Crickets are a great staple feeder for many reptiles, but where is the best place to buy them?
These kinds of feeder insects can’t simply be caught in the wild so you will have to purchase them from a local or online vendor or breed your own (more on this later).
The one MAJOR advantage of buying them online is convenience. I mean, who wants to waste a trip to the store when you don’t have to?
With so many online vendors to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with who to trust. Here, you will only find vendors that offer quality crickets for affordable prices. Onward!
In a hurry or just plain curious?
In This Article
Top 3 Places Online to Buy Crickets for Your Reptiles
There are many places to buy crickets both online and locally so I’m just going to list vendors who I have personally had interactions with.
Remember that many insectivores (like green anoles) get a large part of their water consumption from live insects. Also, hunting is fun!
Thereby, make sure to choose consciously between live and dried insects for your pet.
Amazon
Many live insect breeders use the Amazon platform to list and sell their live insects.
Do a quick search and you’ll find popular brands such as Bassetts Crick Ranch, Josh’s Frogs, VM Feeders, and more.
You can get practically any and all feeder insects for reptiles on Amazon.com as it is quickly becoming a mega marketplace for both consumers and sellers alike.
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to buy crickets since you have so many options to choose from. Not to mention, you may already have a Prime membership by now so it’s possible you’re familiar with the merchant and the platform.
Often times cricket sellers will compete with one another to have the lowest price which makes you, the consumer, the benefactor among these price wars.
My advice? Check Amazon first if you’re new to buying crickets as you will have many sizes and quantity options to choose from.
Another reason to consider Amazon is for their stellar customer support.
When vendors choose to sell on Amazon, they have to adhere to strict performance metrics such as a low number of complaints if they wish to continue using the platform.
Other reputable online vendors for purchasing crickets online include…
Fluker Farms
Established in 1953, this Louisiana based family business has grown to be one of the biggest suppliers of live insects in the country.
Fluker Farms offers more than simply crickets so you’ll find everything from live insects to plants, vines, and bedding here.
On their website, you can purchase crickets in quantities ranging from just 100 all the way to 5,000+.
Backwater Reptiles
Based out of Northern California, Backwater Reptiles offers 9 different sizes of crickets in quantities of either 500 or 1,000 in addition to free overnight shipping. BW Reptiles also sells a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, and more.
How Many Crickets Should You Buy?
This answer really depends on the age and size of your reptile in addition to the size of the crickets themselves.
Some juvenile reptiles can easily consume approximately 50+ crickets per day but this number will likely change as they grow into healthy adults.
In contrast, an adult bearded dragon will only consume 30-50 crickets per week.
Tips for Buying Live Crickets
The following three tips will help your cricket buying experience go more smoothly! Consider the following…
Have a cricket keeper ready
The first step is knowing the best place to order them from.
After this, you’ll want to get a cricket keeper and then prepare their habitat.
The video below demonstrates how exactly you should setup your cricket feeder.
Consider the Vendors Location
Crickets may die for a handful of reasons, but one of the biggest headaches to deal with is when they arrive dead. Yes, this can happen!
Some of the reasons why this can happen include insufficient ventilation, poor sanitary conditions, and inadequate temperatures, all of which can easily occur during extended transit times.
So, the closer the vendor is to your area the better.
Check for a “Live Guarantee”
Live guarantees from a vendor are simply their promise that the crickets you buy from them will live a certain number of hours or days after receiving them.
Typical guarantees with live crickets are 24 hours after receiving them but some can be as high as 72 hours. Live guarantees will vary based on the season and temperature outside.
Alternatives to Buying Crickets Online
Like I mentioned before, there are many places to purchase crickets. The two alternatives are choosing to buy them locally or raising your own.
Buy them locally
There are advantages to buying them locally such as how quickly you can get them and smaller quantities you can take advantage of.
Search in your area for a reptile shop, Petco, or Petsmart.
Breed and raise your own
Although this may not sound attractive to you at first, you may want to eventually consider breeding your own crickets.
Learning how to breed and raise crickets can significantly reduce your beardie’s grocery bill despite the time commitment.
Breeding crickets especially comes in handy if you own find yourself wanting to own more than one reptile.
Summing Up Where to Buy Live Crickets
With so many great cricket vendors to choose from, your options are practically endless.
At the end of the day this isn’t really a big decision so don’t sweat trying to research them all.
Just pick one so you can get back to spending time with your beardie.