What your feeders eat matters just as much as what you feed your animals, since a cricket is only as nutritious as its own last meal. This is the exact gut-load routine we use for our own feeder crickets. It's optional for home keepers, but it's the way we do it, and it's worth the extra step if you want the most out of every feeding.
Why Gut-Loading Matters
A cricket that's been fed nothing but dry pellets passes very little nutrition on to your animal. Gut-loading crickets with fresh produce and a mineral-rich powder in the 24 to 48 hours before feeding means your tarantulas, geckos, and monitors are getting real nutrition, not just empty calories.
Our Weekly Gut-Load Recipe
This makes one week's worth in a 64oz blender:
- 24oz RO water
- 200g mango
- 200g blackberry
- 200g apple (no seeds)
- 200g collard greens
- 200g Repashy Superload powder
Weigh the produce on a scale using a large arboreal square (80oz) container, then blend everything together.
How We Serve It
Pour the blend into a large squeeze bottle labeled "cricket food." Use clear circular lids (no fabric), and squeeze the food out into a circle along the inner edge of each lid. Place one lid with food in every cricket tub, and replace it daily so it stays fresh.
Pro tip: if you're running low on Repashy Superload powder, cut back on the water slightly to keep the mix at the right consistency until you restock.
Feeding geckos too? See our Gecko Diet Mix Recipe & Feeding Guide for how we round out their diet beyond crickets.
Looking for feeders? Check out our feeder insects collection.