# Livefood shortages



## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

I already posted this comment in another area, but it may be prudent of admin to either pin this temporarily or move it to where they see fit and pin it until the emergency is over.
As one of the biggest producers of locusts and crickets, I thought I would spend a few minutes informing people of the current situation as I understand it. 
Food is important to all of your animals and you deserve to be kept up to date on the situation.
There are 4 or 5 main producers of locusts.
As locusts are expensive to produce (Ours eat 1000 kilos of human grade greens every day, 35,000 watts of lighting and thats without the heating) most producers breed to a demand. 
We dont want, nor can afford to have any surplus waste. XL or 5th instar locusts are the most popular size and these are only saleable for 2 or 3 days. As you can see, getting the sizes and quantities right, with such a small window of opportunity is very difficult!
One of the producers has had a major problem and has a very serious shortage. The cause of this, I do not know. It could be overheating, but I do not have air conditioning and see little reason why a failure of this nature would have such an effect. If the heating stuck on, this would be a major problem and we only have a threshold of 3 or 4 degrees higher than our buildings are heated. More than that and we would sterilise the locusts.
Another producer also has a problem with their cricket colonies.
These two factors have caused a major shortfall in supply, with people trying to buy crickets instead of locusts.
Everyone is trying alternative producers and they are unable to cope with the additional demand. This in turn, gives them shortages.
We are also experiencing shortage problems. 
Demand is so great that even when reducing orders by 50%, we sold nearly 60% more locusts last week than a normal week!
Lucky for us, we don't have any problem with our colony and within 10 days we should be back to full capacity by just holding back more locusts from the saleable stocks.
When a colony is lost it is catastrophic. It isn't easy to fix as no one has enough locusts to restart the colony. If all the colony was lost then it could take 4 or 5 generations to get back to capacity. That could be the best part of 1 Year.
I hope that helps to dispel any myths and guessing thats going on.
I am sure the producer with the problem is going flat out (as we are) to get thinks back to normal for you all.


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

It surprises me that more people with insectivorous reptiles (smaller species) don't get a sweeping net from one of the entomology shows and find a nice field with long grass that you know is not interfered with pesticide wise. this would lower your livefood bill drastically from late spring to late summer. a net is like £15 or so. make sure you pick out any insects that may harm your animal first however.

yum.... organic scoff for your animals.


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

When I started keeping reptiles, that was the only source of food for your animals.
Woodlice, grasshoppers and any other seasonal bugs.
Maggots were available and we use to pupate them and feed the flies.
Everything revolves around convenience nowadays, in all elements of life.
It was virtually impossible to keep insectivorous reptiles alive in the Winter and this was the very reason I started commercial production of insects.
I have some great old herpetological books about trapping prey!


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## gtm (Jan 23, 2008)

1000 kilo's of green a day - wow. How many of them do you have on your premises normally?


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

I would hazard a good guess that the colony produces around 1 Million locusts per Month, so we would have more than that at any one time.


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## gtm (Jan 23, 2008)

Do you 'like' locusts (aside from the income you generate from them)? I saw the small colony in Bristol Zoo and to be quite frank see them as repellent little sex fiends.


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

I like the fact that we breed them very well, but don't have to spend all day every day in the building where they are produced like my guys have to.
40c and the smell of 1000 kilos of greens could make you despise them!
The smell gets into your clothes in 5 seconds and doesn't go from your clothes and nostrils until you shower.
Thinking about it, I think they are underpriced!


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## sarah1207 (Dec 17, 2007)

any pictures, that would be somthing i woould love to see


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

Sorry Sarah, I would love to post some pictures but being a commercial breeder my techniques developed over 20 Years are commercially sensitive.
Many breeders have different ways they end up producing insects and benefits are often gained after many Years of hard work. 
Once again sorry!


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## Maureen Collinson (Oct 6, 2006)

peterf said:


> I like the fact that we breed them very well, but don't have to spend all day every day in the building where they are produced like my guys have to.
> 40c and the smell of 1000 kilos of greens could make you despise them!
> The smell gets into your clothes in 5 seconds and doesn't go from your clothes and nostrils until you shower.
> Thinking about it, I think they are underpriced!


Ooooooo.........the temptation is there to give your staff a nudge and a link to here, just in case they are under paid for that horrible job Peter. LOL 
I will resist though for reasons known to you and me. 

Mo.


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