Growing crickets to make some extra cash requires little space, since the business can be set up in your basement or a small room. To making money you must grow and sell them in large quantities. Gather supplies such as containers to house the crickets while they grow and become big enough to sell. You also need metal screening with small holes that you attach to the top of the containers to stop the crickets from escaping while still giving them enough air to breathe.

The crickets lay their eggs in soil, peat moss or bedding material you place in the container.

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You also need to start with a few dozen crickets, including equal numbers of female and males so they breed and multiply. Since crickets need heat to grow, find space near your furnace, or use a reptile heating element to keep the container warm. Figure out who wants to buy crickets in your area, such as bait shops, fishermen or pet shops that need to feed their reptiles.

Find out how many crickets they need and how often. Persuade them to buy from you by mentioning the benefits of buying local, such as not needing to pay shipping costs to get their supply of crickets. Talk to chain pet stores to see if they need a distributor in your region to supply the local store with crickets.

Another option is to approach local zoos to find out their needs for the insects. If you plan to deliver your crickets to local businesses, you need to put the insects in a small box with a screen securely inserted into an opening in the box so the crickets get enough air until someone takes them out for use.

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Shipping to distant locations requires the same procedure. You may need to use a heat pack inside the box when shipping during the winter, as this helps keep the crickets warm until they reach their destination. Promoting your business requires making phone calls to businesses to find out if they need more crickets or can refer you to other enterprises that need crickets.

If you also plan to sell crickets direct to fishermen or pet owners, place small ads in your local paper or in free online classified ads to let people know you have crickets available for purchase. Set up an ecommerce website if you want to ship your crickets. Offer choices of how many crickets are shipped per package, and describe the shipping fees you charge, especially since you may need to ship overnight to make sure the insects arrive in prime condition.

Nancy Wagner is a marketing strategist and speaker who started writing in She writes business plans for startups and established companies and teaches marketing and promotional tactics at local workshops.

How to Raise Your Own Crickets: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

She holds a B. Skip to main content. Set Up Your Operation Gather supplies such as containers to house the crickets while they grow and become big enough to sell.

Find a Market Figure out who wants to buy crickets in your area, such as bait shops, fishermen or pet shops that need to feed their reptiles. Get Ready to Deliver If you plan to deliver your crickets to local businesses, you need to put the insects in a small box with a screen securely inserted into an opening in the box so the crickets get enough air until someone takes them out for use.

Promote Your Business Promoting your business requires making phone calls to businesses to find out if they need more crickets or can refer you to other enterprises that need crickets. References 3 The Penny Hoarder: Weird Business Number Six, Make Money Cricket Farming Worm Man: Live Crickets Care, Breeding and Feeding Kentucky. Garrard County Woman Ships Tens of Thousands of Crickets Each Week. About the Author Nancy Wagner is a marketing strategist and speaker who started writing in Suggest an Article Correction.

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