New reptile stockists should order livefood ‘little and often’ until they build up a regular and reliable clientele, according to a leading livefood breeder.

Jo Wise is Director/Owner at Monkfield Nutrition near Cambridge and has been breeding and supplying livefoods on a massive scale for over 20 years.  

“It can be disheartening to order lots of tubs, only to throw them away unsold at the end of their shelf-life,” says Jo.  

“Once you have an idea of what you can sell it is much easier to place a regular order. With proper storage you can expect at least a week of shelf-life.”

All crickets are not created equal. Banded Grey Crickets are the most common variety given their prolific breeding potential, but these can suffer mortality in transit in cold weather. 

‘Silent’ Grey Crickets fare better in cold weather and have the added benefits of being meatier, less noisy and less aggressive but this species is not always available. Only the most discerning customers will notice the difference between the two.

Black Field Crickets look much different and customers who like them will ask for them specifically. These are another bulky, slow and superior cricket and people tend to love them for their benefits, or hate them for their looks.

Locusts mushroomed in popularity in tandem with the Bearded Dragon and are the most profitable livefood for suppliers and retailers alike. The golden Desert Locust is the industry standard variety nowadays and could almost be described as pretty.

Words: Tony Jones