Food Question

[BPGuy]

We've been feeding our juvenile beardie small crickets; however, he seems to be going through them at a very rapid pace (went through 50 in about two days and went through 100 in about three or four days). We've been purchasing the crickets from Petsmart at 11 cents each, and I was wondering whether we would be better off purchasing the crickets online. If so, what online retailer do you recommend for crickets?

In reading through the non-rodent feeder forum, I notice a lot of recommendations for dubias instead of crickets. Is the general consensus here that dubias are better (both in terms of for the beardie, as well as ease of maintaining) than crickets? If so, do you have a recommendation as to where I can buy the dubias, as well as whatever equipment I will need to house them?

Thanks in advance for helping out this beardie newbie.

[Mike41793]

Dubias are a million times easier than crickets. And they don't smell at all!

You'll need a plastic tub to house them in, a food dish, and a water dish. And some egg crates or paper towel rolls for them to hide in. If you keep them warmer they breed more prolifically so maybe a heat pad or piece of flexwatt too. Start up cost for all that would be under $30. You can get all that at Walmart and get the flex Watt online or a heat pad at a pet store.

I'd recommend getting them from Creature Addiction or BFE pets and supply.



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[jclaiborne]

Ya our beardie used to chomp through soo many crickets, we started feeding super worms, wax worms, meal worms and dubias and now he wants nothing to do with crickets. I would love to start a dubia colony, I just gotta convince the wife first, she doesn't like the idea of growing roaches.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Dubias are better for many reasons

• 1 More protein compare to Crickets
• 2 A lot cleaner, crickets stinks really bad.
• 3 Crickets tend to die off very easily Dubias do not
• 4 Crickets will cannibalize each other, Dubias do not
• 5 Crickets will jump out & escape, you do not have that problem with Dubia if kept properly.

Here is how I keep mine,





A tub, and egg cartons are all you need.

They are kept in the snake room it’s perfect for them, if you can’t do that you can use a heat pad such as this http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultrath...ter-uth-6-x-23 to provide temps in the upper 80’s low 90's.

For food I use a variety

This http://www.ebay.com/itm/321294013547...84.m1439.l2649 + this http://www.ebay.com/itm/310727822073...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Or this alone http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/r...ug-burger.html (food and water all in one)

And I feed my left over geckos food as well.

[BPGuy]

Dubias are a million times easier than crickets. And they don't smell at all!

You'll need a plastic tub to house them in, a food dish, and a water dish. And some egg crates or paper towel rolls for them to hide in. If you keep them warmer they breed more prolifically so maybe a heat pad or piece of flexwatt too. Start up cost for all that would be under $30. You can get all that at Walmart and get the flex Watt online or a heat pad at a pet store.

I'd recommend getting them from Creature Addiction or BFE pets and supply.



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Thanks. I tried finding Creature Addiction and BFE online, but didn't have any luck. I ended up ordering 100 from buydubiaroaches.com and am about to order some breeders from abdragons.com. Will try to let you all know how it goes.

[Mike41793]

Thanks. I tried finding Creature Addiction and BFE online, but didn't have any luck. I ended up ordering 100 from buydubiaroaches.com and am about to order some breeders from abdragons.com. Will try to let you all know how it goes.

That's surprising they didn't have any, considering they both breed them fairly large scale. Weird

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[kir.davis]

This will sound weird but will Dubias bite your lizard? I have a crested gecko and I tried my first feeding with crickets today and one of the crickets kept attacking my gecko even though I used the bug burger gut load for 2 days prior. I had to rescue my poor gecko. Also Dubia freak me out less than crickets which I also find more appealing.

[PitOnTheProwl]

This will sound weird but will Dubias bite your lizard? I have a crested gecko and I tried my first feeding with crickets today and one of the crickets kept attacking my gecko even though I used the bug burger gut load for 2 days prior. I had to rescue my poor gecko. Also Dubia freak me out less than crickets which I also find more appealing.

You need crested gecko diet, this is the main part of their diet.

[kir.davis]

You need crested gecko diet, this is the main part of their diet.

Thanks, I already use cgd as the staple for my gecko. I was asking if Dubias will bite my lizard like a cricket when I give my gecko extra nutrition 1-2 times a week.

[bumblebee1028]

Thanks, I already use cgd as the staple for my gecko. I was asking if Dubias will bite my lizard like a cricket when I give my gecko extra nutrition 1-2 times a week.

I have never heard of a dubia biting. They aren't aggressive, and they'll even play dead. They are much slower than crickets, too, so they would probably be easier for your gecko to catch.