Abstract:
A live insect habitat that also serves as a retail receptacle for point of sale display of the insects. In particular, the invention comprises a cricket habitat and point of sale display receptacle for the sale of live crickets primarily for fishing bait and pet food purposes. The habitat/receptacle includes a housing having side walls with a sight window formed therein for purposes of permitting viewing of the inside of the housing and insect habitat from the outside. A habitat insert is located inside the housing and includes a multiple-sided member that partitions the interior space of the housing into discrete subspaces connected by passages giving the crickets ample room in which to crawl about. The housing and the habitat insert can be made of a moisture absorbent material in order to reduce the moisture content of the cricket environment. An item of cricket food is located in the housing whereby the retail habitat/receptacle has a prolonged shelf life while maintaining healthy live crickets.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/754,290 filed Jan. 9, 2004 which application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/440,264 filed Jan. 14, 2003. This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/573,102 filed May 20, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Live crickets are used as bait for fishing and for pet food. There is a substantial market for live crickets. Crickets are sold by mail order and shipped in crowded shipping boxes. At retail crickets are typically stored loose in a suitable bulk container such as an aquarium, wooden box, or plastic tub. Bulk inventories of crickets take up considerable amounts of floor space. Consequently there are typically more sizes of crickets available for a retailer to sell than can be offered. Quantities of loose crickets are scooped or otherwise derived from their bulk container such as an aquarium and given to the customer in a plastic bag or like receptacle. The crickets do not thrive well in the bulk container environment unless tended to with food and water on a periodic basis. Many do not survive. Those that do may not be particularly healthy if they have been neglected. The bulk container can create odor problems at the retail establishment. The display of loose crickets can be unappealing in bulk containers. Many crickets escape and run loose about the establishment or crawl into a neighboring establishment. Inventory control is a problem because it is difficult to accurately control numbers dispensed from bulk containers and because of cricket die-offs and escapes. Dispensing crickets from a bulk container is labor intensive for the retailer and inconvenient for both the employee and consumer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The invention pertains to an insect habitat and retail receptacle for the purpose on the one hand of providing a healthy environment habitat for a number of live insects such as crickets and at the same time providing a retail point-of-sale or a mail order package for selling the crickets. The habitat/retail package includes a box or housing with a window or viewing opening covered by a suitable transparent material such as clear plastic or tightly woven screen. A habitat insert is located in the box. The insert is comprised of a multi-sided structure that partitions the inside of the housing into several discrete sub-spaces or compartments connected by passages. Structure of the insert can range from that of flat fiber board pieces to a convoluted structure having ridges or peaks and valleys that extend substantially from surface to surface of the box interior. The insert is constructed in such a way as to provide spaces for the crickets to crawl around from one surface of the habitat insert to another. The configuration of the insert permits insects to emerge into the light and outside view or to escape from the outside view and light from time to time as they seek out an area of comfort as their nature dictates. The insert can be of a moisture absorbent material. The insert can be a soft paper product material that is favored by crickets for chewing. The insert can be made of a nutritious material that can be consumed by the crickets. Nourishment in the form of a supply of food and water can be placed inside the box. A high moisture content food item such as a piece of carrot or commercially available cricket food can be placed inside of the box. The high moisture food item can be partially wrapped to retard moisture loss through evaporation.  
         [0004]     The cricket habitat/package has an extended shelf life. The crickets are un-crowded and have continuous access to a food and water source that results in a generally healthier and “gut-loaded” cricket that is more nutritious to the animal being fed. The habitat/prepackage is a way to display and sell live crickets without the need to carry a bulk inventory of crickets. The habitat/package allows retailers to sell many cricket sizes where space considerations make similar bulk loose displays impractical. The prepackaged cricket habitats can be sold from a dispenser on a self-serve basis by which boxes are loaded into the dispenser from the top and dispensed from the bottom. This results in rotation of the stock. This also eliminates the need for an employee diversion to dispense crickets from a bulk container.  
