maduni3394
Member
my petstmart has been out of crickets the past 2 days what can i feed my cham till i can get some
out of food
- Thread starter maduni3394
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MeruJack
Avid Member
PetSmart probably won't have Dubias, silk or hornworms but they should have superworms and waxworms. Superworms are more nutritious than waxworms or mealworms but any will do for a couple of days until the crickets come in. It's better than letting him starve in my opinion.
guanagator
Avid Member
Do you have any bait and tackle shops nearby? Good bait shops usually have live crickets, some will have fly larvae depending on where you live.
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
PetCo is out right now, too. "Supplier shortage". Locking we have a mom and pop exotics shop that carries crickets, dubia, and other bugs.
Check craigslist. We have two guys here on CL who sell dubia.
Check bait shops. They probably have crickets. Back in the day, we all bought from bait shops because that's all there was.
Call around to other shops , too.
Check craigslist. We have two guys here on CL who sell dubia.
Check bait shops. They probably have crickets. Back in the day, we all bought from bait shops because that's all there was.
Call around to other shops , too.
maduni3394
Member
i keep hearing people say that the Superworms can kill lizards like eat there way out
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Old wives' tale. If you don't see your cham really crush the superworm in its jaws you could choose to "disable" them before feeding them. They have to be alive so the cham will go to the motion, but pinching the head can slow down the worm's defensive bite reaction.
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
The cheapest feeders I've ever purchased came from bait shops. Don't go to the big name pet stores for your feeders unless you want to get overcharged. Support a local bait shop if you can and save money while doing it!
If ur chameleon is a veiled,u can try feed the cham some vegetables like collard green ,mustard green until u find some more feeders .
maduni3394
Member
i live in az we dont have vary many bait shops
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
Oh dang. Well that cancels that plan unless you can get lucky and find one
Fiona's Mom
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have been wanting to ask...are crickets from bait shops ok for chameleons? I wasn't sure so I haven't tried there before. I sometimes have trouble getting crickets, I always have other insects available but Fiona LOVES her crickets.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
I breed mine own dubies
Theveiled
Avid Member
I buy mine from bait shops and cant tell the difference. They have been okay so far and I have been using them for months.I have been wanting to ask...are crickets from bait shops ok for chameleons? I wasn't sure so I haven't tried there before. I sometimes have trouble getting crickets, I always have other insects available but Fiona LOVES her crickets.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Most bait shops and pet stores get their crickets from the same cricket mills most chain pet stores just jack up the profit margins with a 50% profit margin or more
The cost of a cricket to volume buyers is about $10 per 1,000. Most sell them for about 13 cents each, so even with die off, crickets are a high profit item to Petco, Petsmart, etc.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Word, Ladies and Gents the Bug God he knows his stuff this is the guy to get your feeders and gutload from if only he could get a specially formulated gutload specifically for Chameleons and their specific nutritional needs
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
Yea my local Petsmart stores sell their crickets for 13 and 14 cents a piece for the small and large crickets, respectively..... and the local Petco stores sell their crickets for 15 and 16 cents a piece, respectively.
I get them from the local bait shops for WAAAY cheaper. One bait shop near me sells large-only crickets for 5 cents a piece and another bait shop near me sells any size crickets for 4 cents a piece (and they have small and large). I go to the cheaper one most of the time because it's the same place I also purchase my superworms, wax worms, and butter worms for a great price. If I only need crickets and not the other insects, I sometimes go and get them for 5 cents a piece which is only 1 cent more than the cheaper bait shop, and still WAAAY cheaper than the 13-16 cents a piece you be paying from giant pet chains. I've also noticed that the crickets I get from the bait shops are also better fed and cared for compared to the ones I get at the pet stores. They may be from the same supplier but once they reach their destination, the bait shops and the pet stores care for them differently. Where I go, the crickets are all fed a variety of foods and their giant enclosure is always clean. At pet stores they are typically fed some of the low quality Flukers food and water gel because it's quick and easy. That's my experience.
I get them from the local bait shops for WAAAY cheaper. One bait shop near me sells large-only crickets for 5 cents a piece and another bait shop near me sells any size crickets for 4 cents a piece (and they have small and large). I go to the cheaper one most of the time because it's the same place I also purchase my superworms, wax worms, and butter worms for a great price. If I only need crickets and not the other insects, I sometimes go and get them for 5 cents a piece which is only 1 cent more than the cheaper bait shop, and still WAAAY cheaper than the 13-16 cents a piece you be paying from giant pet chains. I've also noticed that the crickets I get from the bait shops are also better fed and cared for compared to the ones I get at the pet stores. They may be from the same supplier but once they reach their destination, the bait shops and the pet stores care for them differently. Where I go, the crickets are all fed a variety of foods and their giant enclosure is always clean. At pet stores they are typically fed some of the low quality Flukers food and water gel because it's quick and easy. That's my experience.
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