bruce the cham
Avid Member
just wondering if its bad
is it bad to buy my bugs from petco and petsmart
- Thread starter bruce the cham
- Start date
CalamityCrow
Avid Member
I think inherently, the answer is "no" but I think from a more complicated standpoint, the answer would be "I'd avoid it."
Those stores tend to sell/use feeders for LOTS of lizards, and that really ups the likelihood of parasites being passed from lizards, to feeders, and back.
Many lizards can carry parasites without issue their whole lives. Chams appear to be more sensitive to them. So buying from a store that sells both feeders AND lizards is going to be a breeding ground for parasites.
Conversely, if you buy from insect feeder breeders that exclusively work insects, you're far, FAR less likely to expose your cham to parasites.
That concern alone is enough for me to split getting my feeders from an online source, and I have a dubia colony that I keep myself.
Those stores tend to sell/use feeders for LOTS of lizards, and that really ups the likelihood of parasites being passed from lizards, to feeders, and back.
Many lizards can carry parasites without issue their whole lives. Chams appear to be more sensitive to them. So buying from a store that sells both feeders AND lizards is going to be a breeding ground for parasites.
Conversely, if you buy from insect feeder breeders that exclusively work insects, you're far, FAR less likely to expose your cham to parasites.
That concern alone is enough for me to split getting my feeders from an online source, and I have a dubia colony that I keep myself.
dinomom
Chameleon Enthusiast
And secondly I have seen those bins, never cleaned out so there is a bacterial concern
DonKeesh
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree this should be done with caution. Crickets especially are risky from pet stores. I usually buy super worms from Petco as they are always available and also come straight from the supplier. The crickets I only get when it's an emergency. I have seen them display some weird behavior like seizures and paralysis that the banded crickets you get from reputable suppliers don't exhibit.
I agree with everything already said. Especially when it comes to buying your bulk crickets there.
Now the ones in containers are very low risk. In a pinch if I need to add crickets I will get their prepackaged ones that are in little clear containers. These come packaged straight from the supplier and are sealed. But otherwise I would order from a reputable dealer.
Now the ones in containers are very low risk. In a pinch if I need to add crickets I will get their prepackaged ones that are in little clear containers. These come packaged straight from the supplier and are sealed. But otherwise I would order from a reputable dealer.
bruce the cham
Avid Member
i live in qc arizona and it is to hot to ship here probably the closest reptile shop is 40 minutes away
bruce the cham
Avid Member
any sugestions
BostonKeith
Avid Member
craigslist,fb market insect feeders. Order online. Go to petco and get the sealed containers. My petco even has bsfl hissing and dubias. They are all sealed as well.
bruce the cham
Avid Member
the dubias at my petco are 4 for 10 dolors its kinda dumb but i found a good breeder on craig
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
Agreed with the above, you’re almost guaranteeing parasites at some point buying from those stores. Even if they do everything right, handling feeders and reptiles is a recipe for eventual contamination.
I used to sell a lot of bugs, mainly roaches(I don’t anymore). There’s a lot of good places to buy online and forums meant for inverts/roaches/etc where people are selling. check the sponsors for the worms, flies, common roaches, crickets, etc. Many of them you can get multiple types at once for good prices. And then with Ghanns crickets, the price can be a bit high, but I can tell you(others who buy from them would probably agree), the crickets never seem to die. Give them a good bin with ventilation+food and they only die when fed off. I had some I forgot about live for I swear like 2 months without me doing anything. So with lack of die off, the price comes out to be cheaper IME.
I used to sell a lot of bugs, mainly roaches(I don’t anymore). There’s a lot of good places to buy online and forums meant for inverts/roaches/etc where people are selling. check the sponsors for the worms, flies, common roaches, crickets, etc. Many of them you can get multiple types at once for good prices. And then with Ghanns crickets, the price can be a bit high, but I can tell you(others who buy from them would probably agree), the crickets never seem to die. Give them a good bin with ventilation+food and they only die when fed off. I had some I forgot about live for I swear like 2 months without me doing anything. So with lack of die off, the price comes out to be cheaper IME.
CalamityCrow
Avid Member
Most online bug places will have an option for your local post office to hold the package there for pickup. It's a bit of an annoyance to go pick it up, but you won't have smelly dead/cooked bugs in your mailbox when you get home from work, and you'll have high quality feeders for your cham/reptiles. I'd imagine your local post office is probably closer than the nearest specialty reptile pet store.
@bruce the cham what @CalamityCrow said above. This is how I have to order all my insects year round. I always choose the USPS shipping and always put hold for pick up with my phone number. The post office in Flagstaff will call me when the box arrives. And I also select the shipment tracking updates when they ship them so I get a text when it arrives at the post office and is ready for pick up. Then if it is hot or cold they are only exposed to extremes during the shipment process. In winter depending on what I am getting you can add a heat pack as well. I find dubia tolerate the extremes much better than crickets. When I need crickets I order from rainbow mealworms since they are based out of California. Not far for them to go to get to AZ that way.
bruce the cham
Avid Member
thank you so much i think i might try breeding dubias also
bruce the cham
Avid Member
this week i am going to drive to the nearest reptile shop and buy some dubias and if i fail i will try getting them shiped
CalamityCrow
Avid Member
Dubias aren't too hard to keep. A bin with a lid (and holes poked in it for ventilation), cardboard egg cartons for them to hide/birth in, good food consistently available, and a bin cleanout every few weeks is all it takes for me. I have a heat mat with a thermometer attached to keep the bin between 85-90 degrees on one end, and a bit cooler on the food side.
Just make sure you're also feeding other bugs to your cham too - variety is key! I usually add in BSFL and sometimes let them go to fly stage so my cham has something to hunt. Silkworms are great too. I avoid crickets mostly because I hate them lol. Jumpy little things...
bruce the cham
Avid Member
i do super worms wax sometimes bsfl larvea and wax moths ocational horn worm
