Best Place to Buy Live Crickets for Your Reptile (2026)

You open the cricket keeper. It's empty — again. Your bearded dragon is staring at you with that impatient tilt of the head. Sound familiar?

Finding a reliable cricket source is one of the most common headaches for reptile owners. Local pet stores run out. Half the crickets you buy are dead on arrival. And then there's the mystery of why a 50-count cup costs more than a 500-count online order.

The good news: there are genuinely great places to buy live crickets today, both online and locally. This guide cuts through the noise — here's what actually works, what to avoid, and how to stop wasting money on dead feeders.

The Best Places to Buy Live Crickets Online

Online specialty retailers are almost always your best option. They're set up specifically for feeder insects, which means better packing, healthier bugs, and live arrival guarantees you won't find at a pet store.

Fluker Farms

Fluker Farms is one of the most well-known cricket suppliers in the US. They've been in business for decades and ship directly to your door. Their crickets are gut-loaded before shipping, and they offer multiple sizes from pinheads to large adults. You can order directly from their website or through Amazon.

Strength: consistent quality, widely available, good customer service.

Josh's Frogs

Josh's Frogs has an excellent reputation among dart frog and reptile keepers. They prioritize feeder insect health more than most suppliers, and their packaging is top-tier. If you're keeping sensitive species — chameleons, baby geckos, any lizard that needs premium nutrition — Josh's Frogs is worth the slight premium.

Ghann's Cricket Farm

Ghann's is one of the oldest cricket farms in the country and a favorite for bulk buyers. If you keep multiple reptiles, their large-volume boxes give you the best price-per-cricket ratio. Shipping is reliable and they pack for minimal die-off.

Top Hat Cricket Farm

Top Hat is a solid mid-tier option. Great for moderate orders (100–500 crickets). Pricing is competitive and reviews consistently mention good survival rates on arrival.

Amazon (for Convenience)

Amazon sells live feeder crickets from multiple third-party sellers including Fluker Farms. Prime shipping is available on some listings, which reduces transit time and improves cricket survival. Stick to sellers with 4+ stars and verified live arrival guarantees. Read recent reviews — quality can vary between sellers even on the same platform.

Chewy

Chewy has expanded into live feeder insects and is worth bookmarking for one reason: their customer service. If your order arrives with significant die-off, Chewy is known to replace or refund without friction. It's a reliable backup when your main supplier is out of stock.

Should You Buy from a Local Pet Store?

PetSmart and Petco sell live crickets in small cups. So does your local independent reptile shop. Here's the honest breakdown:

Buy online when: You keep more than one reptile, need a specific size, or want bulk savings.

Buy local when: You need crickets today, you're in a hot or cold region where shipping kills bugs, or you only keep one small reptile that eats 10–15 crickets a week.

Local independent reptile shops tend to have better quality than big-box chains. Their crickets turn over faster and are often gutloaded more consistently. Worth checking if you have one nearby.

What Size Crickets Should You Buy?

This is where beginners go wrong most often. A cricket that's too large can injure your reptile's mouth, cause impaction, or simply be ignored. The rule is simple: never feed a cricket wider than the space between your reptile's eyes.

Here's a size reference guide:

Most online suppliers let you choose size at checkout. If you're unsure, go one size smaller — there's no nutritional downside, and it's much safer.

How Much Do Live Crickets Cost?

(Estimates only — actual prices on Amazon may vary.)

Cricket prices drop dramatically when you buy in bulk. Here's what you can expect:

For context: a cup of 25 crickets at PetSmart might cost $4–$5, which is $0.16–$0.20 per cricket. A 1,000-count box online runs about $25–$35, which is $0.025–$0.035 per cricket. That's roughly a 5–7x price difference.

If you own two or more reptiles that eat crickets regularly, a monthly bulk order almost always saves money compared to weekly store runs.

