# Has had enough of my local so called pet shop.



## NickC85 (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi peeps.
Please feel free to move this thread if its in the wrong section but i don't think it is for what i need to say.

I have had just about enough of my local so called pet shop. I don't know were to begin really.

My main concern is not only do they rip people off but charging 10p a cricket (yes you read that right 10p) and charge 45p for a tub. i feel that they are in such poor condition that they day within a matter of days. 
So my main reason for this rant as such is i bought 30 crickets for £3 yesterday minus the tub as i had some empty ones,so i get home and cleaned one of my spare tubs with only warm water and let dry. I then prepaired some fresh carrot to put in with the crickets and i took 10 out to feed to my CWD that day dusted. All good. 
Today i went to prepare some crickets today and out of the 20 crickets i had left 15 yes 15 were dead this morning leaving me only 5 to feed my CWD.

i expect to find a few dead that's just life but 15 over night is a bit ridiculous. I have always stored my crickets in the same place since having my little fellow. Yes a had a few dead ones and always take them out as soon as i see them as i know that they can transfer diseases and infections stuff like that.

That's my rant over for the crickets.

Rant two is about the overall condition of the shop it self.
They have got no common sense in my eyes as they have got snakes in the same room as live mice and rats within feet of each other fair enough the viv's have got locks on them but this cant be good as in my eyes the snakes will still be able to sense the mice and in my eyes could turn nasty.
They have got two adult bearded dragons in in a all glass viv about 3x1x1 even i know that's not suitable. They got 3 juvenile cwd's in a viv 2x1x1 and there not the cleanest of viv's.They got last time i counted 8 juvenile bearded dragons in another 2x1x1 viv and it filthy. there's a few more to mention but im not going too as i think you can picture it.
The staffs aren't very knowledgeable and when you go in and ask questions their normal response is ermmmmm im not to sure you'll have to ask the manager when he is here, thing is he never seems to be there.

I'm not going to name and shame but i have had enough now.
Sorry for the rant guys just needed to get it off my chest.


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## Big_Rich (Aug 11, 2011)

Crickets dying is just tough really, it could be that its just too hot in the containers for them and they never really last long in the little tubs anyway.

How shop prices things is up to them really, if you're not happy with the service buy them somewhere else or on-line (live foods direct are good).

As far as the conditions are concerned if you feel they are substandard you could try reporting them to your local council as they could deal with this but its unlikely they will, you would have to give them examples of what they "Should be doing" and most likely educate the council so they can respond.


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## AOTP (Mar 22, 2012)

buy offline or breed your own matey. Try locusts instead?

Crickets real suceptible to changes in humidity etc so find them more hassle than they are worth.


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## NickC85 (Jun 3, 2012)

AOTP said:


> buy offline or breed your own matey. Try locusts instead?
> 
> Crickets real suceptible to changes in humidity etc so find them more hassle than they are worth.


I've tried with locusts but he didn't seem interested in them at all and i can't say i saw him eat on they always ended up dead in his water tray.



Big_Rich said:


> Crickets dying is just tough really, it could be that its just too hot in the containers for them and they never really last long in the little tubs anyway.
> 
> How shop prices things is up to them really, if you're not happy with the service buy them somewhere else or on-line (live foods direct are good).
> 
> As far as the conditions are concerned if you feel they are substandard you could try reporting them to your local council as they could deal with this but its unlikely they will, you would have to give them examples of what they "Should be doing" and most likely educate the council so they can respond.


I understand that shops can charge what they like as they have to make money which i agree with, I just find that 10p per cricket is just daylight robbery. so i will try with a online order as i can get three times the amount if not more for my money. As for the shop conditions i'll see if they improve over the next month or so then if not might have to give local council a ring and see if they can do anything about it.


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

Try roaches they dont die off like crickets and are much better for your dragon. Turks are about the same size as crickets also
There very easy to breed aswell, we sell them on here and on ebay or on our website.


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## Kuja (Dec 14, 2011)

ExoticInsectsUK said:


> Try roaches they dont die off like crickets and are much better for your dragon. Turks are about the same size as crickets also
> There very easy to breed aswell, we sell them on here and on ebay or on our website.


Yeah, give roaches a go, i hate damn crickets, smelly horrible things, it could have been they were being fed bran or a similar dry food and the wetter carrot did not agree with them, then again they got a habit of unexplained death anyway, recently threw my highlander cricket away he was the only survivor of a tub the bearded wouldn't touch lol.


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## catch and release (Jun 1, 2011)

NickC85 said:


> Hi peeps.
> Please feel free to move this thread if its in the wrong section but i don't think it is for what i need to say.
> 
> I have had just about enough of my local so called pet shop. I don't know were to begin really.
> ...



Don't go in again then.


catch and release


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## NickC85 (Jun 3, 2012)

Kuja said:


> Yeah, give roaches a go, i hate damn crickets, smelly horrible things, it could have been they were being fed bran or a similar dry food and the wetter carrot did not agree with them, then again they got a habit of unexplained death anyway, recently threw my highlander cricket away he was the only survivor of a tub the bearded wouldn't touch lol.


I may give roaches a go in the not to distant future. It the the price of those little big buggers that's putting me off them atm. How many would I need to feed a day asuming that my CWD will eat them. He seems to be like my son a very fussy eater.


catch and release said:


> Don't go in again then.
> 
> 
> catch and release


I go there because of the convienence (sorry if its spelt wrong I'm not the best of spellers) as the next best rep shop is a good hour and half away on the bus(don't drive), altough I'm going tomorrow as their doing rep talks for kids.


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## Kuja (Dec 14, 2011)

NickC85 said:


> I may give roaches a go in the not to distant future. It the the price of those little big buggers that's putting me off them atm. How many would I need to feed a day asuming that my CWD will eat them. He seems to be like my son a very fussy eater.


yeah they are expensive, however if you are willing a small breeding colony can cut costs a lot, as for the amount i have never kept CWD's so don't think it would be right for me to guesstimate, however with bearded dragons at a younger age i fed as many as he wanted, which was anywhere from 5-20 per sitting, you should be able to pick up a smallish pack of roaches on the internet just to try.

Although i would really consider looking at online sources for insects

Ricks Livefood

i can recommend highly, they also stock roaches, lobster, turk or dubia i would advise(others can probs be fed off but look pretty ), and as its a CWD i would guess turkistan or lobster would be better as dubia like to hide.


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## NickC85 (Jun 3, 2012)

Kuja said:


> yeah they are expensive, however if you are willing a small breeding colony can cut costs a lot, as for the amount i have never kept CWD's so don't think it would be right for me to guesstimate, however with bearded dragons at a younger age i fed as many as he wanted, which was anywhere from 5-20 per sitting, you should be able to pick up a smallish pack of roaches on the internet just to try.
> 
> Although i would really consider looking at online sources for insects
> 
> ...


Ok thanks, I'll be sure to take your advice on board and take a look into roaches. I shall be looking at starting a colony of some sort then then I think to my self is it worth the hassle for one lizard. Also been looking on Ricks just latly and there prices seem to be decent.


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## NickC85 (Jun 3, 2012)

Well i have placed my first order online for live food today from Rick's. Lets see what happens.


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