So I have two baby bearded dragons and feed them regularly, but I am getting tired of buying crickets. I would like to feed them other live bugs but I live in Phoenix and theres only two pet stores here ... Petsmart and Petco. Petsmart only sells crickets and mealworms. Petco has crickets, mealworms, and waxworms but they are usually full of half-dead ones, and they r small containers. Are there are websites or other petstores I'm unaware of that sell good-quality live bugs for my lizards? I'd like silkworms or waxworms, or something else ... anything but mealworms
Any local petstore will do for crickets. Feeding them waxworms and such is good for treats, but their primary diet should consist of crickets (aside from some veggies here and there). Try googling your area and then search for pet stores near your location, small private businesses like Pratt's Pets can be good suppliers of crickets and such. I had this problem too, as I did not want to buy crickets from a large chain like petsmart. Good luck on feeding your dragons, keep up the veggies and the gut-loaded crickets!
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And in regards to the first two who responded: Get off your high horses, please. She used the term "would like" twice, and did not talk about what she "wanted" at all, except to say that she did not want to buy a box full of dead crickets from Petco. To say that it seems like this is "all about her" (and not the dragons) tells me that you did not read what she said and you had a bit of fun jumping to conclusions. It sounds to me like she wanted to give them some variety while finding a better place to buy crickets (which she also said she never intended to stop doing).
Your responses were very rude and you might want to save the ranting for the people who deserve it (like those who keep betta fish in tiny jars, for example). I'm all for educating those who irresponsibly take on pets and do not take care of them, but this does not seem like the case here. And even if it was, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Thank you and have a pleasant tomorrow.
Buying bugs offline is a great option , even for buying crickets; you can get them cheaper and there is better variety than you can get at most pet stores. Some good feeder insects to look for are: phoenix worms, silk worms, horn worms, dubia roaches, and red-lobster roaches. Here's some sites for feeder insects to try:
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com http://www.mulberryfarms.com/ http://www.phoenixworm.com/servlet/Store ... http://www.greatlakeshornworm.com/index. ... http://www.nyworms.com/roaches.htm
Hey, no one mentioned that you can try, have to order them online probably, but there are phoenix worms, they are high in calcium, and beardies are supposed to really love them. I hate crickets too, but for now it is what it is, its to bad people can't read, oh and i feed my beardie meal worms regularly, and he has no problems, he is a twice a day pooper. just Google phoenix worms and you will get alot of options.
good luck.
I see the words "baby" and "waxworms" too many times in this article. Crickets are what babies should be eating, it doesn't matter what you like. You need to do more research before buying any food to begin with. Silk and waxworms are to be treated like ... well treats. They're high in fat, and don't have much "gut value (nutrition)". Only adults should be eating them . A babies diet should consist of about 80% protein (mostly from crickets), and 20% vegetation (dark greens, fruits, veggies). For an adult this is switched, but you don't have adults.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You're going to have to stick with crickets for your Beardies, whether you like it or not. If you're tired of buying them often than you can either order a large box of the offline (get 1000 or two rather than 200) , or you can breed crickets. Either way you're going to have to get over your dislike of purchasing crickets, becasue that's what a baby Beardie needs to grow healthy and strong.
And do a little research of the diets of Bearded Dragons, for their sake.
I agree with Fluffballs answer. When they're babies bearded dragons should not eat meal worms and wax worms as often as yours seem to. Wax worms are very very fattening and mealworms can lead to impaction, which can quickly lead to death. I have a 3 year old bearded dragon, and I only feed him meal worms very rarely, once a month or less, and wax worms about once every few weeks . The rest of the time he has crickets. I admit, going up to the pet shop every week to buy them isn't exactly fun but it has to be done.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Honestly, you need to stop thinking about what you want. The bearded dragons need crickets, and you can't stop buying them because you're bored with buying them. They may seem boring to you, but bearded dragons cannot decide they fancy something better ... It's in their instinct to eat anything they get. Survival of the fittest.
