# Pets at home - live food



## BristolAvon (Aug 4, 2011)

Hi

Are the locusts for sale at Pets at Home already gutloaded?

Cheers


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## tinapina (Dec 28, 2011)

I get some of mine from them. Its best to find out when they have their deliveries and get fresh, then put them into a new container when you get home. I use a small fish tank and then add water gel and veggies. They seem to grow well. I get a call from the staff now when they get a delivery!


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

They are not advertised as such. I never trust 'pre-gutloaded' live food anyway.


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## Ameliaxx (Apr 9, 2010)

i dont know but i went into [email protected] yesterday and there live food stank i mean really stank now i no that there bugs but mine never really smell and neither do the ones from the pet shop i get them from is there a reason these smell?


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## GECKO MICK (Jun 6, 2012)

as already stated dont really trust the pre gutloaded thing always gutload them for 24 hour before offering yourself:jump:


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

Whenever ive been into a [email protected] their livefood always look digusting and mostly dead in the tubs!

Where are you based as we get multiple deliveries of fresh livefoods in every week.


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

I don't think so. You could always ask the staff in there to check?


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## Ignis (Dec 18, 2011)

As above, I wouldn't ever assume live food is gut loaded. Always do it myself for a day before feeding. 

I try and purchase from my local specialist rep shops whenever I can, but as [email protected] is on my way home from work I often pick up live food from there. never had any problems.

Most stores only get a single weekly delivery and they don't gut load/feed them once devliered, so if you arrive at the wrong time of the week they will be half dead/not in great health. On the odd occassion I have been caught short and had to buy some rubbish tubs my local store has always knocked 50-75% off at the till If you ask them.


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## kim170503 (Apr 18, 2012)

no they dont tend to be gut loaded, pets at home receive them direct from the suppliers twice weekly usually, they then are barcoded and put straight on shelf for retail. My local one sells them for 50p the day before they are due for new stock but often halfof them are dead.


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

smelly insects mean old stock. where the insects have poo'd in the tub.
We always gut load with veggies and calcium but that doesnt stop people going to pets at home and buying dead insects because they are 20p cheaper a tub. 
One of the reasons my shop will be closing very soon.

P


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## Mal (Jul 22, 2007)

Paul B said:


> smelly insects mean old stock. where the insects have poo'd in the tub.
> We always gut load with veggies and calcium but that doesnt stop people going to pets at home and buying dead insects because they are 20p cheaper a tub.
> One of the reasons my shop will be closing very soon.
> 
> P


Very sad to hear your closing your shop. It must be very hard to remain competetive against big chains, internet sales and the influx of imported pre order stock. Its a shame the dedicated enthusiast shop owners loose out. It will be to the detriment of the hobby in the end.


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## bloodisntred (May 21, 2012)

they smell because of the food they are fed. which is cheap musli.

at some point they may have been "gutloaded" but this is "too expensive" for the and their stockists to do so they use the cheap alternative cheap musli or other types of breakfast cereal. 

i get all my live food from pets at home but ensure it is guttloaded by myself or bf first for at least a week or two  

hope this helps


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## Captainmatt29 (Feb 28, 2009)

[email protected] get a delivery from monkfield nutrition on Tuesday's and a deliver from TNT on Fridays he boxes I believe are TNT where you see the most dead this was explained to me today when i was there my mum took back a 5ths box because half of them were dead and at £11 a box you want them to be alive an well.

Monkfield also supply there reps which now consists of leopard geckos, beardies, corns and king snakes to date

Mine are gut loaded on high quality muesli and veggies for atleast a day or more before feeding same for morios and mealies


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## Captainmatt29 (Feb 28, 2009)

Mal said:


> Very sad to hear your closing your shop. It must be very hard to remain competetive against big chains, internet sales and the influx of imported pre order stock. Its a shame the dedicated enthusiast shop owners loose out. It will be to the detriment of the hobby in the end.


