Storing Feeders Temporarily

[kelseyrae]

Hello,
I just got a baby bearded dragon and I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep him fed. I don't particularly want to start a colony of anything. It seems that the cheapest thing to do is order 1000 crickets or dubias online. My question is: how do you store that many insects? What kind of set up do you guys have? I have a small cricket keeper that has been working so far, but only because my dragon has been shedding for the three days that I've had him and has a very low appetite. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

For the 1,000 insect order, I've used a 20g tank with a mesh top. You could use a big rubbermaid bin and cut a hole in the top and tape on some mesh for ventilation. I use cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towels for housing. I feed them scrap veges for hydration and food. There is dry food available at most sites you order from and I keep that on hand to offer them as well. You'll need to clean the bin regularly (at least once or twice per week). I've found that putting down some wood chips (the kind you'd use for a guinea pig) helps to keep the smell down and you can scoop up the old chips to help clean the tank more easily. That's what I did for crickets. For dubia I just let them be and don't need to clean the tank much but I have a colony established. Generally Dubia are more expensive to order in bulk but they are easier to care for and colonize vs the cheaper crickets which are a pain to keep healthy and breed.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I used to buy my crickets from pet shops (before I wised up) and saved all the tubs they came in (in a big box in the shed).

I buy my crickets in bulk by mailorder now, and simply tip them out of the mailing tubes they arrive in (into a 30L tub) and have 8 - 10 old cleaned cricket tubs ready (with a bit egg carton , a bit of raw carrot and maybe 8 - 10 repcal adult beardie pellets in each tub) and suck them up 60 -80 crickets at a time using my BUGBLASTER (see ebay) and simply tip the crickets collected into tubs, the tubs are then stored in a cool room until needed I keep the cricket tubs in a cardboard box.

Works well.