Why are crickets a great feeder option?

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What makes crickets so great and why does every reptile owner buy them?

Crickets are probably the most popular feeder insect for reptile owners.  You can find them in nearly every pet store, and there area a number on insect farms that breed them for reptile (and human!) consumption.  But why are they so popular?  They are not the most nutritious.  Many other feeders are more nutrient rich than crickets.  And there are more user friendly options as well.  Crickets notoriously stink, so it’s best to keep them somewhere other than your home.  And they can bite if you handle them.  So the question still remains, why are crickets such a popular feeder option for reptiles?

Here are the reasons:

• nutritional
  • crickets pack a protein punch, which all reptiles hunt for.  Their muscular bodies are loaded with lean protein, which makes them perfect prey for many popular reptiles.  Their nutrients are not perfect, however.  They have a low amount of fat, and their calcium to phosphorus ratio isn’t perfect.  So they do need to be dusted.  But most insectivorious reptiles need a feeder that is 30-60% of protein, and that is high in fat content (40-70%).  Crickets fit this profile pretty well with a body composition of 66% protein and 22% body fat.  The extra protein makes them excellent for young bearded dragons who are looking to grow quickly.
• affordability
  • crickets are the most affordable feeder insect.  We sell 1000 crickets, any size, for $25 and free shipping.  Roaches are treasured by many reptile owners, but you can get nearly 10x the amount of crickets that you can get for roaches.  1000 small roaches will cost $75.  Which is obvious to see why crickets are a better value.  Superworms are better priced than roaches, but they too are more expensive than crickets.  1000 large superworms are $36 with free shipping.  And even though superworms and roaches are slightly better nutritionally, you’ll still need to gut load and  dust both superworms and roaches.  But don’t be dissuaded, because all reptiles enjoy a varied and diverse diet.
• abundance
  • Crickets are prolific breeders, which means there is always a cricket supplier ready to unload crickets of any size and quantity.  Roaches usually take about 6 months to grow from their egg into an adult.  And superworms can take 1 year!  Crickets will only need about 2-4 weeks.  So crickets, despite their nutritional downside, are generally readily available.

Crickets are not the only feeder option available – but they are the most popular.  Roaches, superworms and black soldier fly larva are all popular as well and can be found on our storefront.  But by a large margin, crickets are the most preferred feeder on the insect market.

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