         [0005]     The housing can be made difficult to open so as to be tamper proof. The crickets, however, are clearly visible through the window of the housing. The housing can have a perforated punch-out opening pattern in a wall. The opening can be punched out when the box is placed in a pet environment where the crickets are intended as pet food. The crickets exit the box through the punched out opening over a period of time effectively managing the dispersion of pet food into the pet environment. When fed in this way, the pet environment is kept clean of the waste products like cricket feces, shed skins, food, and bedding that would normally be introduced when crickets are shaken from their container into an animal&#39;s living area.  
         [0006]     The habitat insert in the box provides a climbing and nesting habitat for the crickets. It also provides areas and spaces for the more vulnerable crickets to hide from the others and from view through the window. The material of the insert and of the box absorbs and disperses condensation as may develop during shipping or as may be generated by live insects or the food and water supplement in the box. The window covering can be made of a micro-pore material that allows the escape of moisture. The window covering can be made of a tightly woven screen to do the same. The box and the insert provide dark areas for the crickets to escape from the light and from one another. Crickets generate organic debris in the form of shed skin and body waste as well as spent food and chewed bedding. The box can have collector panels or surfaces carrying a low tack adhesive that will collect and hold the debris so that it is not dispensed with the crickets. The adhesive is tacky enough to collect the debris but light enough so as not to inhibit cricket movement about the interior of the box.  
         [0007]     The habitat insert creates additional surface area inside the box available for crickets to nest and climb upon. The insert helps the box to keep its shape and from being crushed, lending support from top-to-bottom, side-to-side and end to end.  
         [0008]     According to another form of the invention a cricket habitat/retail package has a cylindrical housing. A convoluted habitat insert can be located in the housing. An adhesive tacky enough to collect the debris but light enough so as not to inhibit cricket movement about the interior of the box can be applied to the interior of the box. An end cover to the housing has a window for viewing the interior of the housing. 
     
    
       [0009]     In the Drawings:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a cricket habitat/retail package according to one form of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 2  taken along the line  3 - 3  thereof;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a view of the end of the box of the cricket habitat of  FIG. 1  in an open configuration to show the closure system thereof;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a dispenser holding a number of cricket habitat/retail packages of  FIG. 1  displayed for retail sale;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view in perspective of a cricket habitat/retail package according to a second form of the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is an end view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 7  taken along the line  8 - 8  thereof showing a cover removed;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 6  taken along the line  9 - 9  thereof;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a modification of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 1  with the habitat insert omitted for purposes of clarity;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 10  taken along the line  11 - 11  thereof;  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is another view of the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 10  with an insert included showing an end panel closed and a punch-out opening created in a housing wall;  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  is a view of a cricket habitat/retail package having a modification of a habitat insert and having a portion of the package housing removed for purposes of illustration;  
         [0023]      FIG. 14  is a view in perspective of a habitat/retail package having another modification of a habitat insert;  
         [0024]      FIG. 15  is a sectional view of the habitat/retail package of  FIG. 14  taken along the line  15 - 15  thereof;  
         [0025]      FIG. 16  is an end view of a habitat/retail package with a modified end closure having a tear-away strip;  
         [0026]      FIG. 17  is an end view of the habitat/retail package of  FIG. 16  with the tear-away strip removed and preparatory to re-closing the box; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 18  is an end view of the habitat/retail package of  FIG. 17  closed. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , there is shown an insect habitat and retail package indicated generally at  10 . As described herein habitat  10  houses crickets although habitat  10  could house other species of insect as well. Habitat  10  includes a housing  12 . Housing  12  can be formed of a moisture absorbent material such as a paperboard material. The term paperboard is used comprehensively to include, without limitation, cardboard, fiberboard, and similar products made from cellulose fiber and having a thickness greater than normal paper. Housing  12  can be fabricated of other material fabricated to permit the escape of moisture from the interior of the housing. This could include, for example, a perforated plastic. Housing  12  has an interior space or room for habitation by crickets. Housing  12  has a front wall  14 , a back wall  16 , a top wall  18  and a bottom wall  20  which define the interior habitat space for insects. The various walls are opaque. Housing  12  has end openings closed by end walls  22 ,  24  formed of end wall panels as will be more fully described. The end walls can be glued or constructed to fold together in such a way as to seal the package. The box can be of varying dimensions such as 1″ to 3″ high, 3″ to 5″ wide and 2″ to 4″ deep. By way of example, the box can typically be 3″×4″×2″ and house 25 to 50 crickets.  
