Live Crickets For Sale - Free Shipping

Shop for Crickets Buying live crickets is a great option for geckos, dragons, and chickens.  We have millions of live crickets available to purchase any time of the year. We can fulfill orders as small as 250, or as large at 100,000 at any given time. Our live House Crickets and Banded Crickets are soft bodied, and wingless, making them easy to digest for all of your bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and other cricket-eating pets.   If you have a cricket preference (Banded or House crickets), please let us know in the instructions in the check out page, and we will ship you the desired cricket species.  How do we ship Live Crickets? When the temps are low, crickets are packaged and shipped with a heat pack.  When the temps are high, we will use our ventilated packages to increase air flow.  When you request them to be held for pick up, we will ship with the post office.  The climate, season, state, and even the carrier all play an important role in deciding how to safely ship your order.   How do you package your crickets & how should I store them? - Video Tutorial   Learn how to unpack and store crickets on our YouTube channel. Here are a few pointers you'll want to keep in mind after getting your crickets in the mail: Keep them in a tall, plastic storage bin.  If you're breeding crickets, then space is important.  Consider a 14 gallon bin, for a colony of 500-1000.  But if you're just trying to store them as feeder crickets, then a 5 gallon bucket will be fine. Your cricket enclosure will require air flow.  So avoid using a lid.   If breeding, use vermiculite as a bedding material.  A cricket colony can quickly create an unpleasant odor.  However, using something absorbent can help reduce the odor.  Vermiculite is the most popular.  But peat moss a good alternative. The best temperatures is 80 degrees F for an active colony of bulk crickets.  So Florida and Louisiana residents will find it easy to order crickets year-around.  While other states, like Pennsylvania, could be more challenging in the winter months. Crickets need a lot of water.  Provide a dish of water that is shallow enough that crickets won't drown.  An alternative is to use soft, juicy fruits like oranges or watermelon.  The fruits will also provide a natural source of nutrition.  But please be mindful - if you are feeding them to your bearded dragon, citrus can cause health issues. They will also need wheat or grain.  Grainy bread is excellent.  Or you can offer them corn meal, bran, and other type of ground feed from a feed store.     When do you ship? The details of our shipping schedule can be found in our Shipping FAQ's guide. In general, we try to ship between Monday and Wednesday every week.  If you are a Florida or Pennsylvania resident, we will often ship Thursdays as well.  Unfortunately, there are sometimes exceptions that prevent this from happening: Extremely cold temps in your area. Global pandemics (we're looking at you Covid) Carrier Delays Insect harvest anomalies Federal holidays Where do you ship from? We have multiple locations and ship from Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Florida.  Having multiple locations allows us to provide better service to our customers.  Generally, your order will ship from the location nearest to your delivery address.  This helps reduce transit times.  But if the weather down south is too hot, we can ship from Pennsylvania where temps may be cooler.  Or if temps up north are too cold, we can ship from our southern locations to limit cold exposure.   Which shipping carriers do you use? We ship with UPS, FedEx, and the post office.  If you have a preference, you may state in the comment section on the checkout page which carrier you prefer.  All shipping is free regardless of which carrier you choose. Are they guaranteed? Yes.  We have a conditional live delivery guarantee on all live insect orders.  If there is anything wrong with your order after you receive them, please email us at contact@thecritterdepot.com and we will promptly resolve the issue. Cricket Buyer's Guide Which size cricket should I buy? The rule of thumb is the size of your crickets should be equal to the distance between your pets' eyes: If you're trying to grow your own cricket colony, age will always be a consideration.  So here's how each cricket size correlates with their age: Pinhead - 1-2 days old.  They are about the size of an ant, and are a very soft bodied for baby dragons, geckos, and poison dart frogs. 1/8" - About 5 days old.  Very soft bodies for young reptiles and amphibians. 1/4" - 7 days old.  Still soft bodied.  3/8" - 10-12 days old.  This is when the crickets begin to reach sexual maturity.  They will begin breeding and laying eggs at this age.   1/2" - 3 weeks old.  They are considered "medium" by most vendors. 