So, most petshops around here that carry crickets are all around 30miles away and we can't just go to them all the time. So, we're gonna start buying crickets online when needed and I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this before and the best websites to buy from. Lowest shipping rates, customer service, good prices, and healthy crickets is what I want. Can people try to respond quick too, since I think I'll be buying them tomorrow While I'm at it, I'll probably buy some Reptiworms(pheonix worms, differen't brand)too, which I've been wanting to do.
I always used to order from http://premiumcrickets.com , always good quality, overcounts, and hasty shipping. They are a few bucks more than a few sources but I always felt they were worth it. You could ask vendors at the Cleveland show if they ship and get their phone # or email. Usually very reasonably priced and because you are same state shipping will be substantially lower.
So, the initial price of those was good and we were gonna go with it, but shipping is just too much! We could drive out to a store and get them for less Any other sites you know? I was thinking of ordering directly from a major dealer-like Fluker's or Armstrong's.
Armstrong, Ghanns, etc should be fine - I would avoid Flukers though. These articles may change your mind about purchasing anything from them in the future: http://www.reptilerooms.com/index.php?categoryid=32 Just out of curiosity, what quantity of crickets are you looking into buying? Generally it only becomes worthwhile as you approach the 500 and particularly 1000+ quantites. With shipping, 250 crickets may only be a couple of dollars less than 500, and those may only be a couple of dollars less than a thousand. Its the shipping that is the unfortunate factor in cost = /
Shipping may seem outrageous, but divide your end cost (cost of crickets + shipping) by the number of crickets you are getting. Unless you aren't buying in bulk for some reason, it'll usually work out to 1-3 cents less than what you spend in stores. That may not seem like a big deal, but multiply the cents you save by the number of crickets you go through in a year. It will probably prove to be worth it.
I was going to buy the smallest quantity from that site-110, I might push it and go 250, but that's a lot for me. So you see, the shipping for buying the small amount is just not sensible. We can't just blow our money like that, we don't have much to spend. I'll see if any of the more major distributers have any better deal, and I will avoid Fluker's. I was just using that as an example, since when I searched "buy crickets online" it was the 1st to appear. And @Cammy, like I said, I'm not buying in bulk, so the shipping still is outrageous. We can't spend the extra money for bulk and we don't have a good enough enclosure set up for many crickets. It would also be a pain having to clean out all those every day. I'm sure many would die, like usual-from the cold in my house. Cleaning and keeping the crickets in small enclosures is to difficult and time consuming for me now already. I might not be able to buy them online for some time, at least until it's warmer. Whenever we go out to get groceries or something, we usually end up getting crickets if there's a store around that sells them. But, I can't always make a special trip just to get crickets...I might be able to ask my friend to get some for me when she can and I'll pay her. It's still cheaper than paying the shipping, all of it is.
Aw, poo, if you're not ordering in bulk you're right, it's really not worth it. You're a fellow Ohioan, right? Keep your eye on Top Hat Crickets. They used to have a website specifically for ordering small (100-250) quantities of crickets, and shipping to Ohio was free. Top Hat's website (the one where you can order larger quantities of crickets) is still up, but it hasn't been updated since '08 and still links to the dead site (cricketsonline.com) so I'm not sure if they are currently open for business or not...but I guess it couldn't hurt to call and see. And if they are, you could ask if they are shipping the smaller quantities as well now that cricketsonline.com is down. I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, though. There was an article posted just last month about them trying to rebuild business, so they may only be doing local sales right now. (http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/01/top_hat_cricket_farm_in_portag.html) Still, like I said, keep an eye on them. Hopefully they will pull through...
Thanks for the suggestion! Sounds like a good place, too bad they're struggling-it seems like all the good, smaller businesses are. And I am a fellow Ohioan
Your local craigs list might list local cricket breeders in pet/reptile section . Have you considered breeding mealworms as extra feeders to have around ? My geckos love the white pupae which does not have the outer skeleton that mealworms have.
I'll check-thanks! I could breed mealworms, but would need some tips on how to. It would really help to have extras and not always have to spend a few extra bucks to get them. How do you breed them?
Very simple: Get a plastic container, add substrate/gutload, add worms. Keep them at room temperature or warmer for faster growth and provide salad items a few times a week for moisture... then wait. There are a variety of methods that can be employed for optimal production; including cycling between several different bins and separating the pupae and beetles from the main feeder colony of larvae, but if you are only feeding a couple of animals its not that important. I'd sacrifice some casualties by cannibalism in lieu of having to provide multiple bins. They're really quite easy to breed, probably easier than roaches. Start with a decent sized founding colony of mealworms (the more the merrier, especially if you are going to be feeding out of the colony while trying to establish a breeding colony). The mealworms will eventually pupate then become beetles, then beetles will breed and lay eggs within the substrate/gutload which will hatch into very tiny larvae to start the process over again. Separating through the stages can prevent ingestion of eggs by the larvae and beetles as they feed on the substrate, or feeding upon the helpless pupae, but like I said, you can still produce insane quantities of feeders despite this if you start with enough and are only feeding a couple of animals.
Can you feed the beetles also? And should I take out the dead one's I'm guessing? You said saomething about cannibalism-should I allow it, sincie I'm only feedinf a few? How long does it take for them to go from egg to appropriate sized larvae for feeding? And I should seperate the differen't stages pretty much?
I think the only lizard that will eat the beetle might be a sandfish skink as read they do but other lizards will not. The white pupae is fine and lizards love it. I have bred them in one bin without removing beetles but the key is DO NOT allow to many beetles . Get rid of the extras. I won't allow more than 12 beetles and with that number you will get alot of baby mealworms. I found that in a bin which measures 15 inches by 11 inches and 6 inches high this is easily done . This is a cheap common plastic bin sold at Walmart,Lowes,Kmart,etc. I use about 4 inches of cheap generic PLAIN oatmeal and for water will only add carrot , potatoe or yam slice. They must have a dry enviroment. I add fish flakes because the mealworms love them (beetles ignore them) and since I feed the mealworms to my panther geckos and countless backyard anoles,skinks and lovebirds I like them gutloaded but most do not use fish flakes. I also have fish in the yard and buy fish flakes in bulk. I do not use covers and never had a single beetle escape they can not climb plastic and have no interest in escaping if you keep food in there. Since I go through like 500 mealworms a week I use 3 different bins (size described) and this provides me with more than I need. I do separate the beetles but when I didn't use so many mealworms I didn't. Moisture is lethal for them because you can get potatoe mites which will not bother your gecko but will kill the mealworms so keep them dry with only bit of carrot (mealworms favorite) , potato (beetles favorite) or yam (both love it). One pic is the mealworm bin and the other is one of the beetle bins but most hid as I took pic. The beetle bin is filled with beetles for a month than I remove the beetles and just let the bin sit and in time tons of mealworms.
