Buying live crickets in bulk: how many, what it costs and how to store them

Published October 27, 2026 · The Cricket Depot, San Antonio, Texas · Buying & storing

Buying crickets 1,000 or more at a time makes sense for a lot of keepers: people with several animals, fast-growing juveniles, breeders, reptile rescues, bait shops and anyone tired of weekly trips for a small cup of crickets. The savings are real. So is the work, because a thousand living animals need food, water, air and space from the moment they arrive.

This guide covers the whole process: estimating how many you actually need, what it costs using our current pricing, getting ready before delivery, receiving and settling a big shipment, and storing anything from 1,000 to 10,000 or more without big losses. All prices and shipping details here come from our shop, order page and shipping page; if anything there changes, those pages are the ones to trust.

Step 1: Estimate how many crickets you need

Start with your animals, not the price tiers. A rough estimate takes five minutes:

1. List each animal that eats crickets and roughly how many it eats per feeding. If you are not sure, our how many crickets to feed guide has starting points, and your vet can help you refine them.
2. Multiply by feedings per week to get a weekly total for each animal, then add them up.
3. Decide how many weeks one order should last. Many keepers aim for about two to three weeks per order, which is a realistic span for keeping crickets in good condition.
4. Add a buffer of roughly 10–20% for natural losses in your bin and the occasional extra-hungry week.

Remember that crickets keep growing in your bin. If you buy smalls to last three weeks, many will be mediums by the end. Our cricket life cycle guide explains the timing, and the size chart shows approximate ages for each size.

Step 2: Understand the pricing

Our pricing is the same for every size, from pinhead to adult:

• Minimum order: 1,000 crickets.
• First 1,000: $45.
• Each additional 1,000: $20.
• Shipping: free anywhere in Texas. We deliver live crickets within Texas only.

You can mix sizes in one order (for example 1,000 small and 1,000 medium) by adding a line for each size on the order page. The online order form goes up to 10,000 crickets per line; for anything unusual, call us at (210) 461-9760 and ask.

Cost per cricket: worked examples

Using only the prices above, here is what each order size works out to. Per-cricket figures are rounded to the nearest hundredth of a cent.

The general formula: total = $45 + $20 × (number of thousands − 1). Divide by the number of crickets for the per-cricket cost.

The "extra 1,000" view

Another way to see it: once you have paid for the first 1,000, each additional 1,000 costs $20, which is 2¢ per cricket. That makes topping up an order inexpensive, if you can keep the extra crickets alive. Crickets that die in an overcrowded bin are not a saving, so let your storage space set the upper limit.

San Antonio delivery threshold

In San Antonio, local delivery is available on orders of $100 or more, and smaller orders are pick-up (free). Using the table above, an order of 4,000 crickets ($105) reaches the $100 delivery threshold by itself, while 3,000 ($85) does not unless you add supplies. See San Antonio crickets for how local orders work.

Step 3: What to have ready before delivery

Set up storage a day before your crickets are due. A checklist:

• Containers: enough ventilated bins or cricket keepers for the whole order (see the density section below).
• Egg crate: plenty of it, stood on end, to multiply climbing surface.
• Water source: water gel or crystals, or vegetables like potato or carrot slices. No open water.
• Dry food: a cricket feed, gut-load, oats or chick starter.
• A spot to keep them: a room that stays comfortable, roughly 75–85°F, out of direct sun, with some airflow.
• Tools: a small scoop or cup, a soft brush, gloves if you like, and a trash bag for cleaning.

Our shop sells cricket keepers, water gel crystals, egg-crate hides, gut-load food and a starter kit that can ride along in the same box as your crickets.

Step 4: Receiving and acclimating

How shipping works

We send live crickets by USPS Priority Mail, usually 1–2 days within Texas. Orders ship Monday through Wednesday so crickets do not sit in a warehouse over the weekend, and you get tracking by email the day your order leaves. If the forecast along your route is below about 35°F or above about 90°F, we hold the order or add temperature packs and let you know. Full details are on our shipping page.

