Best place to buy crickets

[Chubbyb]

Hey guys I just want to know where is the best place I can buy crickets from.. Paying $14 for 100 crickets is adding up and I feel like i am getting ripped off at petco?So anyplaces you guys get your beardie food from let me know pleaseee and thank youu

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

@Chubbyb I think that unless you are going to order in bulk from the Net then you will find that cricket prices at the PetShops are all going to be expensive. The options that you have would be to start your own colony and breed your your own or perhaps find a reptile keeper in your area that breeds them because a lot of times folks who breed feeders find that they produce way more than they themselves actually need and they are willing to sell to other reptile folks at better than pet shop prices to keep things managable.
I would start by checking your local Craigslist for breeders in your area..I have mentioned before that in the Dayton area where we live that Craigslist is a common place where reptile people list. It's a good way to get in contact with other local enthusiasts and/or find a lead on who might breeder feeders. For instance there is a local reptile breeder here that lists his stuff exclusively on Craigslist and along with the reptiles he sells he also lists both Dubia roaches and crickets...last I checked his crickets were 5 cents each or if you ask cheaper in large quantities. That's a significantly better price than the petshops locally and his feeders are better taken care of.
The only other option as far as ordering would be buying from a net supplier and having them shipped directly to you but that has drawbacks too because there are temperature mins and maxs that most of the online suppliers will ship and guarantee live delivery. In the dead of winter it could mean a problem getting your feeders.
As mentioned before the other route would be to start your own colony. Set-ups for both roach and cricket breeding are very inexpensive and don't require any specialized equipment or expertise. Once set up you can have your own self-replenishing feeder source and all the feeders you could want for almost free.
Check out the Bearded Dragon Diet Section and you will find threads on exactly how to set these up properly should you decide that's the route to go. My personal recommendation if you do would be to set up the roach colony as they are a superior feeder and much less hassle to deal with.

Have a great day

 

[Chubbyb]

ah okay thank you

 

[Chubbyb]

what other kind of roaches can beardies eat because im in florida and i cant get dubi's here

 

[Germ]

Discoid Roaches are Legal in Florida.

My Email & Reply, sent prior to finding the previous posted information ...

Germain,​

Discoid roaches are permitted in Florida as feeder roaches. As far as shipping them to other states goes, you would have to apply for a federal PPQ 526 permit. I'm away from my computer at the moment but I can send you that link later this week.

Greg
Mobile Message:
Dr. Greg Hodges
FDACS/Division of Plant Industry
Bureau Chief
Entomology,Nematology. And Plant Pathology
(352-372-3505 X 118
[email protected]

Please note that Florida has a broad public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes). Most written communications to or from employees are public records obtainable by the public upon request. Emails sent to me at this email address may be considered public and will only be withheld from disclosure if deemed confidential pursuant to the laws of the State of Florida.

From: Germain [****************]
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 02:56 PM
To: Hodges, Greg
Subject: Legalities of keeping & shipping Blaberus Discoidales Cockroaches In/to/from Florida
Hi Greg,

I keep running into conflicting information on the legalities of keeping &/or breeding & the shipping to & from other States, Discoid (Blaberus Discoidales) Cockroaches in the State of Florida. Could you possibly shed some definite light on the subject.

Specifically:

1- Is it legal to have Discoid Cockroaches shipped to Florida from other States for the purpose of feeding Reptiles?

2- Is it legal to keep & breed Discoid Cockroaches for the purpose of feeding Reptiles in the State of Florida?

3- Is it legal to ship Discoid Cockroaches to other States from Florida?

If this email is being sent to the wrong Department, could you please direct it to the Proper authorities to get a definite correct answer, or reply with the email of the authority who can.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Germain​

Read more: http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/do-people-in-florida-not-feed-roaches.4795/page-2#ixzz28CSjmnZd​

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

I believe that Florida law states that it's illegal to ship any variety of roach into the state. Crickets may be your only option unless you find out what other feeder insects are sold down there. I wasn't wasn't aware when I recommended getting roaches that you live in florida. There are several native species of roaches in Florida and I have read about people there that have gone out and harvested native species and started their own colonies from that but I wouldn't necessarily agree with doing that. Native or wild species may carries bacterias or parasites that could possibly be harmful or worse to your dragon. It's very risky.
If I were you I would seriously try and find some reptile breeders down there and talk to them. Ask them what they feed and see if they will help you get a colony of feeders going or hook you up with someone who can.

Here is a link to a breeder in Pinellas Park,Fl and their contact info...I don't know these folks personally but it would be worth a call or an email to talk to them because they breed in your state and therefore have to be feeding something and you can bet that a breeder most likely grows his own.

Hope that helps and good luck on the search

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

I had read a different law apparently after reading Germ's reply...if the discoids are legal then that is what I would go for

 

[Germ]

A little more from that thread that I found out when researching it, that includes the Actual quote from the source document.

I did a little searching myself, this should answer it. It is not illegal to keep Discoids, but is to ship to Florida from out of State without a permit.

​

Permits are required for all regulated organisms brought into Florida from out of state. No permits are needed for native Florida species (except for species listed as Endangered or Threatened) or naturalized species that are obtained from in-state sources. This includes, but is not restricted to, the following organisms:​

​

Crustacea:​

Decapoda: Coenobitidae:​

Coenobita clypeata – Caribbean hermit crab​

​

Insecta:​

Blattoidea: All native or naturalized Florida species of cockroaches.​

​

Blaberidae:​

Blaberus craniifer – death’s head roach​

Blaberus discoidalis – discoid roach​

Panchlora nivea – green banana or Cuban roach​

Blatellidae:​

Blatella asahinai – Asian roach​

​

Source: Guidelines for Importing Exotic and Non-Florida U.S. Arthropods

From: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology

Hope this helps clarify some of the misconceptions .

​

Read more: http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/do-people-in-florida-not-feed-roaches.4795/page-2#ixzz28ChKUSDb​

 

[Chris Baez Jr.]

Hey guys I just want to know where is the best place I can buy crickets from.. Paying $14 for 100 crickets is adding up and I feel like i am getting ripped off at petco?So anyplaces you guys get your beardie food from let me know pleaseee and thank youu

This is where I get mine, check them out. The best thing is, you can keep the crickets in the shipping box, so you don't have to buy a cricket keeper.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/bill7229/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

You'll be shocked at the difference in price.