         [0029]     Housing  12  has a sight window  27  for viewing crickets. Sight window  27  is a corner window. The sight window  27  is comprised of a first cutout opening  28  in the top wall  18  and an adjoining second cutout opening  30  in the front wall  14 . A transparent material  32  covers the opening. The transparent material can be a continuous clear transparent paper or plastic material covering the cutout openings and traversing the corner formed at top wall  18  and front wall  14 . Alternatively the covering material can be a tightly woven screen. The sight window  27  admits light and enables viewing of a portion of the interior of the housing  12  from the outside. The sight window can by way of example be 2″ to 4″ wide and have a dimension of 1″ to 2″ on the front wall of the housing, and 1½″ to 2½″ on the top wall.  
         [0030]     In certain environments moisture accumulation in the air inside of housing  12  can be problematic. Crickets do not like moisture. The moisture can collect on an impermeable sight window covering material made of transparent plastic. Debris in the housing can adhere to this condensation. When the condensation dries, the debris is stuck to the window covering rendering it unsightly. One way to address this problem is through a window covering formed of a tightly woven mesh. Another way is through the use of a transparent covering material  32  formed of a plastic or plastic-like micro-pore material having micro-perforations of a size suitable to permit the escape of moisture from the interior of housing  12 . Such a material can have micro-perforations in the order of magnitude of 70 micron to 300 micron. The micro-perforations serve to let moisture out of the housing  12 . At the same time condensation of moisture on the inside of the window is avoided.  
         [0031]     A cricket habitat environment is provided by a multisided habitat insert located inside the housing  12 . The purpose of the habitat insert is to divide the space inside housing  12  into habitat spaces or compartments that are connected but separated from one another so as to provide multiple nesting areas for the crickets as well as areas of escape for the crickets from other crickets and from the light. The compartments are divided in such a manner that at least one compartment is shielded from direct light entering through the window  27  to provide at least one subdued lighting environment for the crickets.  
         [0032]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , housing  12  has a habitat insert  34 . Insert  34  substantially fills housing  12  from side-to-side, end-to-end and top-to-bottom. Insert  34  is a multi-sided partition of thin walls that can have flat, curved or convoluted surfaces or combinations thereof. Insert  34  can have a surface roughness  35 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 through 3  insert  34  has a convoluted or egg carton shape structure. Habitat insert  34  formed this way has top and bottom surfaces characterized by peaks or ridges  36 ,  40  separated by valleys  38 .  
         [0033]     Housing  12  with insert  34  provides an ideal environment for crickets. The insert can be loosely disposed inside the housing  12  or can be constructed in such a way with formed holes or cutout openings as to provide access passages such as the passage  44  ( FIG. 3 ) for crickets  43  to move from one surface area to another. The insert  34  offers a large surface area for the crickets  43  to crawl about. Crickets are known to be omnivorous whereby more dominant crickets will eat more vulnerable ones. The various surfaces of habitat insert  34  and the access passages  44  permit the more vulnerable crickets to escape to other areas. The insert partitions the interior of housing  12  into a multiple of subspaces or separate but connected compartments  42  for the crickets. Some compartments are more shielded than others from light entering the window opening. The various areas of insert  34  provide dark areas for live crickets  43  as well as areas of subdued light, both of which are preferred by crickets.  
         [0034]     The material of the insert  34  can be moisture absorbent to absorb condensation that may develop in the package during shipping or otherwise. The insert  34  adds a measure of rigidity to the housing  12  by spanning the interior volume thereof. This is useful in terms of shipping the item and inventorying and dispensing the item in a store.  
         [0035]     Insert  34  can be manufactured from a nutritious edible material such as a heavy gauge rice paper or wafer paper. As crickets are prone to chew the insert material, the provision of nutritious material is beneficial to the insects and consequently to animals they feed.  
         [0036]     Food and water are provided in the housing  12 . These can take the form of a high moisture food item such as a piece of carrot or such as the cricket food item indicated at  46  in  FIG. 3 . Crickets with such a food supply can survive for a period of at least seven days. The food supply can be periodically replenished. This prolongs the shelf-life of the product.  
