Cricket size - space between eyes

[KendrickLamar]

So everyone days the prey should be no larger than space between their eyes. Are we talking width or length. Because only the smallest crickets fit that criteria, and everywhere I have looked, the crickets come either small or large, and most of the "small" ones length are longer than this criteria, but width is okay. Is there a special place to get really small crickets?

Also, can I feed my dragon thawed previously frozen blueberries as a treat? I have only had him for a few days but he won't eat any vegetation.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....some pet stores don't sell true " small" crickets. The space between the eyes is actual body length, and it's very important for a baby dragon to have cricks that are that size or smaller. There are several companies you can order from....Ghann's, rainbow crickets, Armstrong, Great lakes hornworm and Millbrook. Here is a chart from Millbrook to show sizes. The 1/4" are best for a 5-7" baby beardie.
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwje_qbP5ZLRAhVD9IMKHVunCRoQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.millbrookcrickets.com%2Fc-1-live-crickets.aspx&usg=AFQjCNE1RKjCkUsCZ7KB8RHu-6FV_7XZ-A&sig2=ovF8aFhHwP_RCneLK35Tvg

 

[KendrickLamar]

Thank you! I will order those. How fast do the crickets grow? Should I order some even smaller ones too? It seemed maybe he was having problems with some of the larger "small" sized crickets.

I looked at the awful PetCo enclosure they had the bearded dragons in today. There were enormous crickets in there, and meal worms. They would have sold me meal worms to feed him if they were not out of them. ? I thought meal worms were not good for the babies because of the chitin? And I am not even sure he is 8 weeks old. They told me he was at least two months, but looking at other 8 week old dragons, I don't think so... He is 6.5 inches lo,g, so I am guessing he is 5 to 7 weeks old.

 

[AHBD]

The 1/4" will be plenty small and will not grow so quickly that they'd get too big for your guy because he is almost big enough for the next size up but not quite. You can order 1,000 of the 1/4" from Millbrook for 12.50, but shipping will cost quite a bit if you have them sent overnight. But then you will have enough crickets for close to a month and it will be a saving in the long run.

Mealworms are not a good staple for babies, they can cause impaction and sometimes vomiting. They are O.K as a treat or 1-2X a week for larger dragons but babies can't really thrive on them.

You might look into BSFL as well, but crix are still the most used staple for baby beardies.

 

[Rankins]

You can keep crickets from growing very fast by keeping them a bit cool. The warmer they are the quicker they grow...

 

[KendrickLamar]

But how do I keep 500 to 1000 crickets? I have one small container that I keep them in. We started with 75, many have died in the past two days. I just pulled out about a dozen of the dead crickets... Is there a reasonable cricket alternative?

 

[AHBD]

Small cricket containers are almost useless. Many people use medium sized plastic totes. You can cut a section out of the lid and hot glue screen to it or just leave it without screen, they won't be able to escape for the most part without screen. Use paper towel tubes or cardboard egg crating for them to crawl in , it's easy to manage them that way. Put a shallow plastic lid with a few pieces of various veggies [ check every other day to be sure they're not moldy ] another lid with a wadded up paper towel that is wet for them to drink. One more very small lid with a bit of oat bran . Keep the crickets at room temps. I've kept crickets like that for over 20 years.

The other option is black soldier fly larva, there are several companies that advertise here.

 

[Rankins]

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Hot glue has never worked well for me. I built a frame and stapled the screen to it and then screwed it to the lid.

 

[AHBD]

There, those are good pics of how to set them up. You can use smaller totes than that, and you can cut the hole + leave it without screen if you want.

 

[KendrickLamar]

Thank you for the pics! But I have to ask, is there a downside to using phoenix worms/reptiworms/BSFL in lieu of crickets? Feeding Kenny 3 x's a day, fishing out crickets, dusting them, putting them back after chasing them when they escape, it is taking up most of my day!

 

[Zombiepanda]

I looked at the awful PetCo enclosure they had the bearded dragons in today. There were enormous crickets in there, and meal worms. They would have sold me meal worms to feed him if they were not out of them. ? I thought meal worms were not good for the babies because of the chitin? And I am not even sure he is 8 weeks old. They told me he was at least two months, but looking at other 8 week old dragons, I don't think so... He is 6.5 inches lo,g, so I am guessing he is 5 to 7 weeks old.

Ditto!! They told me Maggie was three months old, putting her now at 6 months old. Yeah not even close!! There's literally no way she is 6 months. So I went back one day recently to grab wax worms and politely "called them" on it and the lady admitted that they are probably closer to a couple weeks(3 weeks she said) at the youngest.

BSL are a great alternative but I could never get mine to eat them so maybe try a small batch first. I switch between dubias and crickets right now depending on what's best available. I also use a big storage tub or a medium sized clear one from the dollar store and they both work perfectly depending on how many I have.

 

[Seagarbage]

If you're interested in a nutritionally-packed feeder that is super easy to keep and breed, there is hope. These guys don't stink, make noise, jump, or bite and are the highest protein content of feeder insects. They also can't climb plastic walls, so they really aren't going anywhere. What am I talking about? Dubia roaches. People get really turned off by the idea of having roaches in the house, and honestly I haven't tried them with my beardie baby yet just because I want to raise them myself, but I would really like to see them become a more popular feeder!

 

[KendrickLamar]

If you're interested in a nutritionally-packed feeder that is super easy to keep and breed, there is hope. These guys don't stink, make noise, jump, or bite and are the highest protein content of feeder insects. They also can't climb plastic walls, so they really aren't going anywhere. What am I talking about? Dubia roaches. People get really turned off by the idea of having roaches in the house, and honestly I haven't tried them with my beardie baby yet just because I want to raise them myself, but I would really like to see them become a more popular feeder!

I have heard they are illegal in my state.

 

[Seagarbage]

If you're interested in a nutritionally-packed feeder that is super easy to keep and breed, there is hope. These guys don't stink, make noise, jump, or bite and are the highest protein content of feeder insects. They also can't climb plastic walls, so they really aren't going anywhere. What am I talking about? Dubia roaches. People get really turned off by the idea of having roaches in the house, and honestly I haven't tried them with my beardie baby yet just because I want to raise them myself, but I would really like to see them become a more popular feeder!

I have heard they are illegal in my state.

What?? Interesting. Also, please tell me you're the real Kendrick, lol

 

[KendrickLamar]

What?? Interesting. Also, please tell me you're the real Kendrick, lol

Hahaha. Sorry, no. The dragon is named Kendrick! I read on another beardie site that they are illegal in two states. Probably because roach infestations are already an issue.