feeder insect supply woes

[drache]

you lizard keepers might relate
and perhaps help
I have this dilemma about feeder insect suppliers
Henner's favourites - in order - are
hornworms, silkworms, supers, crickets, roaches
the plateds will eat anything, but go wild over supers (and they eat a lot)
the tarantula - so far - eats only crickets, so I've got to get those
I love my cricket supplier and he also carries supers, but I hardly need enough crickets to make it worth an order
somehow I think that my silkworm supplier moved
I thought they were on the east coast somewhere, or perhaps in the south
now they're clearly in california
the shipments seem to take longer and the silkies seem to be less robust with a lot of doas
their supers are really good and they're the only ones I know that carry hornworms
also they carry small quantities of crickets and when I order a bunch of stuff, it's more worth it
still - to get stuff shipped across the country . . .
when I really think about it, it's a bit insane, even though I know we do it all the time
I don't know whether there's a better solution
I suppose, if there were a more local supplier, they'd turn up at the expo
and they haven't

[Ameivaboy]

I breed most of my own feeder insects (couple roach species,superworms and mealworms) and tend to get crickets in bulk (500-1000) at a time. and just wait for some silworms and hornworms to come my way, they are just too expensive to buy regulalry and to much hassle to breed.

maybe you should look into roaches, there are many species to choose from and are easy to breed and gutload very well

[drache]

are the roaches really easy to breed?
they're kind of pricey too
Henner likes them okay and the plateds love them
I just don't like the crickets, and the silkies are such a pain that I like to just get them an occasional treat
what do you know about hornworms though?
I mean - they're a garden pest
shouldn't they be easy to propagate?
scary though

[rancor_]

Originally Posted by drache

what do you know about hornworms though?
I mean - they're a garden pest
shouldn't they be easy to propagate?
scary though

Hi, new here and chimming in, hornworms require a special diet. they eat tomato and tobacco plants in the wild, but there is a "hornworm chow" out. Have you seen the moth hornworms develop into tho?? i dont know how easy it would be to reproduce those in captivity...hence the high price tag.

[Lori P]

So when you guys order crickets online... about what percentage arrive alive? And, how long are they supposed to live-- the ones I've been getting from the pet store die off within a week. I don't buy the cricket feed, I've been feeding them veggies, fruits and water. Wonder if I'm doing something wrong?

[Lori P]

I forgot, Rancor, welcome to the forum!!! :-)

[Ameivaboy]

Originally Posted by Lori P

So when you guys order crickets online... about what percentage arrive alive? And, how long are they supposed to live-- the ones I've been getting from the pet store die off within a week. I don't buy the cricket feed, I've been feeding them veggies, fruits and water. Wonder if I'm doing something wrong?

I lose very few crickets, I make sure they stay warm,well fed, and have a lot of egg crate and paper towl rolls to hide in.

I dont give any of my insects an actual water source, the veggies and fruits provide them with enough moisture to stay alive. I have talked to other people that have had problems with their crickets dying off quickly but I dont really see why. all I know is that humidity can kill off insect colonies very very quickly.


As far as hornworms go-
They are toxic if they are feeding on a natural diet- the special horn worm chow is ridiculously over priced in my opinion which is a major turn off for reproducing them. (you breed your own insects to save money and I dont see that happening with horn worms or silk worms)

Roaches are ridiculously over priced from most people. But they are very easy to keep and practically breed on their own (just keep em warm and feed them well). I have worked with 5-6 species of roach but am currenlty only working with dubia and orange heads.

[drache]

Kevin
thanks again
I just found out that my area bulk bait supplier also carries eight different roach species
unfortunately they don't tell you much about how big those guys get
I may need to consult with you some more
it seems that raising roaches is the answer to my woes