         [0037]     Food item  46  provides nourishment in the form of food and moisture. Water can evaporate from the exposed food item which can leave it dry and unappetizing to the cricket as well as depriving the cricket of needed water. As shown in  FIG. 3 a  wrap  47  can partially cover the food item  46  but leave portions exposed and accessible to the crickets. The wrap  47  can extend around the food item but leave the ends exposed. Wrap  47  can be formed of a suitable material such as a thin plastic sheet. Wrap  47  alternatively can be applied to the food and water supplement in the form of a suitable impermeable spray, or by dipping or by painted coating. Wrap  47  retards moisture loss from the food item through evaporation. This results in a longer lasting food item and extends the shelf life of the insect habitat/retail package.  
         [0038]     It is desirable to eliminate pin-point light spots in housing  12  of the type that occurs at closure corners. Crickets are attracted to such light spots and tend to chew there and then escape through the chewed opening. The end walls of housing  12  and insert  34  contained in housing  12  address this problem.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , end wall  22  closes an end opening  23  to housing  12 . End wall  22  includes opposing end panels  50 ,  52  that are pivotally attached to the edges of front and back walls  14 ,  16  adjacent end opening  23  and are positioned to fold over the end opening  23 . Each of the end panels  50 ,  52  has a sufficient length and width to cover the end opening  23  when folded over it.  
         [0040]     Top and bottom panels  54 ,  56  are connected to the edges of the top and bottom walls  18 ,  20  of housing  12  adjacent the end opening  23  and are foldable over the end panels. Bottom panel  56  has a length and width to substantially cover the end opening  23  when folded over the end panels  50 ,  52 . Bottom panel  56  has an outer lip  58  that is inserted between the edges of the end panels in the closed position and the adjacent part of top wall  18 .  
         [0041]     Top panel  54  has tapered edges ending in a tongue  60  and is adapted to be folded over the end panels  50 ,  52  and bottom panel  56 . A slot  62  is located at the intersection of the bottom panel  56  and the bottom wall  20 . When the top panel  54  is folded over the end opening  23 , the tongue  60  can be inserted into the slot  62  in order to secure closure  22  in the closed position. When closed light leakage is substantially eliminated.  
         [0042]      FIG. 5  shows a dispenser indicated generally at  61  for the cricket habitat/retail package of  FIG. 1 . The dispenser  61  includes a long, upright dispenser carton  62  having a rectangular cross-section with interior dimensions sufficient to accommodate the cricket habitat/retail packages  10 . Dispenser carton  62  has a front wall  64 , side walls  66  connected to a back wall (not shown). A hinged lid  68  closes the top opening formed at the top of the front, side and back walls. Opening the hinged lid  68  permits loading the dispenser carton  62  with packages  10  to be displayed for resale. A bottom wall  70  supports packages  10  held in the dispenser.  
         [0043]     Front wall  64  has sight slots  72  for viewing packages  10  stored in the dispenser  61 . Slots  72  also allow direct air exchange to vent air onto and moisture away from packages  10  stored in the dispenser. A dispensing opening  74  is located at the lower end of front wall  64 . Dispensing opening  74  is large enough to permit packages  10  to be withdrawn or dispensed one at a time from the dispenser housing  62 . As a package is removed from the dispensing opening  74  the next package drops down to the position of the previously withdrawn one. There is a continual rotation of stock. The carton  62  can be hung on a wall or placed in a stand and used as a self-service display. The carton covers the corners of the boxes that might otherwise permit light seepage. Darkened corners provide no incentive for crickets to chew isolated points. This reduces the likelihood of escape by way of chewing out of the box.  
         [0044]      FIGS. 6 through 9  show a further embodiment of a cricket habitat/retail package according to the invention indicated generally at  80 . Cricket habitat  80  includes a cylindrical box or housing  82  formed of fiber board or a material having properties similar to fiber board. Housing  82  is moisture absorbent and has opaque cylindrical sidewalls  84 . A habitat insert  86  is located inside housing  82 . Habitat insert  86  is a convoluted sheet material extending from side-to-side across the interior of housing  82  and is formed with openings or in such a way as to allow insects to crawl from one surface to another. Insert  86  has convolutions  88  providing a large surface area on which the live crickets  90  can crawl about. The ends of insert  86  are spaced from the ends of housing  80  permitting crickets  90  to crawl from one surface of the habitat insert  86  to the other. A food item  92  is lodged in the habitat insert  86 . Sidewalls  84  and habitat insert  86  are a moisture absorbent material for purposes previously described.  