5/8" - 3 1/2 weeks old.  These are the most popular size. 3/4" - 4 weeks old. Adult - 5 weeks old.  At this age, the crickets' exoskeleton becomes pretty coarse and hard to digest.  These sizes aren't typically used as feeders for pets.  They are better suited as fish bait.   How Many Live Crickets Should I Buy for My Pet? Our cricket feeder guide lets you know how many crickets to feed your pet.  Younger pets need more protein than older pets.  And different species need to eat a different amount of crickets.  We cover bearded dragons, leopard geckos, chameleons, scorpions, tarantulas, and chickens. How to Gutload My Crickets Gutloading isn't as violent as it sounds.  What's involved is feeding your crickets good, healthy, nutritional foods.  And those nutritional foods that you're feeding your crickets, will then be passed onto your bearded dragon, leopard gecko, or other beloved pet.   Cricket's Nutritional Value    Moisture (%) Protein (%) Fat (%) Fiber (%) Calcium (g/kg) Phosphorus (g/kg) Superworms 58 47 42 8 1.2 8.3 Crickets 70 66 22 12 2.1 7.8 Pinhead Crickets 77 66 22 12 2.1 7.8 BSFL 61 45 36 8 24 9.2 Dubia Roaches 61 46 24 8 5.8 5.9   Crickets vs. Dubia Roaches - Video Protein Fat Fiber Calcium (g/kg) Phosphorus (g/kg) Crickets 66% 22% 12% 2.1 7.8 Dubia Roaches 46% 24% 8% 5.8 5.9 Based on the chart, both crickets and dubia roaches offer the preferred amount of protein for helathy reptiles and amphibians.  But, they both are known to be lean protein sources.  So they don't hit the mark for fat content.  If using crickets or dubias as staple feeders, it's recommended to use superworms as supplemental food sources due to their high fat content. Most reptile owners know that their pets need calcium.  But one mineral that they often overlook is that they also need phosphorus.  Phosphorus helps the reptile digest the calcium, allowing their bones to absorb it.  Experts recommend a 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.   Dubia roaches beat out crickets in this category.  They offer a 1:1 ratio, which still doesn't hit the mark.  So, just like crickets, they will need to be dusted with calcium powder to so your pet can reach the mineral requirement. Crickets (especially older crickets) have more fiber than dubia roaches.  This makes them slightly more difficult to digest.  So although the dubia roaches are easier for them to digest, crickets still have a low enough amount of fiber for many reptiles and amphibians to consume.  Crickets vs. Superworms - Video Protein Fat Fiber Calcium (g/kg) Phosphorus (g/kg) Crickets 66% 22% 12% 2.1 7.8 Superworms 47% 42% 8% 1.2 8.3   Both superworms and crickets hit that recommended sweet spot for protein content for reptiles and amphibians.  Crickets do have an edge with 66% protein, which makes them great for younger pets.  Superworms are good too, but they really shine with their fat content.  At 42%, a superworms offers the preferred amount of fat, and should be used as a supplemental feeder. Both crickets and superworms need to be dusted with calcium powder.  Neither offers the preferred 2:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio.  So if you're using crickets or superworms as your main source of food, then be sure to dust them for the health and safety of your pet.  Superworms will be slightly easier to digest.  However, younger crickets will be easy to digest as well.  So either crickets or superworms are good option, and shouldn't be dismissed due to digestibility.  Crickets vs. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) Protein Fat Fiber Calcium (g/kg) Phosphorus (g/kg) Crickets 66% 22% 12% 2.1 7.8 BSFL 45% 36% 8% 24 9.2   Crickets may be the most popular feeder insect for bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and every other reptile and amphibians.  But that doesn't mean they are the best.  That title is awarded to the black soldier fly larvae, especially compared to crickets. BSFL hit the sweet spot for protein for young, growing pets.  Their fat content is a little light, but still providing more than crickets and dubia roaches.  And their fiber content is 33% lower than crickets, which makes them slightly easier to digest. But what makes BSFL a spectacular (and possibly the best) feeder is their calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.  We all know that calcium is an important mineral for reptiles.  But what is ofter overlooked is the phosphorus.  Phosphorus helps the reptile digest the calcium, so it can be properly absorbed into the bones.  However, many feeders, including crickets, have too much phosphorus, which neutralizes the calcium.  And this is the reason why crickets need to be dusted.  But not BSFL.  BSFL are naturally a great source of calcium, which means they don't need to be dusted.  