer at them when I get home since I'm in class right now 8(

I took a pic of them.. lol.. I do think they are pinheads, now having a good, closer look.. They have a longish around 1.5 mm body (put a ruler near them to check, but it's not accurate), a very round head, pretty long antennae and what looks like small antennaes (sorry, don't know the name of them) sticking out of their butt. LOL. The pic is not too good, since they are so small... but here it is...



Edited to add: there was a bunch of them munching on the carrot I left...

From what I can tell they do look kind of like little crickets, don't they? It's hard to tell for sure because they're too small too photograph well...I don't think mites have antennae. ...I don't think mites eat carrots either...

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I'm pretty sure they are pinheads I took out all the moss and put it ina a plastic bowl with little holes (made with a needle) and some dry food (dog food, rolled oats and fish food) and a bit of the water gel. I saw some walking around and I think there are still some eggs in the moss (are cricket eggs long, thing and white?) Then I took out as much as I could of the ones that were running around, and put them in another plastic bowl with holes (must be a hundred or more there!). I put them food, water get and some small pieces of paper all crumpled up. There was a big bunch gathered round the gel, so they must be thirsty, and a lot others hid on the paper. I checked Cleo and I don't see anything wrong with her, nothing crawling on her or red spots or things like that. She did seemed to have tried of getting the little guys out of the nest during the day cause there was moss everywere in the cage. Well, I guess that I have food for next month also. 8) I bet that if I had tried to breed them, they wouldn't had bred. LOL

Yeah, those are pinheads. The eggs sound like crix eggs too.

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

Yep deffinately crix, Good luck raising the little things lol, they must of known your birthday was here, things seem to be laying eggs around birthdays Ken got Corn snake eggs

Adult Crickets+moisture=babies

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LOL... I have an update on that... LOL.. my crix really don't know that they are supposed to use moist soil to lay eggs... I went to clean their water lid and put fresh water (gel) and guess what I found... cricket eggs! I think my crickets are bored and need toys... LOL