         [0045]     Cricket habitat  80  includes a removable cover  94  secured in a first end of housing  82 . Cover  94  is circular and frictionally fits in the open end of housing  82 . Cover  94  includes a rim  96  that frictionally engages the interior walls of housing  82  at the end thereof. Rim  96  surrounds a cover base  98 . Cover base  98  is a sight window formed of a transparent material such as a transparent plastic or tightly woven screen so as to permit viewing of crickets inside the housing  82  from the exterior thereof. Cover rim  96  and cover base  98  can be formed of a single piece of transparent material.  
         [0046]     The second end of housing  82  is closed. It can be closed by a second friction-fit removable cover  102 . Second cover  102  can be transparent or opaque. Alternatively the second end of housing  82  can be closed by a permanent closure means.  
         [0047]      FIGS. 10 and 12  show a modification of the insect habitat and retail package of  FIG. 1  indicated generally at  10 A. In  FIG. 10  the habitat insert is removed for purposes of clarity. The package  10 A includes a housing  12 A with an interior space for habitation by the insects. The housing  12 A has a front wall  14 , a top wall  18  and a sight window  27 . An end of the housing or box  12 A is closable by opposing end panels  50 ,  52  attached to the edges of the front and back walls of the housing  12 A for folding between open and closed positions. Top and bottom panels  54 ,  56 A are connected to the edges of the top and bottom walls  18 ,  20  of housing  12  and are foldable over the end panels as previously described.  
         [0048]     A perforated pattern for a punch-out egress opening is formed in a wall of the housing  12 A. The purpose of an egress opening is to allow the crickets to exit the housing  12 A one at a time in a contained pet environment as opposed to simply broadcasting the crickets about the pet environment. Reptile pets such as lizards enjoy stalking food prey. An egress opening from the habitat housing will provide amusement to the reptile that will excitedly monitor the opening waiting for prey. Alternatively the egress opening permits a user to shake the housing  12 A in salt-shaker like fashion to distribute crickets in a desired amount and location.  
         [0049]     A punch-out egress opening pattern can be located on any convenient wall of housing  12 A. As shown in  FIG. 10 , a punch-out egress opening pattern  108  is formed in the bottom panel  56 A of one of the end closures of the housing  12 A. The punch-out pattern includes a perforation line  109  that describes an intended opening, and a linear fold line  110 . The ends of perforation line  109  connect to the ends of fold line  110 . The perforation line  109  describes a closed pattern with the fold line  110  in the shape of the intended egress opening.  
         [0050]     Until use the area described by the perforation line  109  is intact with the rest of the bottom panel  56 A. At the time of use, pressure is applied to the area bordered by the perforation line  109 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , under the influence of pressure applied, the perforation line gives way to form a door  112  which can be pivoted about the fold line  110  to create an egress opening  113 . Alternatively the perforation line  109  could describe the entire intended egress opening whereby the door  112  would simply be completely punched out and removed.  
         [0051]     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the bottom panel  56 A is moved to covering relationship over the open end of housing  12 A with the remaining end panels  50 ,  52 ,  54  out of the way. Crickets  115  can randomly exit the housing  12 A by wandering through the egress opening  113 . Crickets can also be distributed by shaking the housing  12 A with the egress opening  113  facing down so that the crickets fall out.  
         [0052]     Insects including crickets generate a considerable amount of debris in the form of shed skin and organic waste. In the confined space of housing  12 A such debris can accumulate and become undesirable particularly upon dispensing the crickets from the box. The housing  12 A includes one or more collector surfaces or panels to collect and accumulate the debris. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the housing  12 A includes a first collector surface or panel  118  installed on the interior surface of an end panel  52  which will face the interior of housing  12 A when closed. A second collector panel  119  is located on the bottom wall  20  of housing  12 A and is exposed to the interior thereof. A collector panel can be located on any convenient exposed interior surface including exposed interior walls or the surfaces of the habitat insert.  