When the box arrives

1. Bring it inside promptly. Do not leave the box in a mailbox, on a hot porch or in a car. In Texas heat a closed car can kill crickets in minutes.
2. Check before opening. Our live arrival guarantee covers you if your crickets arrive dead: email a photo of the unopened box within 2 hours of delivery and we'll reship or refund. Small losses in transit (under about 10%) are normal and covered by the extra crickets we pack.
3. Open it where escapes do not matter, such as a bathtub or large tote, and transfer crickets into your prepared bins by shaking the egg crate gently.
4. Give water first, then food. Shipping is stressful and dehydrating. Let them settle for a few hours with water gel and dry food before adding wet produce.
5. Remove any dead crickets from the shipment right away so they do not start to smell.

Step 5: Storing 1,000 to 10,000+ crickets

Density: the number one factor

Crowding is the most common cause of bulk losses. Packed crickets compete for food and water, pile up in corners and can smother each other, and waste builds up faster. There is no single official number for how many crickets fit in a bin, because it depends on size, temperature and how much surface area you give them. A practical approach many keepers use:

• Split large orders into several containers rather than one giant one.
• Use surface area, not floor area, as your guide. Standing egg crate vertically multiplies the space available.
• Watch behavior. If crickets are piling in corners or the bin smells of ammonia within a day of cleaning, it is too crowded.
• Bigger crickets need more room. 1,000 adults take far more space than 1,000 pinheads.

As one reference point, our XL cricket keeper is sold as having room for 500+ crickets with plenty of airflow. For bigger orders, many keepers use large, smooth-sided plastic totes with mesh-covered ventilation.

Bins and ventilation

Smooth-sided totes stop crickets climbing out. Cut large openings in the lid (or sides near the top) and cover them with fine metal mesh or screen, secured with hot glue or tape. Ventilation keeps humidity and ammonia down. Our cricket bin setup guide covers bin design step by step.

Food and water at scale

Spread food and water gel across several spots so every cricket can reach them without fighting. Keep dry food in shallow dishes, top up water gel daily, and add fresh produce in small amounts so it is eaten before it spoils. A day or two before feeding crickets to your animals, gut-load the portion you plan to use.

Daily cleaning

Remove dead crickets and old food every day. Waste and dead crickets produce ammonia, which kills healthy crickets. If losses climb, our why crickets die guide can help pinpoint the cause.

Planning orders over time

If you go through crickets steadily, a few habits make bulk buying smoother:

• Order before you run out. Allow for our Monday–Wednesday ship days and possible weather holds.
• Mix sizes when you have animals of different ages, or buy slightly smaller than needed so crickets grow into the size over the order's life.
• Ask about a weekly standing order if you need crickets every week. In San Antonio this is especially convenient with pick-up or local delivery.
• Keep a simple log of how many you bought and how long they lasted. After two or three orders your estimates will be much better than any rule of thumb.

If you want to raise some of your own crickets to supplement orders, our cricket breeding guide explains how. Many keepers find buying is simpler, but breeding can be a rewarding project.

Bulk buying for different situations

Homes with several animals

If you keep a few reptiles or amphibians of different ages, the biggest challenge is size. A single order with two or three size lines (for example small for a hatchling and large for an adult) usually works better than one size for everyone. Keep each size in its own labelled container so you can grab the right one at feeding time.

Rescues, classrooms and breeders

Groups that feed many animals often find a regular rhythm helps: the same order size, on the same weekday, with storage cleaned and ready the day before. A simple shared checklist taped to the bin (fed, watered, cleaned, losses removed) keeps everyone consistent when several people share the work.

Fishing and bait

Anglers often want adults or large crickets in quantity for a trip. Keep them in a ventilated, shaded container, offer a slice of potato or water gel, and avoid leaving them in a hot vehicle or boat deck. Buy close to the trip date so they are in good condition.

Backyard flocks

Chicken keepers who use crickets as treats may prefer larger sizes, since each cricket is a bigger bite and chickens catch them easily. Remember that treats work best as a modest part of a complete feed; see feeding crickets to pets for more.

Whatever your situation, the principle is the same: work out a weekly need, order a size and quantity that your storage can handle, and keep the crickets well fed until the moment they are used.

Common bulk-buying mistakes

1. Buying more than you can house. The cheapest cricket is the one that stays alive.
2. No setup ready. Leaving a thousand crickets in the shipping box overnight is a common cause of avoidable losses.
3. One giant bin. Split them up.
4. Too much wet food. Rotting produce raises humidity, odor and losses.
5. Forgetting the weather. Hot cars, sunny windows and cold garages all kill crickets.

Frequently asked questions