So although crickets are popular, the black soldier fly larvae is a superior feeder. Crickets vs. Mealworms Protein Fat Fiber Calcium (g/kg) Phosphorus (g/kg) Crickets 66% 22% 12% 2.1 7.8 Mealworms 50% 31% 8% 1.2 14.2   Mealworms and crickets are two of the most popular feeders insects for reptiles.  But looking under the hood, it's clear that mealworms don't offer the same mineral count that your reptiles desire.  Mostly, their phosphorus levels are too high, and calcium too low.  This is a poor combination.  And if a pet is fed a diet of solely mealworms, that pet is at risk of calcium deficiency, which can lead to metabolic bone disease.  So be sure to dust your mealworms, and also offer a varied diet for your pet. Additional Cricket and Feeder Insect Resources How do I breed crickets so I don't need to order them? You can learn how to breed crickets on our YouTube Channel. Breeding crickets can be fun, easy, and very very exciting.  And yes, if everyone started breeding their own, we'd probably go out of business.  But none the less, if you want to breed your own crickets, we want to make sure all the information is available for a successful colony.  Because whether you buy from us, or grow your own, what's important is making sure your beloved pets are getting the nutrition they need. So here's a step by step guide on how to start breeding your own crickets: Container - The first move is to have 2 plastic tubs about the size of a recycling bin.  1 tub will be enough for 500 crickets to breed.  The purpose for having 2 is because you'll be rotating crickets.  So make sure you have 2 tubs to start. Don't Use a Lid - These tubs come with lids.  And you'll probably want to grab the lids when you purchase the tubs.  However, do not use the lids.  It is critical that crickets get adequate air flow.  This helps prevent odors, and a stressful living environment.  Crickets won't breed in stressful environments.  So instead of using a lid, you can line the top of the tub with a screen from a home improvement store. Bedding - The crickets won't do well in the container with only plastic.  So you'll want to line it with bedding.  There are numerous bedding materials available.  However, vermiculite is proven to be one of the best.  It can control odor, and prevent bacteria growth.  So what you'll need to do is line to the bottom of your container with about 1-2 inches of vermiculite.   Interior Smaller Egg Tray - 2 week old crickets (3/8") will begin to procreate.  The female crickets will need a separate container filler with top soil to lay their eggs.  This separate container will fit in the bottom of the main container, it will need to be filled with top soil.  The female crickets will fill this egg container in about 2 weeks with little oblong eggs.  After 2 weeks, you'll want to relocate this container into another container exactly the way as step #1.   And once you've gone through the cycle, you can start consistently raising your own crickets.   Why Do My Crickets Keep Dying? Live crickets are hearty, prolific breeders, and relatively durable.  However, sometimes breeding them can have undesired outcomes that leads to your cricket colony dying.  Here are some common reasons your crickets are dying: Temperatures Crickets will do best between 75 and 80 degree temperatures.  If your habitat drops below 75 degrees, then you'll need to provide a heat source for your crickets.  Heat lamps are normally the easiest to set up.   Your crickets are also likely to perish if the temps exceed 95 degrees.  Younger crickets handle high temps much better than older crickets.  But keep in mind, if you har trying to breed crickets, they will be more fertile if the temps hover around 90 degrees. We find that our Florida facility has the easiest time raising crickets.  And it's due to the consistently warm temperatures.  Cold temps make it more challenging to ship live crickets.  So we find that Florida, Louisiana, and other southern states have a higher success rate when it comes to getting their crickets delivered in the mail. Overcrowding This may be a surprise, but overcrowding crickets can stress them out, and cause them to fight and die.  We ship them in enclosed packages, which does stress them out.  However, the transit is so short that it doesn't have permanent effects.  And also, we're not trying to breed crickets in mail, so there is a different objective.   When breeding crickets, it's important to provide them with enough space.   Otherwise, they will become cannibals and the older crickets will eat the younger crickets. Malnutrition  There are a lot of synthetic orange feeding cubes on the market.  These cubes are marketed as a food source for crickets.  In our studies, we discovered that those orange cubes can actually poison the crickets with an over-abundance of vitamins.  Fresh slices of fruits and vegetables ar