Virus Paralyzes Crickets and Pet Food Industry

[Vicious_Fish]

Virus Paralyzes Crickets and Pet Food Industry


http://www.livescience.com/animals/etc/110112-virus-paralyzes-crickets-and-pet-food-industry.html

I thought I'd share this with everyone in case they were wondering why sometimes they have trouble finding crickets.

 

[Cookie*]

I love to feed my cichlid live bugs, but always worry about him getting something from bred insects in stores. I recently fed him crickets and he came down with ich a week later. I don't think there was any relation to the crickets and ich, but it just reminded me how fast things can change. Flightless flies are all good and stuff, but way too small for a 12" fish, and anytime I find waxworms locally they are dead or look like crap.

Does anyone know of any good live insect sites, reputable? I would love to find clean, larger high-protein bugs. Does anyone use bait/tackle stores to buy live worms for their aquarium fish?

 

[Vicious_Fish]

^ Start a Dubia Roach colony. You'll never have to buy feeders again. My fish love'm.

 

[longislandfish]

I was doing really well buying Earthworms from Walmart for a while but now in the Cold season all the Walmarts in Long Island seem to have stopped carrying them at the moment.

 

[David Tobler]

That virus showed up about a year ago.. I think most of the cricket dealers have recovered their colonies since then.

 

[dogofwar]

Red wigglers are the answer. Google "red wiggler culture" to learn more.

Matt

 

[krichardson]

Does anyone know of any good live insect sites, reputable? I would love to find clean, larger high-protein bugs. Does anyone use bait/tackle stores to buy live worms for their aquarium fish?

Try Komodorepiles.com

 

[ozz465]

Im glad i started a few roach colonies .Try therocachguy.com for a good place to get some dubia.

i do feel bad for those who lost everything when this started though.

 

[Perentie]

We havnt had this problem over here, i have to buy a few tubs of crickets every 2 weeks for my reptiles and on ocasion ill throw a couple in to my cichlid tank.

Crickets are by far the best feeder nutritionaly but if for some reason you cant get them there is always roaches, meal worms, superworms and for the ocasional treat, silkworms.

 

[Cookie*]

Thanks for all the replies. I like the idea of setting up a tote with a red wiggler colony. I did some research on it and it looks fairly simple to maintain and breed them. I like the idea of keeping them as opposed to the dubia roaches, too....legged insects with the exception of crickets just creep me out.