Where do you buy your crickets?

[HerpAddict]

Hey Everyone,

I was wondering what people do for crickets? I have used crickets2u.ca and looked into canadianfeeders.ca, but they charge quite a lot for shipping, making it more expensive than more local solutions, especially once they start charging for heat packs in winter. I have been buying the crickets locally, but my problem is that I can't find the size I need. I want 2/3s because I go through about 1000 in 2 weeks, and if I buy 3/4s-full they start to die, or chirp insanely in the last week. The chirping drives my house nuts, so I can't have that. I've been having to buy 1/2s for my entire gange, but I don't think it's a great way to feed adult cresteds! I bought a few days worth of 3/4s last time I went to the store, and the cresteds almost peed their none-existant pants! They chowed down like I've never seen before, and everybody seems to be really happy with full bellies...

I was hoping that somebody might know of a reliable cricket source in the Hamilton area, or somebody who has reasonable shipping and accurate sizes.


Let's hear your experiences!

[little_dragon_]

Hey,
I have been purchasing my crickets from Canadian Feeders. I am very happy with their cricket count. I go through about 5000 a month. It's getting crazy. lol. I have never heard of crickets2u but their prices seem fair. It's all about finding out who will lower prices to keep customers. You are from Hamilton have you tried bargaining with the manager at Aquarium services or The Reptile Store? Talk em down to 20 a box if you can. You might be able to save money on shipping costs. I will not pay more than $115 dollars for 5000 crickets. I'm from Burlington so my only option is superpet and they are super expensive that's out of the question. I buy them from port credit when I'm in the area.
I have never enjoyed keeping adult crickets I buy 1/2's and bulk them up for a week. There always seems to be some 3/4's in the group so I feed them to my geckos first. I get a better count buying smaller crickets. I'm sure most people have similar experiences. My friend wants to give me lobster roaches but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. As long as I can sell a couple geckos a month I'm cool.

Goodluck on your search. I'm going to check out this crickets4u site.

[HerpAddict]

Perhaps I should try to bargin, I just don't feel like I have a lot of room for it because I only buy about 500/wk, and that's buying 1/2s. I would imagine that number might be halved if I buy 3/4s. It still doesn't really get me around my problem of having getting a size of crickets that's between 1/2 and 3/4s. In reality that's what I need. I checked, and canadian feeders doesn't offer 2/3s, which would be ideal.

I checked out crickets2u.ca, and it will cost me $38 total for 1000, which is a bit steep.

I'm at a loss for what to do. I buy 1/2s and even after a week, they still look too small.

Thanks for the input!

[little_dragon_]

A box of 1000 at big al's will cost you $30. I you buy 1/2's by the time you go throught 500 the other half of crickets will be bigger. Does that help?

[spidergecko]

Perhaps I should try to bargin, I just don't feel like I have a lot of room for it because I only buy about 500/wk, and that's buying 1/2s. I would imagine that number might be halved if I buy 3/4s. It still doesn't really get me around my problem of having getting a size of crickets that's between 1/2 and 3/4s. In reality that's what I need. I checked, and canadian feeders doesn't offer 2/3s, which would be ideal.

I checked out crickets2u.ca, and it will cost me $38 total for 1000, which is a bit steep.

I'm at a loss for what to do. I buy 1/2s and even after a week, they still look too small.

Thanks for the input!

If you have a larger pet store in your area that sells reptiles you can ask them to order crickets for you at regular intervals. You just let them know when you want them (eg: every two weeks) and you just need to drop in and pick them up. They will quote you a price and you can negotiate.

[HerpAddict]

I do buy 1000 at a time, and they last me 1.5-2weeks. They are $30+tax at the reptile store. They don't seem significantly bigger by the time the last ones are fed off. Like, I wouldn't mind if the last week were 3/4s, but they just don't grow that fast, perhaps its what I'm feeding them. I use carrots and canadian feeder's cricket gutload.

[HerpAddict]

If you have a larger pet store in your area that sells reptiles you can ask them to order crickets for you at regular intervals. You just let them know when you want them (eg: every two weeks) and you just need to drop in and pick them up. They will quote you a price and you can negotiate.


I have a PetSmart, but I don't really like giving my business to them because of the often poor quality of care I see them give the herps that they carry. Plus their large are generally winged already, which is too old for me. Perhaps I will try, thanks for the suggestion. They charge $0.09/cricket, so at that rate, it's $90/thousand crickets, which seems quite steep! I wonder if they will bring their price down by more than 60%!? I guess it's worth a shot, nothing to lose.

