Cricket Dilemma

[chamluvr]

Hi All. In anticipation of the arrival of my 3 month old Sambava boy on Aug 21, I am researching crickets- how many to get, how fast do they grow, who will ship, etc. I live in SW FL and it is in the 90's here everyday this time of year. Some places have said they don't guarantee live delivery if it is above 90. I wanted to order online because local pet shops are selling them for $1.50 per dozen IF they have any. My little guy will probably start out on small ones, but how fast do crickets grow. I will only have one little mouth to feed, so how many is it reasonable to order? Are there any growers in Lee or Collier counties or places where I can pick them up? Thanks in advance for sharing your valuable experience.

 

[Rottsko]

I order my crickets from lazy h. Theyre located in FL. brad is really cool, their prices are very good and customer service is excellent.

For a 3 month old an order of 500 should be good. They shed and grow weekly so start small so they don't outgrow your Cham.

http://lazyhbait.com/index.html

 

[K9Luvn]

Hi, do you know the breeder of your cham. Maybe they can tell you apx what size crickets they will be eating at the time. My 3 month Ablilobe and Sambava were easily eating 1/2 inch crickets when he arrived. If this is your only cham I would not order more then 500 crickets at a time. You will have some die off. I understand that they will not guarantee live delivery... however my cricket guy who delivers from his van ... he delivered mine when it was 100 outside and they were fine when I got home. I had him deliver onto the front porch which does get shade. His come in a cardboard box with scene vented sides.

Do you have a cricket bin set up for them to eat and care for.

Probably not alot of help.... but hopefully some.

 

[chamluvr]

Thanks for the responses. I have checked out LazyH Baits-that looks like a good possibility. They don't post prices on website, so I will call. I am getting him from Kammers, and Ed recommended smaller rather than larger. I thought I should start with 1/4 inch since I don't know how fast they will grow. Can 500 be kept in a single bin or do I need several? I guess I really need to see him before I order, but I want to have everything ready before he is on the way.

 

[trd1215]

Thanks for the responses. I have checked out LazyH Baits-that looks like a good possibility. They don't post prices on website, so I will call. I am getting him from Kammers, and Ed recommended smaller rather than larger. I thought I should start with 1/4 inch since I don't know how fast they will grow. Can 500 be kept in a single bin or do I need several? I guess I really need to see him before I order, but I want to have everything ready before he is on the way.

Yes LazyHbait is the best... mines arrive within 2 days and all alive. Great quality and pricing.

 

[absolutbill]

PM sent I keep my crickets in a 10 gal tank, and fit 1000 easily. You will have die off as others have mentioned, so get 500 to start. 1/4" is fine for now, but I'm sure you'll quickly move up to 1/2". I have a 4 1/2 month panther and he turns his nose up at the 1/4"s and will only go for the 1/2" ones. Good luck!

 

[pssh]

I would ask what size they are using. If 1/4" are what they are eating, you can buy 1/8" or 3/16" so that they last longer since you are buying in bulk. Crickets grow pretty quickly, so getting them a size smaller allows you to keep them longer before they outgrow him. You can always feed more smaller crickets, but if they are too big you have no use for them.