Record low temps in Iowa...can't get a live shipment of crickets

[Ceycham]

Got a nice batch of frozen crickets in the mail, no fault of Josh's Frogs...its very cold in these parts! I'm having to resort to petsmart. Is there a better alternative? is this going to be a winter long problem?

 

[Chamson]

I had the same problem here in Minnesota. I found that my local independent pet store will bulk order crickets for me. They have arrived at the store in great shape despite the cold over the past few weeks.

 

[Ceycham]

I had the same problem here in Minnesota. I found that my local independent pet store will bulk order crickets for me. They have arrived at the store in great shape despite the cold over the past few weeks.

I wonder how they get it done?

 

[Ceycham]

I just ordered from a place called Tophat crickets. They guarantee live delivery in winter so I'm hopeful. I did pay through the nose for shipping but 500 crickets will last me a good long time now that he's heating less.

 

[Ceycham]

update: Tophat is going to have to honor their guarantee because their crickets did not make it here alive. They didn't do anything more than Josh's does for winter shipping, only Josh's must have already been down this road and took away their guarantee. Anyone need frozen crickets?

 

[Andee]

Are they shipping with heat packs and insulation?

 

[NickTide]

Are they being shipped overnight or priority? Holding them at the post office would help a lot too. those mail trucks are cold. Our local shop gets crickets shipped overnight in the extreme temps. Costs more but they are dividing that cost among 10 or 15 boxes. That's how they keep their crickets alive in the winter.

Would dubias handle shipping in the cold better? If you shop around you can get 1000 small for not a whole lot more than crickets. BSFL would probably ship well if an alternative would work for you until the weather breaks.

 

[Ceycham]

Are they shipping with heat packs and insulation?

They shipped with heat packs and an extra sleeve of cardboard if that counts for insulation. I set the box of crickets in front of the fireplace and I'm getting a few wigglers, so maybe not a total loss. The trouble is that they were delivered to any doorstep. might have been hours before I came home from work and found them. Might have been different as a post office hold. I wonder how to arrange that. I'm getting another shipment next wednesday, though temps will be in the 20's to 30s by then. its 7 degrees here right now.

 

[Ceycham]

Are they being shipped overnight or priority? Holding them at the post office would help a lot too. those mail trucks are cold. Our local shop gets crickets shipped overnight in the extreme temps. Costs more but they are dividing that cost among 10 or 15 boxes. That's how they keep their crickets alive in the winter.

Would dubias handle shipping in the cold better? If you shop around you can get 1000 small for not a whole lot more than crickets. BSFL would probably ship well if an alternative would work for you until the weather breaks.

They shipped overnight. Don't dubious need warmer temps than crickets? or is that just for breeding?


I did receive live shipments of BBF and BSF and waxworms, so he's not going to starve, but his staple is crickets as those are all he gets that I can gutload effectively. I was not impressed with his interest level for roaches. he will eat them but there was not enough gusto to warrant buying in bulk.

 

[Kiyomitsu]

the best thing you can get would be red runners they grow fast and breed like crazy i started with 200 and now have thousands and the dont stink also as the name implies they run around a lot and make for a great feeding response oh and they are more nutritionist than crickets i have a lot of their eggs i could send you so you can start your own

 

[Andee]

Dubias don't NEED warmer temps, though the temps you describe would kill a lot of things. Dubias however would survive it better because they have a weird ability to kind of slip into hibernation safely and can warm up safely within a correct amount of time.

 

[Ceycham]

the best thing you can get would be red runners they grow fast and breed like crazy i started with 200 and now have thousands and the dont stink also as the name implies they run around a lot and make for a great feeding response oh and they are more nutritionist than crickets i have a lot of their eggs i could send you so you can start your own

I may be willing to give them a try... Thanks for the offer of eggs but I don't raise any insects. I prefer to buy in month long supplies, so he'll need decent size roaches. How fast do they grow?

 

[Fiona's Mom]

I wonder how they get it done?

Chain stores around here usually get theirs shipped in large styrofoam boxes.

 

[Fiona's Mom]

They shipped with heat packs and an extra sleeve of cardboard if that counts for insulation. I set the box of crickets in front of the fireplace and I'm getting a few wigglers, so maybe not a total loss. The trouble is that they were delivered to any doorstep. might have been hours before I came home from work and found them. Might have been different as a post office hold. I wonder how to arrange that. I'm getting another shipment next wednesday, though temps will be in the 20's to 30s by then. its 7 degrees here right now.

Call your supplier and ask them to have them sent to you to be held at post office. As long as you job hours work with their hours it might be better.

 

[Ceycham]

Call your supplier and ask them to have them sent to you to be held at post office. As long as you job hours work with their hours it might be better.

I will do that! thanks!

 

[NickTide]

They shipped overnight. Don't dubious need warmer temps than crickets? or is that just for breeding?


I did receive live shipments of BBF and BSF and waxworms, so he's not going to starve, but his staple is crickets as those are all he gets that I can gutload effectively. I was not impressed with his interest level for roaches. he will eat them but there was not enough gusto to warrant buying in bulk.

Temp requirements are about the same for crickets and dubias (dubias may have a bigger range of temps) but dubias don't die easily. I would think they can take short term chilling a lot easier... You can make conditions perfect for crickets and a decent chunk dies off. You can make conditions for dubias barely tolerable and loose one or two.... they may even breed.

I had it in my head that you are short on food. if you have larvae you're good.

 

[Andee]

Yeah especially if you aren't worried about breeding the dubia you are pretty good with not worrying about temps too badly. There is a threshold temp that almost anything can die no matter how tankish they are. But a smart shipper (I know because I have shipped in snow before, only my hardier species though), though I have never shipped below around 0 degrees, will provide insulation and multiple 48+ -72+ hour heat packs and only allow for holding at the post office.

 

[zordtaz]

I agree with @Andee. We have one digit last year and well and the postman deliver dubia to me and I grab it as soon as he stop his truck to deliver to our house. They seem frozen at the beginning. But after half an hour of warm temperature, they are running like crazy.