Mal don't close down go web based instead over heads are cheaper and you'd get more people interested if you can cut some bulk deals like [email protected] sell 3 tubs for £6 well if affordable go £1 lower and promote your Internet presence that's what I would do


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## Bradley (Aug 26, 2009)

My local do feed their livefood that gets fed to their reps but not the ones they sell off. All the lievfood in my local [email protected] has always been ok when I have went in there but have never bought any myself. I wouldnt trust pre gutloaded food anyway. All my livefood is gutloaded prior to feeding.


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## PowerPie5000 (Apr 13, 2010)

I don't think our [email protected] store gut load them... They always put the good (healthy) ones at the back of the shelves and have the old crusty (and mostly dead) ones at the front.


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## Gazfather (Nov 24, 2010)

They don't gut load except the maidenhead branch where I get mine, they asked me why all their bugs died so quickly so I asked them if they fed them. They now put carrot & potato in the tubs


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## Calceto (Jan 19, 2012)

I know at Animal Magic Littlehampton the crickets arent there long enough to gut load them ,If you dont buy them on delivery day they are all gone. Buy fresh , fresh , fresh


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## kymberley (Jun 8, 2012)

by gutloading do you means like do they have bug grub in with them ? if so then yes they do i get my mealies and crickets from there x i dust them with calci my self ofcourse.


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## XxkakashixX (Sep 22, 2008)

I get my life food from [email protected] because they're 2 mins away from my house, i have gone in afew times and the lifefood has musli and carrot for food x


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## Calceto (Jan 19, 2012)

kymberley said:


> by gutloading do you means like do they have bug grub in with them ? if so then yes they do i get my mealies and crickets from there x i dust them with calci my self ofcourse.


Hi Kimberley I think the general thinking is the bran / bug grub is in there basically to keep them alive with very little goodness or nutritinal benifit to your reptile ,to beef the crickets /locusts up fresh veg /fruit and water of some sort should be feed to the beasties = good cricket food = good crickets= healthy reptiles :2thumb:


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

I got some from there last week for the first time and they were great quality. Also had about 3 or 4 times the amount stated on the box. All the fish were half dead though :/


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## kymberley (Jun 8, 2012)

Calceto said:


> Hi Kimberley I think the general thinking is the bran / bug grub is in there basically to keep them alive with very little goodness or nutritinal benifit to your reptile ,to beef the crickets /locusts up fresh veg /fruit and water of some sort should be feed to the beasties = good cricket food = good crickets= healthy reptiles :2thumb:


hey thanks  i give them carrot, etc for moisture, whats a good cricket food (i heard fish flakes are good) is this true?


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## funky1 (Jun 18, 2008)

kymberley said:


> hey thanks  i give them carrot, etc for moisture, whats a good cricket food (i heard fish flakes are good) is this true?


I feed my Dubia`s with fish flakes on a regular basis and they absolutely adore it: although they love oranges/apples/bananas....they tend to go for the fish flakes even before these. I`m not too sure whether Crix like it or not, but give them a go - if they eat them, they`ll be a superb source of nutrients.


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## skywalker550 (May 6, 2012)

*pets at home live food*

Hi,
I always buy mine from a local reptile shop who does gut load his insects prior to purchase. I also have a cricket keeper, so tend to buy my bugs in bulk and then feed them with pro rep bug food and cricket gel, so they are nutritious for my Leo. I have also found the pro rep bug food seems to promote the crickets to breed so I always have plenty. Haven't used meal worms yet as have heard that the beetles can be toxic.

Regards
Sue


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## BrianJTate1964 (5 mo ago)

CPT BJ said:


> Whenever ive been into a [email protected] their livefood always look digusting and mostly dead in the tubs!
> 
> Where are you based as we get multiple deliveries of fresh livefoods in every week.


Possibly been on shelves a few days, if you go on delivery day they're good to go, no dead and look healthy


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