What to Look For When Buying

Not every supplier is worth your money. Here's what separates a quality cricket order from a bad one:

Signs of a good supplier:

• Offers a live arrival guarantee
• Packs with egg crate or cardboard tubes for hiding
• Ships in ventilated boxes (not sealed plastic bags)
• Uses cold packs in summer and heat packs in winter
• Has reviews confirming low DOA rates

Red flags:

• No live arrival policy
• Reviews mentioning large numbers of dead crickets on arrival
• Crickets packed in sealed, non-ventilated bags
• No size options or vague product descriptions
• Strong ammonia smell when box is opened (indicates disease risk)

For a broader look at feeder insect suppliers beyond just crickets, our guide to the best places to buy feeder insects online covers dubia roaches, mealworms, and more in the same depth.

How to Keep Crickets Alive After They Arrive

Even the best supplier can't save crickets that are stored poorly on your end. Here's how to maximize survival:

Transfer immediately. Don't leave crickets in the shipping box. Move them to a proper cricket keeper with mesh ventilation and egg crate dividers within a few hours of arrival.

Temperature matters. Keep crickets at 70–80°F. Below 60°F they go dormant and die fast. Above 90°F they die from heat stress.

Ventilation is critical. Ammonia from cricket waste builds up quickly in sealed containers. It kills crickets and creates an unhealthy environment. Always use a keeper with mesh sides or plenty of ventilation holes.

Hydration without drowning. Crickets need moisture but drown in water dishes. Use water crystals, orange slices, or wet paper towel for hydration.

Gutload before feeding. Feed your crickets nutritious foods for 24–48 hours before offering them to your reptile. Collard greens, sweet potato, squash, and commercial cricket gut load food all work well. A cricket fed junk food passes zero nutrition to your lizard.

For a full deep-dive on cricket storage, our guide on the best way to keep crickets alive covers every detail — ventilation, temperature, humidity, and food.

Don't Forget to Dust

Crickets are naturally low in calcium and have a poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Without dusting, your reptile risks metabolic bone disease over time — especially if it doesn't get UVB lighting.

Dust feeder crickets with calcium powder every feeding. Use a version with D3 if your reptile doesn't have access to UVB. This is a non-negotiable part of the feeding routine, not an optional extra.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Buying crickets that are too large. This is the #1 beginner error. Oversized crickets cause stress, potential injury, and impaction. Always match size to the space between your reptile's eyes.

Relying on a single supplier. Suppliers run out of stock, especially during heat waves or holidays. Keep a backup supplier bookmarked. Knowing where to find feeders fast prevents a hungry animal.

Skipping gutloading. A cricket that hasn't been fed is nutritionally empty. It won't harm your reptile, but it won't nourish it either. Gutload for at least 24 hours before every feeding session.

Buying too many at once. It's tempting to buy 1,000 crickets for the savings, but if you can't keep them alive for 3–4 weeks, you're losing money. Start with a smaller order until you've nailed your storage setup.

Ignoring the live arrival guarantee. Always buy from a supplier with a guarantee. Document DOA counts with a photo if they're significant — most reputable suppliers will make it right.

Reptile Expos: An Underrated Option

If there's a reptile expo near you, don't overlook it. Feeder insect vendors at expos often sell crickets at wholesale-level prices — sometimes as low as $10 for 500. You can inspect quality in person and ask questions about gutloading practices.

Check local Facebook reptile groups or reptileexpos.com for upcoming dates in your area. Even buying once every few months at an expo can seriously reduce your annual feeder budget.

Final Thoughts

The best place to buy live crickets depends on your setup. For most reptile owners, an online specialty retailer like Fluker Farms, Josh's Frogs, or Ghann's is the smartest long-term choice — better quality, lower cost per cricket, and consistent availability.

Local stores work for emergencies. Expos work for bulk deals. Amazon works for convenience.

Whatever source you choose, the real investment is in how you store and prep your feeders after they arrive. Gutloaded, calcium-dusted crickets from a decent supplier will do far more for your reptile's health than premium crickets tossed in a bowl without preparation.

Get the sourcing right, nail the storage, and your reptile will thrive.