What makes us The Original? Tal Armstrong was the first to start the cricket industry in the United States back in the mid ‘40s. He began his farms with the Acheta domestica cricket.Although there are many types of crickets in the US, Tal discovered through his fishing hobby that the Acheta domestica was preferred by bream. His friends noticed too, because they requested HIS crickets over others when they were rounding up fishing bait. Because of its special characteristics, the Acheta domestica is aggressivly eaten by fish, reptiles, and birds. The Acheta domestica, Armstrong’s Original Cricket, has a soft shell that is easily digestible. It is high in protein and it has the most appealing odor and color to herptiles. Fish, reptiles, snakes, and birds aggressively eat this cricket when fed.

Marketed in the 1950's as the gray cricket, the Acheta domesitca is actually brown in color. It has been approved by the FDA as a safe reptile food and can be shipped worldwide. When Armstrong began shipping live crickets across the country, the crickets were readily recieved by zoos, fishermen, and pet owners. Armstrong's live crickets are requested among other types of live feeder insects. Most importantly, the Acheta domestica is not aggressive. Other breeds of crickets have been known to attack reptiles, put small bites on humans, and are found only partially digested.

In order to keep the purest form of the Acheta domestica, Armstrong maintains a bio safe cricket farm that is located 10 miles from one of our main farms. This farm is operated independently to provide a back up of good, clean, healthy crickets. Because of our special precautions, Armstrongs' farms have not been affected by the cricket virus that has spread throughout the cricket growing community. Harmless to reptiles, the cricket virus weakens and kills crickets but has no effect on any animals. We continue to raise the ORIGINAL cricket because we believe it is the best and most nutritional cricket for your pet. Armstrong Cricket Farms has and will continue to take great precautions to isolate ourselves from contamination.  So when you are searching for a live feed for your pet or the most appealing fising bait, make sure you are buying The Original Cricket from Armstrong.