availability reptile supplies and stores in my area (rant)

[sweetcheeks]

Ok, so we live near probably the 2nd biggest city in kentucky. Lexington, its about a 20 min drive for us dependin on where we wanna go. Well I just moved here about 4 months ago. Until I found this forum, We knew nothing about all the different things you can do, its really unlimited to how you can cage, feed etc....

We were going on solely on what petco said when we first got him/her. Ok fine, so the only place that sells frozen mice in our area is petsmart. It costs me 11.00 for 6 frozen fuzzies etc. If I go up in size to a bigger mouse, ill get less quantity which means more money, more trips to the store.

I want to get what he needs but dang, its like breaking fort knox to feed him this way. But I posted on here about frozen's from the web and someone said the frozens can get freezer burned if in the freezer too long. But yet the only way to get them off the net is too order extremely large quantities, which is fine since i know some of you guys feed like larger quantities of snakes. But it seems the one snake home is screwed.

So we went to the local reptile expo today that they have once per month. This is the first expo ive ever been to, but i wasnt thrilled. There was a guy there selling frozen but he doesnt sell individually wrapped or smaller quantities. Not only that, but there was not very many ball pythons for sale and most were only normal balls. I'm not knocking corn lovers or even people with kingsnakes, cause to each is there own with what they like, but dang, there were tons of these, if I counted the amount of balls in that expo it probably be like 12 to 15 at the most.


The only place that I have found to shop locally is petsmart which we all know they are limited. There is guy that just open up about an hour away, but he's not started selling frozen yet. Hopefully soon.


I guess im just in a bad mood and need to complain lol so please over look me

[dr del]

Hi,


Well I think frozen miceicles should last about 6 months in a good home freezer if you keep them well bagged etc.

So that works out at between 26 - 36 mice depending on your feeding schedule I think **takes socks off to check**.

It might be worth checking around the various suppliers and seeing how much it would cost you to order the mix of sizes you think you will need in the next 4-6 months (say 15 hopper mice and 10 small adults ?) and if they think they could get them to you still frozen.

Smaller bulk does tend to defrost quicker but they should be able to tell you before you order.

If they think it is a good idea then make plans to try it if you can but make sure you have enough food to tide you over if they turn up as stinky mush.

Hopefully the most you can lose is $30-$40 and some time.


dr del

[mainbutter]

I can sympathize. It took me a little bit to find what I believe is the ONLY ball python breeder in minnesota(at least, the only one with a website), and also I believe the only true reptile supply store in MN as well. Luckily it's only about a 15 minute drive away. I wish there was more variety so I could shop around a bit, but at least I can use online retailers for anything I need other than feeders.

If it's costing you nearly $2 a piece for frozen fuzzies, and even more for something bigger(how much more expensive are bigger feeders? lots, or like $0.25?).. I remember when I had a corn snake in Alaska I was paying $5 per feed for a few weeks when my feeder supplier had some issues with his colony and I had to go to a different place. I was lucky enough to be able to find a more affordable place not that much later. You might look into the possibility of having a small breeding group of mice, rats, or ASFs. I know that eventually I'll want to breed my own feeders.

[JLC]

Well, I drive 45+ minutes each way...once a week...to get mice for my snakes. I try to combine other errands in the same area on the same trip to make it a little more economical...but it still sucks. But sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do. It's more than worth it to me.

[mainbutter]

ouch JLC, I wonder how much that costs per feeder animal when you include gas prices??

[Lunawf]

i totally know who you feel...there is one shop here and its petco...i did get lucky and find a breeder that is willing to sell me mice if i need them...and last night at petco...the lady almost did not sell me my mouse cause of what i was doing. I told her that is what they sell them for...for pets and for feeders...it is no her personal decision to decide what petco sells and does not sell and when they are used for...if she was not going to sell it to me i wanted to talk to the manager. she sold it to me. and i totaly understand an animal lover...i love mice...i use to have several..but i had to do what i had to do cause my bp was not going to eat a f\t...
and the petco here does not carry crap.....I totaly feel your pain....

[sweetcheeks]

well until he stops eating f/t, thats what he's going to continue to get. I dont want to deal with the pain of a live mouse and having to kill it and keep them in cages etc... i just dont have the room...

if it gets to the point where he will no longer eat frozen... then that may change until then its frozen regardless of how i have to get them.

But what makes me so irritated about it is, this is the 2nd biggest city in kentucky....... why on earth does no one sell frozen??? other than petsmart.

I think what we are going to do is go through rodent pro and order 50 large mice, they are individually wrapped so less chance of freezer burn if you bust open a big pack of 50 mice, it will be cheaper in the long run as long as they dont ruin. If they get to the point all i gotta do is place an ad on craigs list to sell them i suppose.

[rishnack]

well until he stops eating f/t, thats what he's going to continue to get. I dont want to deal with the pain of a live mouse and having to kill it and keep them in cages etc... i just dont have the room...

if it gets to the point where he will no longer eat frozen... then that may change until then its frozen regardless of how i have to get them.

But what makes me so irritated about it is, this is the 2nd biggest city in kentucky....... why on earth does no one sell frozen??? other than petsmart.

I think what we are going to do is go through rodent pro and order 50 large mice, they are individually wrapped so less chance of freezer burn if you bust open a big pack of 50 mice, it will be cheaper in the long run as long as they dont ruin. If they get to the point all i gotta do is place an ad on craigs list to sell them i suppose.

your gonna have to breed snakes and sell em to your neighbors then they,ll need frozen and the demand will go up so the supplly goes up and prices drop and your makin money selling snakes wich pays for your frozen !! im tellin you its a win win !

[uafgrad]

Count yourself lucky

I have one supply store in town in which the owner and head sales guy told me that he would never have a BP in his store because they grow to 10 ft and potentially can kill a person. ( I told him 4' is common, and he wanted to argue) The rest of the conversation only was more bizzare

The other option is PETCO. The other day when I went in they had 0 CHE's and 0 UTH's

[simplechamp]

I would have to drive a few hours to get to a Petsmart/Petco. People complain about those places, and I know they aren't great, but you take them for granted. For the most part you can get a F/T feeders or other required items at decent prices.

One local pet shop wants $3 a piece for "jumbo adult mice" which in reality are barely hoppers. The other shop is filthy, and another member here, who lives in my area, told me at one point they had a chameleon, a BP, and a box turtle all in the same terrarium. (Or it may have been an iguana, and some type of other tortoise, but you get the idea.)

I would like to support the mom and pop shops but they make it very difficult, at least in my town. Between the lack of selection, exorbitant prices on what they do carry, and the one shop being disheveled, dirty, and having horrible husbandry I would much rather order online. It's pretty sad when having stuff shipped from Tampa to Upper Michigan is still cheaper than buying local.

In an emergency situation I might have to buy local, but that would probably be it. I do feel bad about this, and I know that the little guys can't price like the big chains and still make money, but ultimately I have to look out for number one.