Tired of buying crickets for your exotic pet, then don't, i will show you how to breed them. Pt.1 of 3 this one I will show you how to make a general population

Step 1: Gathering Supplies

First you need to gather supplies
what is needed is:

-10 gallon fish tank (im using a plastic container instead)
- 20 oz bottle of water
- Styrofoam cup
- plastic lid
- crickets
- apples,oranges,carrots,dog or cat food (to feed crickets)
- almost forgot cotton balls

Step 2: Catch Your Crickets

This whole thing is not to pay for crickets, so catch some. Usually are under rocks, wood and various other things near walls and fences. (that container is a smaller container and i caught like 15 more after that picture)

Step 3: Assembling the Water Container: Cup

First get a Styrofoam cup and draw the lines in the first picture. Next Cut it on those lines and shorten the bridge and bend it (it snapped off on mine, just tape it) The small plastic thing is the lid for there food.

Step 4: Assembling the Water Container: Bottle and Finished Product.

Next you are going to need to cut the bottle and the bottle lid. After that the water can flow out but not overflow the cup. Put the bottle in the cup and surround the bottle top with cotton to soak up the water. The crickets will suck out the water from the cotton and not drown.

Step 5: Next

Assemble it all and position were you would like things to be placed, in this container they cannot breed because the crickets cannot lay there eggs (next instructable).

HINTS Add some grass (NOT DIRT) or weeds to give the crickets traction, This container is a 62 Liter tub and they can't climb up the walls. It would be helpful to have a lid on the container to keep out the natural enemies of the crickets. There is a certain fly that is a parasite to the cricket and hides on the underside. The dirt in the final image is used for the crickets to lay there eggs (second instructable).

Step 6: End

Now you have a living quarters for your crickets, if you apply a container of dirt they will lay there eggs into the dirt.

OTHER INFO: Female crickets have a long spike sticking out of there butts, this is for burying there eggs, it is about a inch long.
Male crickets don't have the long spike

Changing the cotton ball every other day is crucial, otherwise it would be a breeding ground for bacteria which is not good for your cricket eating exotic pet.