I Can't Stand These Crickets!

My beardie is about 6" long from nose to tail tip. I've been feeding him baby chricktes but I can't stand the way they crawl all over him. Is that normal? Do dubia's do that too? I would switch him in a heartbeat if they don't.

Crickets suck.
With feeding a small bearded dragon I offer one at a time two or three times a day and only offer as many as he'll eat. As soon as he stops eating I take out the extra cricket and save it for his next meal.

Okay so offer him 1 at a time? What about the dubias? What are they like to handle? How do you transfer them from their cage to his? I don't want to touch them. lol

Dubias are much better food for beardies. Crickets left in the cage can bite, Dubias will not.

Once you get used to dubias, touching them is no big deal. If you are queezy, then just transfer the dubias in a deli cup and drop them in.

We use tongs with our roaches, I dont like them touching me.

sent from my EVO

Tongs? Cups? Thats good to know. I looked them up on line and they remind me of what we used to call "Roley Poleys" I would like to buy them locally but do I need to go to a reptile store or can I get them at Petco/petsmart?

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Originally Posted by enchantress62

Tongs? Cups? Thats good to know. I looked them up on line and they remind me of what we used to call "Roley Poleys" I would like to buy them locally but do I need to go to a reptile store or can I get them at Petco/petsmart?

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None of the petstores around me carry them, I breed my own. Its surprisingly easy and we sell off the extras for some side cash.

Oh and the babies look like pill bugs, rollie pollies, but the adults are HUGE!

sent from my EVO

I have never seen them in any stores, only online breeders and shows. I drop mine in from the egg carton and he will normally lunge for them sometimes taking the carton out of my hand.

Check fauna classifieds, ebay, and i order mine from Philly feeders because they get here next day, but will survive a few days in transit.

I doubt Petsmart/Petco sells them and it'll cost you an arm and a leg if they do. A reptile specialty store would be a better bet. If not, there are plenty of reputable sellers online who can ship a small amount to your door for a very reasonable price.

I found a website called Roach Cafe which not only sells the dubias but also sells starter kits for breeding them. The reptile store I frequent also sells them at $4 a dozen. I have a 10g aquarium with clip on top. Is that ok for housing them or do I need something else?

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Originally Posted by enchantress62

I found a website called Roach Cafe which not only sells the dubias but also sells starter kits for breeding them. The reptile store I frequent also sells them at $4 a dozen. I have a 10g aquarium with clip on top. Is that ok for housing them or do I need something else?

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$4 a dozen?? Holy expensive!

You could house several dozen in that. Stack some egg crates vertically to give them some hiding places.

It really is cheaper to breed your own. We have ours on a rubbermaid tote with a screened hole on the lid. We feed high protein chicken feed and use water crystals. They are pretty low maintenance and can't climb the plastic.

sent from my EVO

Yea seems like breeding them is the way to go. How long does it take for them to start having babies? I'm trying to understand how many I should buy to start a colony.

The nymphs take 3-6 months to reach adult size. Females will have approx. 30 babies every 30 days. Males can live up to 12 months, females up to 24.