What can I do with Crickets?

doodle-bug_2

I have been looking after a spider for a friend who is on holiday. His spider eats small crickets. I bought some, but several were very large in the pack and I have been feeding them up too!

He returns very soon, but I have many Crickets left that are too big for the spider. I don't want to give them to him as I would think that he would just throw them in the bin.

Can I let them go in the garden? I know that we do have some crickets in the UK, but as these are no doubt captive bred I don't know if I am being cruel releasing them - even in the summer.

I know this seems very silly to lots of people, but I am worrying about these ****** crickets!!

DKLS

They are very tasty stir fried with satay sauce.

doodle-bug_2

NNNoooooooooo!!!!!!!

mrcol1000

Maybe local zoo or wildlife place would take them from you? Their biggest cost is usually food so small donation like that would probably help.

lorac3

I would give them their freedom.

doodle-bug_2

lorac3 - thanks for this - I think I will.
They've survived the random selection of becoming spider nosh, so think that they deserve to munch my garden!

Hintza

lorac3 wrote: »

I would give them their freedom.

This is the sort of bad advice that helps brings alien species into the country. The winter will probably kill them off but you never know.

Chinese Mitten Crab
Red Signal Cray Fish
Mink
Grey Squirrels
Parakeets
etc

Take them back to the shop or zap them

olias

Ditto, you don't know they are a british native cricket so releasing them into the wild is just irrisponsible

Olias

doodle-bug_2

I didn't want to 'zap' them, hence the question. Or take them back to the shop (who gave me them for free in the first place as 'lots of 'em are dead anyway' after a severe box shaking).

I understand the native species thing (although look at what we'd be if we took that stance in everything - Lost Gardens of Heligan would be a pile of daisies and ivy!) and I understand that they are 'just crickets', but........

I'm certainly not going to look after his damn spider again!

HelenYorkshire

Try local wildlife sanctuary - they might need food for rescued reptiles, fledglings, etc

PLEASE DON'T RELEASE THEM!!

Or keep as pets and enjoy their chirping feed on veg scraps - carrot etc.

DKLS

Actually dont go with a savoury dish, try Cricket Cookies

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• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Now beat the egg into creamed mixture.
• Combine flour, salt, baking soda and crickets and add to creamed mixture. Mix until just blended.
• Add white chocolate chips and pecans. Stir lightly. Place sheets of aluminum foil on cookie sheets. Drop cookies by teaspoonful onto ungreased foil sheets for small cookies, tablespoonful for big cookies.
• Bake cookies 8 9 minutes or until cookies are barely brown. Cookies may not look done, but they are.
• Remove cookies from oven and take foil sheets with the cookies still on them off the baking sheets to cool for a couple of minutes. Take cookies off cooking foil and set on another sheet of foil to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
• Makes 3 - 4 dozen small cricket loving cookies.
• *Preparing Crickets for use in recipe
• Buy large crickets from pet store. Place bagged crickets in freezer for several hours until dead. Remove crickets from freezer and dump crickets in a colander and rinse well. Place rinsed crickets on a cookie sheet lined with 3 or 4 sheets of paper toweling. Bake crickets for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a 200 degree oven. Remove from oven and let cool. To remove legs and antennae from crickets, roll your hand over crickets. Place the cricket bodies only into a hand held nut chopper or small food processor. Chop until the crickets are finely minced or ground fine. Add cricket meal to recipe.

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