Hatchling (Pinhead) Survival

The Three Pillars of Pinhead Care

1. The Dust Diet

A pinhead cannot eat a grain of maize or a whole leaf of kale.

• The Solution: Take your standard cricket feed and put it through a high-speed blender or use a traditional mortar and pestle until it is as fine as wheat flour.

• The Placement: Spread the food on flat “paper plates” or pieces of cardboard. Do not use deep bowls; the babies might get trapped inside and starve.

2. Safe Drinking

As discussed in the previous section, open water is a death trap.

• The Mist Method: Lightly spray the walls of the bin. The pinheads will drink the tiny droplets.

• The Cotton Pad: Place a saturated cotton makeup pad or ball on a shallow lid. The pinheads will crawl onto it and drink safely.

3. The Hideout (Micro-Surface Area)

Standard egg trays are a bit “big” for pinheads.

• Pro Tip: Tear up a few egg trays into smaller, 5cm chunks and scatter them on the floor of the bin. This gives the babies thousands of “cracks” to hide in near their food source, reducing the energy they spend walking around.

Pinhead Survival Checklist

Case Study: The Powdered Gold in Kumasi

A farmer in Ghana was losing 50% of his hatchlings every week. He was feeding them “Poultry Starter” crumbs straight from the bag. He noticed the babies were gathered around the food but weren’t growing. An expert told him to grind the feed into a fine powder. Within one week, he saw a massive difference; the babies’ abdomens were plump and white (a sign of a full belly). His survival rate shot up to 90%. He realized that for a baby cricket, size matters – especially the size of the food.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

• No Sudden Moves: When opening a pinhead bin, move slowly. They are easily spooked and can “leap” into corners where they might get crushed.

• Warmth is Non-Negotiable: Pinheads need 30^oC consistently. A cold night will kill 80% of a hatch in 4 hours.

• Ants!: Check your “moat” system every day. Pinheads are the favorite snack of sugar ants.