GoldenVeiled
New Member
does anyone know where i can buy pinhead crickets? i really don't want to buy 500-1000 because i REALLY don't need that many... i was hoping to buy from 100-150 at a time if that's possible. Anyone know any websites?
pinhead crickets
- Thread starter GoldenVeiled
- Start date
SpartyTessy
New Member
why not just hatch your own? Its really easy and 200 adults can produce thousands in a 2 week period. Let me know if you would like more info on how to start your own cricket colony. It will save you sooo much $$.
GoldenVeiled
New Member
i would love to do that but my mom wouldn't even let me buy 50 adult crickets lol
SpartyTessy
New Member
Oh I see. The problem is the Cham will need to eat a ton of baby pinheads a day costing a lot of $$. Also the problem with buying that many pinheads is they grow fast and within 40-60 days they would be pretty much adults. With one baby Cham you are looking at about 140 pinheads a week and after about a week the pinheads will grow about triple in size possible being too large for your Cham.
C
Chameleonic
Guest
I don't know about how you can get yourself a constant supply of little crickets without breeding them, but baby chams love fruit flies and it should be easy to start up a couple of cultures if you can persuade your mom 
. There are lots of different foods to offer, but giving the best variety can be a bit expensive. If you can find some pill bugs out side you can breed them easily too https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...orcellio-pillbugs-wood-sow-rollie-pollie.html
. There are lots of different foods to offer, but giving the best variety can be a bit expensive. If you can find some pill bugs out side you can breed them easily too https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...orcellio-pillbugs-wood-sow-rollie-pollie.html
C
Chameleonic
Guest
Not a huge amount of work, 5 mins a day is enough if you keep it clean. If you do it properly it mostly smells of fresh vegetables
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/511-keeping-crickets.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/511-keeping-crickets.html
sdheli420
Avid Member
agreed..you may want to just opt into 500 pinheads and keep them cool, and gutloaded.. try and convince the mom, that its for the chameleons well beeing to keep a few large ones to make some smaller ones for cheaper than buying them {eventually you can either buy more and keep them, or in the end , breed them.}
Dr O
Veterinarian
it is for me!! I hate 'em! and they are nutritional garbage to top it off, why even bother. I'm proud to say that I've got a "cricketless" operation going and will never breed them again. but I do admit that every few months I'll break down and buy a days supply for variety and because chams in general do love chasing them down. but even then I worry that some that may have not been eaten and are chewing one of my cham's spines that very moment.......stupid bugs.
they really are an archaic food source in this day and age. they only ever became popular because they are cheap to breed, not because they're good for the animals. don't kid yourself into believing otherwise!!
reptoman
Avid Member
I would be interested in what you are replacing pinheads with. I would love to quit feeding crickets as a staple but hatchlings are hard to feed with anything else. Fruitflies can't be much better and IMO are worse for the hydrating factor. Silks are great but are a pain to feed to 60+ babies at once. It would take a couple of hours twice a day to dish out the proper amount of baby silks to all of the baby bins since the worms stick together like glue. After the first 3 weeks I can start feeding dubia and other feeders but the smallest dubia is too large for a newly hatched panther.
SpartyTessy
New Member
I agree. Also some of us do not have other options but to breed and use crickets as a main. Here in hawaii we are limited on the bugs allowed into Hawaii and Dubia's are not one of them. I wish I could breed Dubias trust me.
What I like about breeding crickets is once your operation is going you always have the size you need for your Chams. It really is not hard nor does it take much to keep them from smelling and to have thousands new babies each week if needed. It maybe takes 30 minutes a week to maintain my three bins plus incubator bin which houses more than 20,000 adults and 30,000 pinheads in a healthy smell free environment.
Dr O
Veterinarian
i was being a bit goofy, i admit. i just have really tried working with crickets and have been spectacularly unsuccessful, can't stand the odor, and compared to my other options, i have no need anymore.
basically i use Hydei until the hatchlings are large enough to handle roach nymphs of which i can supply plenty of, and while they may take a little longer to reach the nymph-eating size, once they get there, they sprout like weeds. and there's dramatically less roaches to feed compared to an equivalent of crickets, and they don't bite my hatchlings at night when i'm sleeping.
works for me! and as for FF cultures being equal work to maintaing crix, there's just no comparison. once a week, i mix water and culture into a cup (well, 6 cups currently), mix it, add excelsior and 50 Hydei, and put it to the side until the flies pop out in a few weeks. throw out the cup when you're done. no feeding/cleaning/odor/nada.
basically i use Hydei until the hatchlings are large enough to handle roach nymphs of which i can supply plenty of, and while they may take a little longer to reach the nymph-eating size, once they get there, they sprout like weeds. and there's dramatically less roaches to feed compared to an equivalent of crickets, and they don't bite my hatchlings at night when i'm sleeping.
works for me! and as for FF cultures being equal work to maintaing crix, there's just no comparison. once a week, i mix water and culture into a cup (well, 6 cups currently), mix it, add excelsior and 50 Hydei, and put it to the side until the flies pop out in a few weeks. throw out the cup when you're done. no feeding/cleaning/odor/nada.
Dr O
Veterinarian
oh, and lest i forget, wild-caught with the 2 Bug Nappers that i have and the mini-funnel on one of them.
Ch.meal.eon
New Member
Yes please!
@Ch.meal.eon ...you're not likely to get a reply...SpartyTessy hasn't been her for years.
Here you go...
Here you go...
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Those kinds of numbers I can get at local pet supplies.
Might be worth a check.
Might be worth a check.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Have you thought about starting a roach colony? So much cleaner, quieter and easier than crickets. Dubia and discoids don’t fly and can’t climb smooth walls, so much less chance of escapees than crickets.
