How Long Does It Take to Raise Crickets for Harvest?

Each degree below 85°F adds approximately 2–3 days to Acheta domesticus grow-out. That means temperature management isn't just about preventing die-offs, it's directly controlling your production cycle length and your cumulative feed cost per batch.

TL;DR

• Each degree below 85°F adds approximately 2-3 days to Acheta domesticus grow-out.
• At optimal temperature (88-90°F), Acheta domesticus reaches harvest size (approximately 1 gram per cricket) in 5-6 weeks from egg hatch.
• Gryllodes sigillatus (banded cricket) reaches harvest size in 4-5 weeks at optimal temperature -- faster than Acheta domesticus at the same temperature.
• Temperature is the primary variable controlling grow-out length -- moving from 85°F to 90°F shortens grow-out by 3-7 days depending on species.
• Overcrowding slows individual cricket growth rate as competition for resources increases -- stocking density affects effective grow-out time.
• Feed protein content at or above 22% is necessary for achieving target grow-out times -- low protein diets extend the time to harvest size.

How Do I Shorten My Cricket Grow-Out Period?

• Increase temperature (within safe range).** Moving from 85°F to 90°F shortens grow-out by 3–7 days depending on species.

The Direct Answer

| Species | Temperature | Grow-Out Time (Hatch to Harvest) |

|---|---|---|

| Acheta domesticus | 90°F | 4.5–5 weeks |

| Acheta domesticus | 88°F | 5–5.5 weeks |

| Acheta domesticus | 85°F | 5.5–6 weeks |

| Acheta domesticus | 80°F | 7–8 weeks |

| Acheta domesticus | 75°F | 9–11 weeks |

| Gryllus bimaculatus | 92°F | 5.5–6.5 weeks |

| Gryllus bimaculatus | 88°F | 6.5–7.5 weeks |

| Gryllus bimaculatus | 85°F | 7.5–9 weeks |

These are grow-out times from hatch (confirmed pinhead emergence) to harvest-ready adults. Egg incubation adds 8–14 days before hatch, depending on species and temperature.

Full Timeline: Egg Through Harvest

Egg incubation:

• Acheta domesticus at 88°F: 8–12 days
• Gryllus bimaculatus at 92°F: 10–14 days

Pinheads (Instars 1–2): Days 0–14 post-hatch

Juvenile nymphs (Instars 3–7): Days 14–28 post-hatch

Pre-adult/adult (Instars 8–10): Days 28–35+ post-hatch

Total farm-to-harvest at 88°F:

• Acheta domesticus: ~43–49 days from egg lay to harvest (10–12 days incubation + 33–37 days grow-out)
• Gryllus bimaculatus: ~52–63 days

Does Temperature Affect How Long Crickets Take to Mature?

Significantly. The relationship between temperature and grow-out time is roughly linear within the viable range:

Every degree below 85°F adds 2–3 days to Acheta domesticus grow-out. A farm running at 80°F instead of 88°F adds 6–12 days to every batch, plus pays for additional feed consumption during those extra days.

At a conservative estimate of $0.30/lb feed and typical consumption for a 1,000-cricket batch: those extra 7 days at 80°F cost approximately $1.50–$2.50 per bin in additional feed. Across 50 bins cycling 8 times per year, that's $600–$1,000 in extra feed cost per year just from suboptimal temperature.

What Is the Grow-Out Period for Gryllus bimaculatus?

Gryllus bimaculatus has a longer grow-out period than Acheta domesticus at equivalent temperatures, typically 1–2 weeks longer. At 88°F, expect 6.5–7.5 weeks from hatch to harvest.

Gryllus bimaculatus also requires a slightly warmer range for optimal growth (88–95°F vs. 85–90°F for Acheta domesticus). At its optimal temperature of 92°F, it reaches harvest in 5.5–6.5 weeks, competitive with Acheta domesticus.

How Do I Shorten My Cricket Grow-Out Period?

Three primary levers:

1. Increase temperature (within safe range). Moving from 85°F to 90°F shortens grow-out by 3–7 days depending on species. Don't exceed 92°F for adult grow-out, egg-laying output in your breeders drops significantly above this point.

2. Optimize early-stage feeding frequency. Pinheads (Instars 1–2) fed 2–3 times per day reach Instar 3 faster than those fed once daily. The first two weeks of grow-out have the most leverage on total cycle time.

3. Start with quality eggs. Poor hatch rate from suboptimal incubation temperatures means your batch starts smaller and more variable. A full, even hatch from well-maintained incubation conditions produces more consistent grow-out progression.

FAQ

Does temperature affect how long crickets take to mature?

Yes, significantly. For Acheta domesticus, every degree below 85°F adds approximately 2–3 days to the grow-out period. A farm running at 80°F vs. 88°F adds 6–12 days to every batch. At 75°F, grow-out extends to 9–11 weeks. This temperature-grow-out relationship directly affects your production cycle capacity and cumulative feed cost per batch.

What is the grow-out period for Gryllus bimaculatus?

At its optimal temperature of 88–92°F, Gryllus bimaculatus reaches harvest weight in 5.5–7.5 weeks from hatch, approximately 1–2 weeks longer than Acheta domesticus at equivalent temperatures. At sub-optimal temperatures (below 85°F), grow-out extends significantly, often to 9+ weeks. Gryllus bimaculatus requires slightly warmer conditions than Acheta domesticus to reach its optimal growth rate.

How do I shorten my cricket grow-out period?

The three main levers are: maintain temperature at the high end of the optimal range (88–90°F for Acheta domesticus, 90–92°F for Gryllus bimaculatus); increase feeding frequency during the pinhead stage (2–3× per day instead of once daily); and ensure high-quality egg incubation conditions (stable 86–90°F and 65–70% RH for Acheta domesticus eggs) to maximize hatch rate and batch consistency.

How do I know if I am harvesting too early or too late?

Harvesting too early means crickets have not reached peak body mass, reducing yield per bin cycle. Harvesting too late means increased mortality from natural die-off and rising ammonia that degrades product quality. Most operations find their optimal harvest window by weighing a sample of 50-100 crickets at multiple points in the grow-out cycle and identifying the window where daily weight gain falls below a meaningful threshold.

Does harvest timing affect the nutritional profile of finished crickets?

Yes. Younger adults harvested earlier tend to show a higher protein-to-fat ratio. Older adults accumulate more fat. If your buyers specify a target protein percentage or fat content, aligning harvest timing to hit those specifications consistently is important. Running periodic proximate analyses on finished product batches helps you verify you are staying within buyer tolerances over time.

What is the best method for humanely killing crickets at harvest?

Freezing is the most widely used commercial method. Placing crickets in a freezer at 0°F or below causes rapid loss of consciousness and death. CO2 stunning prior to freezing is used by some certified-humane operations to reduce the duration before unconsciousness. High-temperature methods (blanching) are also used in some flour production operations. Consult your buyer's specifications and any applicable certification standards for the methods they accept.

Sources

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) -- Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security
• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA)
• Entomological Society of America
• Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (Wageningen Academic Publishers)
• USDA Agricultural Research Service

Get Started with CricketOps

Consistent harvest timing and FCR improvement both require historical data on how your specific bins perform across the production cycle. CricketOps tracks growth milestones, logs harvest weights by bin, and builds the record that lets you identify which bins consistently hit your targets and which ones need attention. Try CricketOps on your next production cycle.