Breeding Again!?

[PeekABoo]

I have a dilemma I just wanted to share. I bred for the first time last spring. The eggs that I hatched were 100% hatch rate so I had 34 wonderful hatchlings. These babies were a dream to care for. Easier than my own adults. The problem is I'm from Canada and we are having what I like to call the cricket crisis. Crickets became more and more expensive as the babies grew and now my amazing supplier is suffering the with the densovirus as well.

My dilemma is, I supplied a locale pet store who cares for the babies really well. He was so happy with my little ones he is begging for more. He has had no trouble selling all the babies I supplied him in quick time and informed me everyone loved them and was amazed at how easy they were to handle. So the problem is, I would like to breed again as this owner wants me to be his regular supplier, but what do I do for food. Surely the disease is around my own house as I have received crickets from my supplier who cannot breed crickets any longer. So what do I do for food? Crickets are hard to come by and I'm sure most of you have seen the article about it on the home page. Roaches are out of the question. I can't imagine one getting loose in my house and it's likely to happen accidently as many other escapees have been found around the house and I'm sure your all familiar with this.

I just hate how my hardwork was so appreciated and I want to provide more healthy babies to happy families. I enjoyed breeding so much. What to do?

 

[Vacren]

Check out Blapika (sp) Dubia roaches. They can't climb, fly, or make noise. Even if one got loose in your house, they are tropical insects and couldn't survive to infest. A bit of packing tape around the top of a 40gal plastic tote will prevent escape and they breed like... roaches. You could potentially be self sustaining and supplying your local pet store within a couple months, easily before you had any beardies hatch. Good luck.

This post really belongs on the "Feeders" board.

 

[PeekABoo]

Thank you,

I always seem to think of things in the wrong way when it comes to topics. I think I will have to try that.

Melissa

 

[Vacren]

That last comment was more for the moderator than you.

 

[jharris08]

i would just caution you to not breed the female more than once per year...i.e wait until spring again until you breed her...a good female should lay 4 or 5 clutches potentially giving you up to a 100 viable eggs, which should be all you can handle for the entire summer season.
just dont want your female to get stressed b/c of overbreeding

 

[PeekABoo]

I understand completely. I actually don't plan on breeding her again at all. I have another healthy female that I may try. If I get brave enough to breed roaches that is. Either way I want to wait. I'm just going to take it slow. I'd rather do it right. I don't wanna get in over my head.