Nymph Habits + Growing Pains

I must begin this post by stating that I have not been able to keep a cohort of crickets alive for longer than two weeks. While crickets can live up to 10 weeks, mine never do, and I blame the lack of care and attention that Petco gives them for it. (This is not, by any means, a diss against Petco. They are being sold as food, after all.)

You may wonder then, how quickly is one able to watch a cricket grow? In its very short life, it does not grow into an adult per se, but goes through stages called instars. During this time, which is called the nymph stage, crickets shed their skin like snakes and emerge slightly larger each time. Whenever a cricket is about to shed, they will become the colour of this website, and darken as they emerge. This is because the human observer sees skin that is already beginning to peel, making it appear lighter and brighter in colour.

Crickets shed their skin so cleanly, that I have mistaken a discarded skin for a dead cricket on multiple occasions. The entire shape remains, including the legs and even antennae. It is almost completely transparent, making it look like the ghost of a cricket. Or perhaps the ghost of the cricket’s previous iteration, as the insect leaves their childhood and adolescence behind.

When your baby crickets turn light beige, you know they are about to go through a growth spurt. This can happen overnight or even in a couple of hours. Beware, however, of them dying in the process. I had a cricket once, who was in the process of shedding his skin, when it got caught on its rear end. Crickets are surprisingly adept at a certain twerking-like maneuver, but that was not enough to help the little male. The skin remained attached, dragging behind like a veil. Soon after, the cricket died. Cause of death unknown.