Monthly cost to feed? $$$

[graceface]

Hope this isn't invasive... :silent:

I'm curious to see about how much everyone spends monthly on their ADULT beardies?

Right now in my Mulberry Farms shopping cart I have 100 dubias, 250 supers, 10 silks with food, and 500 phoenix worms for a grand total of 70$ after shipping!!!

I mean I knew this would be expensive but that is literally how much I spend on myself for eating out every month!

I know that the supers last long, and I can store the phoenix worms for longer in a wine cooler so obviously this should (?) last longer than a month.

And I haven't even gone to get greens from my local Whole Foods yet. :lol:

I also have the option of buying smaller amounts of buggies local for a little more expensive but at least no shipping cost. I will probably do this in the beginning just so I have an idea of how much I'll feed and need without having 700+ bugs in my house to juggle lol.

So if you don't mind me asking, what do you guys tend to spend on food for your babies?

I'm going to breed silks to save a little money, but I can't save money with a dubia colony right now because it took all of my smooth talking to my roommates just to have a hundred dubias in a small cup. :roll:

 

[Taterbug]

I spend about 20$ a month ($5 a week on greens). I breed my own feeders (silks and dubia) at this point, except for super-worms. Those get I get in lots of 100-500 at the area reptile show every few months and its 5-10$ for that. The supers last months if kept well.

If you live in the southern US you could try culturing your own soldier fly larvae. I want to try that this summer when its warmer.

Shipping is a pain =\

 

[graceface]

We only get a reptile show once a year. The local shops charge something like 20 for 100 roaches. I'll have to consider the soldier flies! That might be a good idea

 

[Taterbug]

We only get a reptile show once a year. The local shops charge something like 20 for 100 roaches. I'll have to consider the soldier flies! That might be a good idea

Ouch. They are pretty pricy at the show too (dubia) which always shocks me cause once you get them breeding it's like... well roaches.

Check out "biopod" there are diy ones too. Makes it look easy. I want to build one and try it out.

 

[graceface]

If you end up building one before me you'll have to let me know how it works out

I think I'll only get dubias every so often until I move out and can breed them on my own. Until then I'll stick with the worms.

 

[nicbez]

I've noticed that as my beardie has gotten older I spend way less on food than I did while he was still growing. He eats mostly veggies, so I might buy a pond of collards or mustard greens and yellow squash while it's in season. We don't spray our yard either so occasionally i pick dandelion greens too. SO maybe around $5 a week on greens and maybe $10 on worms.