Feeder Crix/Mealworms Question

[Geeko]

Right now I'm feeding mealies to my geckos, crickets to my beardie.

I just ordered 1000 mealies, and 1000 crickets from reptilefoods.com, and am having a large amount of die off on the crickets. I have them in a VERY large sterilite container with a ventilated screened lid. Egg crates, cardboard tubing, big feeder bowls and plenty of flukers gel. I am extremely odor-sensitive. They're killing me almost as fast as they're killing themselves. Any idea WHY they are dying off? I'm already spending a small fortune on crix, to have them dying off is costly.

Also, I set up the mealies, and again, sensitive to smell, I'm not sure if it's the oats/cornmeal/wheatbran mixture I have them in, or if it's them, but I have to hold my breath when I'm fishing them out at feeding time for the gecks. Again, am I doing something wrong?

Lastly, where does everyone get their large quantities of feeders?

I had a TERRIBLE experience with the customer service at reptilecity.com when they sent me the WRONG thing and got lippy with me when I politely explained I couldn't use what they sent. So far they've left me high and dry with no replacement after shipping the order back, and no refund as of yet.

I really enjoy shopping with reptilefood.com, their prices aren't terrible, they are quick to deliver....but both times I've ordered there have been unidentifiable bugs in my crickets. I've found several "fuzzy" type worms/caterpillars, and this recent order I found two black spiders. I'm not much of a girly girl but I don't do spiders or creepy hairy bugs.

So what are some good, reliable places to order in bulk? (around 1000 at a time)??

Thanks!!!

 

[david13]

i keep the mealworms in the fridge and it seems that for me also crickets always die fast so i dont get them anymore.. thanks for the site lol. I used to go to nyworms.com but reptilefoods.com is way cheaper

 

[david13]

actually... nyworms has a bigger variety of things you can get.. and for mealworms shipping price is included.. see what site is better for you since you order larger amounts idk.. like reptilefoods.com, they only sell container of 500 waxworms when i would only need 250 but they are more expensive at nyworms.com

 

[acpart]

Here's one thought: plastic does tend to hold odors longer than some other materials. I also get 1000 crickets at a time. I keep them in an old 10 gallon tank with powdered gutload on the floor of the tank and bowls of cricket gel and egg crate. There's a mesh screen top over the whole thing. I have a small plastic faunarium with a ventilated top that I put about 50 crickets at a time in and keep that in my gecko room (aka living room). When I use them up, I get more from the tank, which I keep out of traffic area at the back of my kitchen. Every week or so I try to remove the dead crickets. I have not had much die off. 1000 crickets lasts me easily for 4 weeks.

I breed my own mealworms and keep them in powdered gutload. I don't get much smell at all. Do you pulverize the stuff you're keeping them on?

I don't know what else to suggest.

Aliza