# Vermiculture, crickets and other non-standard farming?



## zuren (Feb 13, 2015)

I went for a bike ride with a friend this weekend and stopped at the public boat launch of a lake we were passing just to check it out. A guy who was pulling his boat out showed us some of the beautiful bluegills he caught during the morning. 

We have a ton of lakes near us with panfish. I've tried looking for live bait in the area and the only thing most gas stations carry are leaf worms, night crawlers and sometimes waxworms. Most of the small mom'n'pop bait shops that carried gear and live bait seem to be gone now. Old timers either retired and closed up or couldn't compete with big retailers like Cabela's, Gander Mountain, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops and others.

I would have to research it more but there could be potential to raise and sell crickets on the side as bait for panfishing and possibly as feeders for local reptile owners. I'm just curious if anyone else has ventured into "farming" like this that falls outside of the box and found success?

Thanks!


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I raised bait worms as a sideline and supplied bait on the halfers with a few local gas and bait shops from the time I was a teenager for extra pocket money until the market gravitated to artificial baits more around here.

Now I just keep a few red worms for compost making and my own fish bait requirements

If you live in an area where live bait is still in demand you could make a few extra dollars during fishing season if you find a gas and bait shop or two who don't raise their own bait as most of the live bait sellers now tend to farm their own as the live bait markets are really lean now.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Go for it!

I would expect that you could sell live bait. There are some companies that sell live bait in self serve soft drink style coolers. 

Or talk with the local gas stations and see if they already have a supplier.


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## RonTgottagoat (Feb 27, 2014)

You ever see those markets in Asia where they have those stir fry crickets with chilies etc? Dat ain't no sesame crusted American tuna dats some real Thailand


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

We have crickets during the season at about every local store----as well as worms----Its a big seller here during the season. I have raised some worms---never really sold any of them. I have raised millions of crickets over a few years-----but not really for public sale----even though I did sell some to a few people I know and sold some to pet owners during the winter when there was no one local that had them. I have thought of setting up and try to sell a few thousand a week to some of the local stores----but never tried. I mainly fed hundreds per day to my chickens. They never got tired of them. I shut down winter before last and have never got back into raising any more.

I will add this----if you are going to sell a few thousand per day or week. It takes a decent size place to do that.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Fire-Man said:


> We have crickets during the season at about every local store----as well as worms----Its a big seller here during the season. I have raised some worms---never really sold any of them. I have raised millions of crickets over a few years-----but not really for public sale----even though I did sell some to a few people I know and sold some to pet owners during the winter when there was no one local that had them. I have thought of setting up and try to sell a few thousand a week to some of the local stores----but never tried. I mainly fed hundreds per day to my chickens. They never got tired of them. I shut down winter before last and have never got back into raising any more.
> 
> I will add this----if you are going to sell a few thousand per day or week. It takes a decent size place to do that.


I've got a partial bag of chicken feed left over from last fall and have been thinking of trying to produce crickets with it. My idea was to put the feed in open containers (like ketchup bottles) to keep it dry and just let the crickets do their thing. Does that sound like it would produce crickets?


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

fishhead said:


> I've got a partial bag of chicken feed left over from last fall and have been thinking of trying to produce crickets with it. My idea was to put the feed in open containers (like ketchup bottles) to keep it dry and just let the crickets do their thing. Does that sound like it would produce crickets?


 
You must be thinking about mealworms or similiar.

Crickets are about the same as chickens----You got to get some fertile "layers". have them in a escape proof place---let them lay, collect the eggs, incubate, hatch, feed, water, brood, etc!!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just thought the feed would attract crickets and they would breed nearby. I remember reading about a cricket "trap" in Outdoor Life. It said to hollow out a loaf of bread and set the loaf on the ground. The crickets would go inside to eat the bread and you could just shake them out into a bucket. Bread and chicken feed are sort of similar ingredients so I figured they would feed on the chicken feed.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

fishhead said:


> I just thought the feed would attract crickets and they would breed nearby. I remember reading about a cricket "trap" in Outdoor Life. It said to hollow out a loaf of bread and set the loaf on the ground. The crickets would go inside to eat the bread and you could just shake them out into a bucket. Bread and chicken feed are sort of similar ingredients so I figured they would feed on the chicken feed.


 
OH, you are just going to draw them into a trap------Not hatch and raise them!!! Got You now! You will probably have to have a few thousand loafs of bread---if you are going to sell a few.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just thought that would be a way to boost the local cricket population within the chicken pen and let the chickens do the harvesting.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

fishhead said:


> I just thought that would be a way to boost the local cricket population within the chicken pen and let the chickens do the harvesting.


Try it, I have never tried to draw crickets to feed. I have layed pieces of plywood on the dirt---then go back in a couple days to collect the crickets under it. Then I would put them in a box----allow them to lay eggs, then raise hundreds/thousands for the chickens.


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