[spidergecko]

I have a PetSmart, but I don't really like giving my business to them because of the often poor quality of care I see them give the herps that they carry. Plus their large are generally winged already, which is too old for me. Perhaps I will try, thanks for the suggestion. They charge $0.09/cricket, so at that rate, it's $90/thousand crickets, which seems quite steep! I wonder if they will bring their price down by more than 60%!? I guess it's worth a shot, nothing to lose.

No no. You should ask them to order you an extra box when they order their own boxes. You wouldn't pay per cricket. It shouldn't cost more than $30 for 1000 and you can definitely negotiate for a lower price if this isn't something they do regularly. They should even be able to drop it as low as $20-25 if they aren't trying to scam you but any price you think is suitable should satisfy you regardless of what others claim they pay. Then again, PetSmart is a pretty crappy place and I don't see them doing something out of the ordinary but it never hurts to ask. PJs Pets has been the best for me to deal with. They order my crickets for pretty cheap and I don't have to pay the shipping or gas because they are on my way home from work. They are one of the small stores (not the superstores) so it is easier to get a better deal. (They don't already have large lots of crickets programed in the register.)

[Betty Miskie]

I don't pay anymore than $20 (tax included) for 1000 and that is actually delivered to my door. However, I do go through on average 3,000 crickets a week. You might think of contacting a few of you in the same area and see if volume buying would benefit a few of you. Most stores would be happy to do business with repeat customers!
Happy cricket shopping for the best deals!
Betty

[spidergecko]

I don't pay anymore than $20 (tax included) for 1000 and that is actually delivered to my door. However, I do go through on average 3,000 crickets a week. You might think of contacting a few of you in the same area and see if volume buying would benefit a few of you. Most stores would be happy to do business with repeat customers!
Happy cricket shopping for the best deals!
Betty

So where do you get them?

[Asian Jon]

< $20 for 1000 is a steal, I'm really curious as well as to where you are buying your crix, Betty :D

[Betty Miskie]

I order mine through PCPC and Amanda, he sells 2/3rds as that is the size I order. I don't know if I was getting smaller amounts if the price would be that, however, I consistently buy at least 3,000 a week and so I believe that has helped in the lower cost.
Betty

[HerpAddict]

Betty, do they ship them to you, or do you pick them up? PCPC is too far for me to drive every week, or even every other week, as I have university and 2 jobs, so finding the time to drive that far (nevermind gas costs) would probably be not so pretty for me. If they ship, that would be awesome, but that adds to the cost...I guess nothing can be perfect, but I wouldn't mind knocking a few dollars off of what I buy every couple weeks. Especially when I'm not selling anything, and haven't really sold much (only 1) since starting out with cresteds, so there is no cash flow in from them as of yet. Hopefully next season will be more productive, I have 3 for sure females, and 1 possible, so I'm hoping to have some success and fun.

The size is the most important thing to me, moreso than price, because I have noticed a growth spurt in my cresteds (8/9 have put on more than 1.5g in a week on empty belly measurements) since I gave out 3/4s. Most of these are aub-adults that were stuck at about 27-29g for over a month, and then all of a sudden they have begun to grow. Perhaps there are other factors at play, could just be natural growth spurts, but for almost all of them to grow that much, it makes me think it's related more to the food.

[squeeker]

My friend wants to give me lobster roaches but I'm not sure if I want to go that route.

Just out of curiosity, where does your friend plan on ordering the lobster roaches from? My friend and I haven't been able to find a Canadian supplier; I thought they were federally banned.

[K1LOS]

i'd love to get a group of ppl in ottawa to order crickets bimonthly so we can all save. I am with out a supplier these days now too. I need to get into ordering again, buying from the pet stores is killing me. If anybody is interested shoot me a message.

Geoff

[carolane]

pcpc is canadian feeders? there is where search internet conduct me.

[Betty Miskie]

PCPC is a store and he ships crickets, supplies etc using a courier so yes, you could order from him and have it delivered to your door. Canadian Feeders is another supplier of crickets and supplies who also delivers to your door.
Betty

[HerpAddict]

I have emailed pcpc, but haven't heard anything in a few days. We'll see how that goes!

[monty bl python]

i get 1000 crickets for 17.50 from sotherncrickets.com but it is in the states and i dont know if they ship to canada

beats .10 cents each at the pet store

[CDN-Cresties]

PCPC but I usually go there to get them. I like looking at different herps in the process! :)

[danyarp]

I'm having the same problem - When I was in Brantford it was easy to crickets we had a variety of small pet stores and I made I deal with one them. In Windsor its crazy expensive to get crickets. I'm currently using cricketstu...once so far. But the crickets arrived in great shape and fast. I made it a bit cheaper by order 2 sets of 1000. I order one size smaller than I need and in a week or two they grow to the size that I like. I may try bargaining, but I'm going to order a few more first and then see what I can do.