Where can I get food for a good price?

[KevinN1]

Hey everyone, I was just curious if anyone knew of any websites where I can buy feeders for a good price. I'm getting tired of running to petsmart every week and spending $6 for 50 crickets. I'd appreciate any info you guys can come up with

 

[draco11]

Try Premium Crickets They have great service and good prices. Haven't had any problems form getting parisites from this company.

 

[Tyaeda]

Breeding your own crickets is pretty easy too. 50 crickets can turn to a few hundred in just a couple weeks

 

[javsto]

Are there no specialty reptile stores anywhere near where you live? The place where I bought my original vieled cham sells crickets 500 for $15 but another place I found sell them 1000 crix for $20 so do some checking and see what you can find or look into breeding your own colony at home.

 

[KevinN1]

The closest specialty reptile store to me is still a pretty good distance away, so that's why I've been sticking to Petsmart and Petco. If anyone has any other info or links to sites for feeders at good prices, I'd appreciate if you could share it with me

 

[espressodude]

The first question is how many crickets do you need at one time. If your only feeding one or two Chameleons buying in bulk might not make sense, as the smallest bulk order is usually 500. I go to Reptile Finders in Lomita and crickets are 30 for a dollar. If you need more you could always go to a South Bay Chameleon Keepers meeting. Although crickets are not always available at them when they are there around $7 for 500 or $14 for a thousand. No shipping cause your picking them up in person at the meeting. Plus you get to hang out with a bunch of chameleon people, that's something that most people in the country can't do.

 

[KevinN1]

I suppose you're right. I only have 1 panther chameleon so buying 500 at one time wouldn't make much sense. Still though, are there no online sites that sell feeders by the hundred? Another reason I'm looking is because I also want to change up my chameleon's diet. I've had him for 2 months now and he's just eating crickets and wax-worms. So, I'm looking for any information on places that sell other types of feeders as well.

 

[espressodude]

One more plug for the SBCK meetings is that there is often other feeders available.
At the last meeting for instance there where Silk Worms, Horn Worms and Dubias. There was also an assortment of Preying Mantises and some CB Carpet Chameleons for sale. OK the Carpet's where not really feeders but they where small enough to be.

 

[danTHAman152000]

Hey Kevin.

Good to see another local chameleon owner! I live in Bellflower.

In the past, I drove to Compton and purchased crickets from Rainbow Mealworms. They have a website and their customer service is top notch. Not to mention they were featured on CA's Huell Howser's CA Gold program, as well as being present in the major reptile conventions.

Anyways, they seemed to have run out of the "black cricket" and now have some sort of brown cricket. The blacks never jumped and are quiet. They are good eaters and great to feed, if you do not free range your crickets. They can pack a nasty bite on a sleeping chameleon. I personally have a free range set up and have the feeders in a cup either way.

The last time I bought crickets from them, they gave me some type of brown cricks and they were quick to jump out of my feeder dish. So i recommend buying the "black crickets" if possible!

Also check out Blacksmith's Corner on Lakewood Blvd just south of Artesia Ave. Another is Tiki's on Alondra between Clark and Bellflower Blvd.

I tried raising my own but i was quick to realize just buying 60 at a time was more cost efficient.