Looking for a food Source (Inexpensive)

[SoleSky]

Okay so in the last week I've spent around $30 on crickets. It just seems ridiculous to me, it probably isn't but I was looking to switching to Dubia Roaches. The roach guy has free shipping on a lot of items. I assume $17.00 for 125 small and 1 adult pair is a good price (best I've seen). However, everywhere else I go to the shipping is almost 2xs the price of the actual item. I just want to buy insects with free shipping or a good deal because shipping is the only thing stopping me. I want to switch my staple or at least find cheap crickets. What would you suggest for a switch, whats the cheapest place? I saw the Reptiworms are on the cheaper side only 11.99 (shipping included) for 300 of them. Is this a good staple for my baby if I alternate crickets one day and reptiworms the other. Please help!!!

 

[zebraflavencs]

To be honest... I've used Jason several times.. now that all 4 colonies are fully established and growing (soon adding a 5th bin), I really don't need more... However.. I've always had excellent service with Jason.. And the prices were in my opinion.. quite reasonable.

 

[crypticdragons]

Yep as janie pointed out jason (theroachguy.com) is a great person to deal with. But that will not be an immediate fix as it will take a few months for your colony to be self-refilling. In the meantime you could go with reptiworms and crix. Then in 4-6 months your dubia colony will be self-sustaining and you wont have to worry anymore.

 

[SoleSky]

awesome. I think I will do that. Will 125 plus the 1 adult pair be enough or what set do you suggest to start building a colony?

 

[zebraflavencs]

I have always maintained.. buy as many as you can afford.. then as expenses allow.. add to that colony.. That's what I did.. and here I am almost 2 years later.. swelling to a 5th bin !
Hope this helps !

 

[SoleSky]

It does very much thank you!

 

[northface75]

just to add to that, I dont think 125 will be anywhere near enough. I started with the 210 mixed with 2 adults, and I've gotten the 120 mixed a couple times after that just to up my colony, and I'm JUST getting to a point where I'm seeing a lot of babies and in a couple months maybe it can sustain. I do have two adults as well, but still, just as advice, get more, and go with mixed. you gotta spend money up front to save money in the long run in this case.

 

[SoleSky]

Yes I think I will. I just need some money first. :/

 

[Pogie]

IDK how you feel about breeding crickets. But mine is doing great now.

If you start off with lets say 100 adults this is what will approx happen.

Give them about 3-5 days to lay eggs. Replace with new soil bowl. Take the 1st one with eggs in and incubate egg bowl. After about 2 weeks babies hatch, then let grow to appropriate size (About 1.5 weeks for small, 3 weeks for medium size and 4-5 weeks for adults) then you can use some of your adults to breed again.

So youll have 100's hatching every 3-5 days

Each female can lay up to 200 eggs during her lifespan.

 

[SoleSky]

I would like to do that but the crickets drive me wild with their chirping. Also i don't have an incubator, how do I know when to put them there? Plus I can't keep them in the garage it gets too cold. I ordered reptiworms for a great price and I found waxworms
for cheap at petsmart. Can I make waxworms a staple?

 

[Pogie]

I would like to do that but the crickets drive me wild with their chirping

LOL, we stay on a farm, so there is always chirping, birds singing, Jackals crying, Guineafowl irritating the living daylights out of me. So whats a few more crics ??? But thats just me.


Ooooh, If memory serves me correct waxworms are a treat only. They are very high in fat, and too many can cause your BD to be obese and I think Ive heard people say they can get Fatty liver disease from being fed too musch fatty foods.
The only time waxworms are fed not as a treat is for underweight, malnourished BD's or gravid females I think. Just till their condition is up.

But I think the repti worms are OK

 

[zebraflavencs]

Nope, those aren't either, from what ladyknite posted.
Supers, horns, silks are all good enough to feed.
Hope this helps.

 

[northface75]

I just have a heating blanket under my roach tub on low setting

 

[zebraflavencs]

Don't forget the half an orange weekly ! Good stuff there !

 

[Justus85]

I can attest to the success of oranges. The roaches love em. I just need more adults which should arrive tomorrow. My adult pair has made around 40 or 50 babies. I also bought babies from Ian at theroachranch.com to the tune of 600 for 70 bucks to raise up and really build the colony. The grow slower than crickets but they also live much longer.

 

[SoleSky]

ughh. I bought 300 repti-worms and BeeGee likes them. Crickets are just too expensive for me and I can't find a cheap price on any other worms. Why can't repti-worms be used and what is the worst that could happen?

 

[crypticdragons]

I see no reason why reptiworms cant be used as a staple in a rounded diet. You want to offer other feeders as well. With my hatchlings their staple is reptiworms and i also feed hissers nymphs, dubia nymphs and a variety of veggies

 

[srabeardie]

How many roaches should I keep in one bin before I separate them and start a new one? Is there a limit on adults as well?

 

[zebraflavencs]

In my 18 gallon bins.. I believe I have somewhere around 2-3K between adults and nymphs..

I tend to add new bins when all the egg crates ( usually 6 or more) are covered..

Hope this helps..
Oh.. I have somewhere around 15-20K currently between the 4 bins..

 

[Vinzy]

aaaaah its so fun to watch everyone battle with breeding crickets and roaches... Yes i am going to breed crickets but only in Autum/Winter!

Because I just breed silkworms, the most healthy food you can get. Just chuck a few malberry leaves in each day from the tree outside my window and when they are nice and big and feed him some and keep some to breed and make eggs for next spring!

Don't you just love spring?