         [0053]     Each collector panel includes a cold or light adhesive layer to attach and collect insect debris. The adhesive is a low tack adhesive that does not stick very strongly. The adhesive is tacky enough to adhere to and collect the insect debris, but not so adherent as to unduly impede the movement of the crickets in the housing.  
         [0054]     As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the collector panel  118  includes a substrate or carrier  121  fixed to the interior surface of the end panel  52 . The carrier  121  carries an adhesive layer  120  of the type described above. The adhesive layer is effective to collect insect debris  122  so that it will not tumble about and out of the interior of housing  12 A while not unduly inhibiting insect movement about the housing  12 A. A low tack adhesive approximately as tacky as that used on Post-It Note® brand note pads has been found to be satisfactory.  
         [0055]     Alternatively a collector panel can be comprised of an adhesive layer applied directly to a surface in lieu of being applied to a substrate fixed surface. The adhesive of collector panel  119  is applied directly to the surface of the housing wall  20  by suitable means such as brushing or spraying.  
         [0056]      FIG. 13  shows a further embodiment of a cricket habitat and retail receptacle indicated generally at  10 B. Package  10 B has a housing  12 B that contains a habitat insert  124 . Habitat insert  124  is comprised of insert panels  125 ,  126 . A first panel  125  extends from an upper rear corner of the housing  12 B to a lower forward corner. The second panel  126  extends from the upper forward corner of the housing  12 B to the lower rear corner. The panels centrally intersect. The panels can intersect by engagement of centrally located mutually aligned slots  128 . Together the panels  125 ,  126  substantially fill the interior of the housing  12 B and partition it into separate habitat compartments, one or more being shielded from direct light entering the window  27 . Openings  129  are formed at various locations in the panels  125 ,  126  in order to provide passages from one compartment to another. The habitat insert panels  125 ,  126  can be formed of a moisture absorbent paperboard product as previously described, or an edible material that is nutritious for the crickets. The partitions can have a thickness that is approximately equal to that of the thickness of the sidewalls of the housing  12 B.  
         [0057]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show another embodiment of a cricket habitat and retail receptacle. Habitat  10 C includes a box-like housing  12 C with a sight window  27 . A habitat insert  131  is located in the housing  12 C. Habitat insert  131  includes a partition panel  132  that spans the width of housing  12 C and extends from the upper rear corner to the lower forward corner. A rear leg  134  extends from the upper edge of the partition panel  132  horizontally to the lower rear corner of housing  12 C. Foot  135  extends forward from the lower edge of the leg  134 . The leg  134  and foot  135  serve to support partition panel  132  in place in the housing  12 C. A passage opening  138  is provided to permit the cricket to travel from one partitioned area of housing  12 C to another.  
         [0058]     The front face of the partition panel  132  can carry a design such as the camouflage design shown in  FIG. 14  for viewing through the window  27 . The camouflage design can take the form of foliage such as leaves along with crickets crawling among the leaves. The camouflage design is aesthetically pleasing and conveys to the prospective customer the nature of the habitat/retail package  10 C.  
         [0059]     An alternative end closure for the cricket habitat/retail receptacle is shown in  FIGS. 16-18 . A housing  12 D has an outer end panel  140 . The lower edge  143  of panel  140  is glued to the next adjacent panel  148  to securely close the end of the box. Panel  140  includes a tear strip  141  that extends horizontally across the width of the end panel  140 . An upper perforation line  142  and a lower perforation line  144  define tear strip  141 . The upper perforation line  142  is indented to define a closure tab  145 . The next adjacent panel  148  has a horizontal slot  147 . The slot  147  is positioned to receive the closure tab  145 .  
         [0060]     In use, the retail receptacle package initially has the tear strip  141  intact on the outer panel  140 . In lieu of having to rip the panels apart against the glue, the tear strip  141  is simply torn away from the outer panel  140 . The upper portion of the panel  140  can be pivoted away from the box end. The remaining end panels can be folded open for access to the interior of the housing  12 D.  
         [0061]     The housing  12 D is closed by folding the upper panel on  140  to a position where the closure tab  145  is poised over and inserted into the closure slot  147 .