Where can I order crickets from?
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Forum Admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:16 pm
- Location: Erie, PA
Most landlords order live crickets and freeze them when delivered. Reptilefood.com is one source and there are others - giant zophoba worms also can be frozen on delivery and work well for feeding martins.
Some good articles here: https://www.purplemartin.org/purple-mar ... l-feeding/
The PMCA has dried mealworms, not a bad idea to have some on hand (soak overnight before offering), but if you have crickets in freezer, that's a better option, more nutritious. https://www.purplemartin.org/shop/58/su ... n-feeding/
Some good articles here: https://www.purplemartin.org/purple-mar ... l-feeding/
The PMCA has dried mealworms, not a bad idea to have some on hand (soak overnight before offering), but if you have crickets in freezer, that's a better option, more nutritious. https://www.purplemartin.org/shop/58/su ... n-feeding/
Forum Administrator
Purple Martin Conservation Association - Please consider becoming a member of the PMCA.
Purple Martin Conservation Association - Please consider becoming a member of the PMCA.
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Dan G
- Posts: 446
- Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:52 pm
- Location: PA/Bellefonte
- Martin Colony History: Several colonies with in 6 mile radius.
Have had visitor every year 2014-24.
Two large trees removed in fall 2024 and moved T-14 to a more open location.
2025- 1 SY pair. Fledged 2.
Other places would be cheaper, but in a pinch, PetCO in state college has live crickets. Small,Medium or large for 16 cents each. I think the online stores are much cheaper.
BTW, did your tree swallows arrive at the school yet? If memory serves me right, you teach in Juniata County. Keep me posted when your martins arrive. I think it will be early this year. If my memory is off, I apologize in advance.
BTW, did your tree swallows arrive at the school yet? If memory serves me right, you teach in Juniata County. Keep me posted when your martins arrive. I think it will be early this year. If my memory is off, I apologize in advance.
Bellefonte PA
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
Dan, you have a good memory. You are right. No tree swallows, yet. However, we have been looking for them all day. Also, I had 3 pair nest at my home sight in Huntingdon County last year. Looking forward to the martins returning. Hope you get some to stay this year. It took me 9 years at my house but was worth it.Dan G wrote:Other places would be cheaper, but in a pinch, PetCO in state college has live crickets. Small,Medium or large for 16 cents each. I think the online stores are much cheaper.
BTW, did your tree swallows arrive at the school yet? If memory serves me right, you teach in Juniata County. Keep me posted when your martins arrive. I think it will be early this year. If my memory is off, I apologize in advance.
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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
Flukerfarms.com is another site you can order live crickets. You want the 3/4 to 1 inch size. Right now the price is $15.90 plus shipping for 1000 of the 3/4 inch size. The more you buy the cheaper they are. When yuo place yuor order insist on "true to size". I've had issues ordering from both places listed & often got much smaller size & had to complain & insist on them replacing them.HunterH wrote:Hi Everyone on the forum! I live in Central Pa and would like to order crickets to feed the martins this year. Do I buy frozen crickets, dried crickets, ? Thanks! I can't find any frozen crickets on the i-net.
The live crickets come in a box with wire mesh. I place the box in a paper grocery bag, tape it shut (to keep any of the trash from falling out the mesh ) & put it in the freezer for 24 hours. You can also use plastic bags. Then I dump them on newspaper & sort out the trash. Then I put them into snack size ziploc baggies, usually about 100 per bag. Then back in a paperbag & in the freezer. Paper bags keep stuff from getting freezer burnt. To thaw them just place some in a dish with hot tap water. They only take a few miutes to thaw out. Note some of their legs fall off. Drain on paper towels before flipping. I use the long ice cream spoons to flip.
You are located about 100 miles south of me. Are there other martin colonies in your area? So far I'm the only one in my county, that has Martins, other than a few colonies on Amish farms 25 miles south of me. Many have tried here & failed. As far as I know there are none north of me all the way to the NY border. I went thru about 6000 crickets last year because we had no insects here. They spary the corn, the creek/river. Even tho I supplement feed I still lost 60% of my chicks to dehydration/starvation.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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bwenger
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Hi HunterH,
Toy is giving you good information. By placing the crickets in sandwich bags, say 100 in a bag, then you have a good idea how many you fed them. It may help in ordering crickets the following year, etc.
