AIBU to threaten to give DH's reptiles to the pet shop...

[TheRealMrsHannigan]

Unless he finds a way to control the farking crickets they eat?

They keep bloody escaping and it's driving me barmy, I also find it very embarrassing when we have guests and one of the little sods makes an appearance! Makes me feel like my house is unclean (it's not, by the way ;) )

He has glass fronted tanks for his bearded dragons, we thought they were escaping from one in particular as there was a slight gap between the two panes that slide across the front of the tank, so we used some cardboard to 'block it' a couple of weeks ago...but this morning there were 3 of the things in my living room. I find one or two almost daily, it's really gettign to me.

It sounds trivial but it's really stressing me out and DH doesnt seem to take me seriously when I tell him how much it's bothering me and making me feel sick! (I am not good with insects!)

So, if I threaten to get rid of the bloody dragons, AIBU?

Yes, no animal should be given to a pet shop for resale. Send them to rescue instead. :o

Or dispense with DH? That would solve at least part of the problem.

Otherwise, refuse to clean the sitting room, leaving it to DH to do until he resolves the matter of escaping crickets.

The buggers do get everywhere (crickets I mean, not husbands. Although... ). I found one on my sister's wardrobe once - it had travelled down a 24 foot long sitting room, along a hall which must have been 3 x the length of the sitting room at least and until it reached its destination, sitting there merrily grinning at us.

The daft thing was that I had to pick it up - sister, the owner of the anoles and their crickety food, was petrified of insects!

They do get everyone, I found one in the bath tub at the weekend, made me jump out of my skin!

Any tips on stopping escapee's?

And the rescue centre is a good idea, I may use that threat instead

• everywhere, not everyone!

You are not being unreasonable. Personally, I think that keeping exotic creatures in tanks, cages etc is cruel. They don't live like that in the wild, do they? That apart, if they free themselves from their enclosures who knows whether or not they pee or poo wherever they like? Who would be expected to clean that up?

When an exotic pet becomes too big they are just let loose into the wild. This country is not meant for that and they either die in the environment or eliminate our own indigenous animals.

Try the RSPCA or the equivalent where you are. See what they say. Just taking advice is not getting rid of them. They might speak to your DH and 'persuade' him to get rid of them. That would free your house from animals and their dirt, expenditure, cleaning and worry about how they might damage your house or discourage visitors.

PS What are they? Crickets? Other insects or reptiles (specify)?

Colken DH keeps bearded dragons, and they eat crickets (locusts too but never had one of those escape), it's the small ones that the baby bearded dragons eat that are the worst for performing Houdini like escapes :(

I wouldn't mind them at all if it wasnt for the insect invasion I feel like I am under, he keeps the tanks very clean, treats the beardies well etc, the bugs are just..well...bugging me.

From decades of personal experience, I can tell you that there is only one solution...get a cat!

lazydog having just read the fleas thread, I fear it may open a whole new can of worms [grins]

''Personally, I think that keeping exotic creatures in tanks, cages etc is cruel. They don't live like that in the wild, do they?''

Neither do hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, piggies, cats or dogs...add infinitum!

OP, I would be going ape over loose bugs, i couldnt cope with that at all. Do you have a shed/garage they could be kept in, then a tub to transfer the correct number into the house to be used as food for that feeding time. I would also be checking over the dragon enclosures and cricket tubs for any possible escape routes! You could tape over all the possible gaps on the dragon enclosures while they are eating the crickets, then remove the tape for ventilation purposes when all the little buggers have gone!

Babydubs We live in a flat with no garden, so no garage or shed option unfortunately, at the moment we have a cabinet kept in the hallway cupboard, and the crickets are kept in little tubs in there, I have routinely gotten DH to check the tubs they come in for cracks etc, nothing so far.

We discovered at one point they could climb the interior 'walls' of the tank and were getting out through the vents at the back, so put a line of sellotape around the tank below the vents as they can't climb on that. It seems they found a new escape route after that!

I am at the end of my tether with it honestly :(

My god spelling has gone to pot, ignore me!

Sell the dragons and get a snake instead, frozen food doesnt run off

We used to have leopard geckos and had the same problem. I do think the glass fronted tanks are to blame somewhat. They're tricky little buggers for escaping!

I'm pretty sure you can keep crickets in a cold enviroment to keep them quiet and less likely to escape. I'm thinking shed, rather than fridge I hasten to add! Beardies can be kept on predominantly vegetables I believe so you could just limit the amount of live food you keep in the house?

You will probably get some more good advice from dedicated reptile forums of which there are plenty. Not that I want to point anyone elsewhere from MN, but its another thought!

Send the dragons to me--I'd love 'em!

I am so sorry to lower the tone here, but did noone else snurk at 'He has glass fronted tanks for his bearded dragons' - sounds like some sort of dodgy euphemism!!!!!

I need to stay away from the pet threads I think, I do tend to get things wrong (thinks back to rabbit imsunderstanding)

I used to buy crickets for my cat - I thought they could only live off other, smaller bugs, so couldn't carry on living in your flat. (That being said, I'm not sure I'd be thrilled at having dead crickets hanging about either )

Nowhere for exercise or storage of essentials? all the more reason to bring in the RSPCA.

If the reptiles are trying to escape, they obviously do not like being in tanks!

Oh just seen your lack of shed. Hmm, would you consider the fridge? Or buying a little mini fridge to keep them in...?
You can get supposedly inescapable homes to keep the crickets in, but we found they still escaped.

LWWW - Re: The predominantly veggies thing...not until they're older, as young beardies need far more live food in their diet than the adults, and it sounds like the OP's DH has youngsters, from the size of the crickets.

colken Who said the reptiles were trying to escape???

Ah colken - I think I see your confusion. Crickets are insects...they are food for reptiles... It is the live-food that is trying to escape (wouldn't you? ) and not the pets themselves.

Colken, you might want to re-read the OP. Its the crickets that are escaping, not the dragons.

Ah I missed the age of the dragons. Oops! Still, OP, there is an end in sight with relation to the amount of crickets

Are they escaping from tanks or from their housing? I used to keep mine in a Cricket Keeper.

If it's tanks, check along the top of the back panel of the viv. There is probably an uncovered ventilation hole.

I used to keep tarantulas and found a cricket in my bra once as I was putting it on. Not what you need at 6am before work. .

If it's only the crickets that are escaping, I'll sit back. I see nothing wrong with them. They are only grasshoppers after all! OK - even if they are cicadas. .

Oh, I have to mention this. The other day, I talked to someone about spectacles and her child, aged about 10, asked what they were!

at Colken's misplaced indignation.

Nothing constructive to add though.

I did used to have a corn snake which managed to escape and turned up six months later on the neighbours front step while we were on holiday

If you have vents, cover them with a piece cut out of an old pair of tights - it'll stop the little buggers getting out, but not stop air circulation. I can't bear the noisy things, they really creep me out, so it's locusts or meal worms for our beardies and (fingers crossed I'm not tempting fate) we've had very few escapees