# Why are Locusts so expensive



## soul_girl (Mar 25, 2009)

I have 2 beardies who are 25 weeks and 2 years. Both of them seem to hate crickets, and wont touch them.

The cheapest I've found locusts are £14.49 for 100 large ones but its only £3.49 for 100 large crickets, why are they so different in price?

Seeing as the 2 year old eats 15 locusts a day and the 25 week old eats 7, I'm having to order in 300 every 2 weeks costing £30, anyone know any cheaper sites to get them from or any hints on how to get them to eat the crickets.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Locusts are probably more expensive because they take more room and more heat to breed AND they're a bit harder to feed, too.

The easy way to get the beardies to eat crickets... is not to give them any locusts. When they're hungry enough, they'll eat what's on offer. Are they good about eating their veggies?


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## soul_girl (Mar 25, 2009)

yes they both eat veggies


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

I'd imagine there's a few reasons...

1) Firstly locusts are a lot bigger and meatier then crickets, a large locust is easily double the size of a large brown cricket, an adult locust is easily triple the size and I imagine a lot more if you count it's total mass.

2) Locusts need slightly more specialist conditions, as in higher temps and pots of damp sand to breed in. 

3) Crickets and roaches breed more prolifically, It takes locusts longer to mature then crickets and I think locusts lay less eggs at one time then crickets.


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## Nihlus (Jul 15, 2009)

Its down to reproduction. A cricket can lay upto 300 eggs in 1 laying where as a locust will only lay between 10-25 eggs per laying. As you can tell you will get crickets alot quicker than locust.


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## serpentsupplies (Sep 4, 2009)

after visiting a massive locust production place,as with all the things above , also they need much larger spaces, more heat- they are a desert species- and longer growing time


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## kemist (Jan 25, 2009)

the adult beardie seems to be eating alot, i thought they slowed down with age. we buy in 100's and buy large as they are virtually the same size as extra large. try looking on google for live food suppliers we pay about 12 quid. i know crix are cheaper but i dont like em .


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## Richard2510 (Sep 20, 2008)

We have them on Ebay. Starting price 49p for 15 Large or 15 Adults.

Adults

Large

Richard


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

your adult beardie will be fine having live food every other day ..mine eats about 7 locusts 3/4 times a week and a few morio worms ......your younger one should go onto crickets if you dont offer locusts at all ..he will eat them if hungry


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## benjo (Oct 31, 2007)

REPTILE LIVEFOOD - BULK BAG -50 LOCUSTS - EXTRA LARGE on eBay (end time 10-Oct-09 11:24:48 BST)


i thought this was a good deal compared to the 2.50 per a tub of 5-6 adults


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