If you have other martin landlords around that want crickets, I would suggest ordering them and/or mealworms for bluebirds together and share the cost of shipping. That's what hurts, those shipping costs. Normally by placing 2 orders of 1000, 2000 in all, you end up paying the same shipping.
Hope you, Toy and everyone else has a good martin year!
Bill
Toy is giving you good information. By placing the crickets in sandwich bags, say 100 in a bag, then you have a good idea how many you fed them. It may help in ordering crickets the following year, etc.
If you have other martin landlords around that want crickets, I would suggest ordering them and/or mealworms for bluebirds together and share the cost of shipping. That's what hurts, those shipping costs. Normally by placing 2 orders of 1000, 2000 in all, you end up paying the same shipping.
Hope you, Toy and everyone else has a good martin year!
Bill
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
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Rodger Drye
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:07 am
- Location: NC/Mt. Pleasant
- Martin Colony History: Have been hosting and providing a sanactuary for Purple Martins for 30 years.
Hi Hunter,
Josh's Frogs in Michigan is were I get my Crickets, and My Grandson also gets small pinheads to feed his Poison Dart Frogs. The price is very reasonable and always satisfied with the way they ship. Bill is right,if you have other friends that need crickets, get up a large order to save Money. They have all sizes and types of Feeder Insects.
Rodger
Josh's Frogs in Michigan is were I get my Crickets, and My Grandson also gets small pinheads to feed his Poison Dart Frogs. The price is very reasonable and always satisfied with the way they ship. Bill is right,if you have other friends that need crickets, get up a large order to save Money. They have all sizes and types of Feeder Insects.
Rodger
PMCA Member
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
I get my crickets from GRUBCO.COM. I shopped around before I decided to buy and its' the cheapest that I found. Jim
PMCA member
1992-2011 trying
2012-New Landlord- one pair- fledged 3
2013- two pair-fledged 6
2014-no pairs
2015-no pairs
1992-2011 trying
2012-New Landlord- one pair- fledged 3
2013- two pair-fledged 6
2014-no pairs
2015-no pairs
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Rodger Drye
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:07 am
- Location: NC/Mt. Pleasant
- Martin Colony History: Have been hosting and providing a sanactuary for Purple Martins for 30 years.
Hey Jim,
Yes, there's a lot of places you can get Crickets. Fluker Farms, Reptilefood.com, Carolina Cricket, Grubco and of course Josh's Frogs. My Grandson gets pinheads from Zach at Josh's Frogs to feed his Poison Dart Frogs. When he gets an order up I add mine to it if I need some. PMCA offers mealworms and I believe there's a Thread on supplemental or emergency feeding. Martins will take Crickets, Mealworms, and cooked egg, especially if they're hungry. But you are right - it's best to shop around to get a good deal.!
Rodger
Yes, there's a lot of places you can get Crickets. Fluker Farms, Reptilefood.com, Carolina Cricket, Grubco and of course Josh's Frogs. My Grandson gets pinheads from Zach at Josh's Frogs to feed his Poison Dart Frogs. When he gets an order up I add mine to it if I need some. PMCA offers mealworms and I believe there's a Thread on supplemental or emergency feeding. Martins will take Crickets, Mealworms, and cooked egg, especially if they're hungry. But you are right - it's best to shop around to get a good deal.!
Rodger
PMCA Member
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
Dan, Our tree swallows came back 3 days ago. Now we have 6 at my school, and about 4 at my house. Toy, My school has the only colony in the southern end of Juniata County (as far as I know). There are a couple of colonies in Port Royal and Mifflintown (along the Juniata River)....and then more toward the other end of the county. I live at the very end of Huntingdon County. I have the only martin colony that I know of in a big area around our place. Most people I know have never heard of them. I try to get my fifth graders interested in them in hopes that some of them will start colonies some day. Thanks everyone for the replies on the crickets!
Dan, Our tree swallows came back 3 days ago!Dan G wrote:Other places would be cheaper, but in a pinch, PetCO in state college has live crickets. Small,Medium or large for 16 cents each. I think the online stores are much cheaper.
BTW, did your tree swallows arrive at the school yet? If memory serves me right, you teach in Juniata County. Keep me posted when your martins arrive. I think it will be early this year. If my memory is off, I apologize in advance.