Valid point, I can’t imagine bartering with Japanese dealers to reduce the price of the shipping of a large (3m/3m) mesh enclosure due to pandemic delays being something most T keepers will happily do just to mass rear some hornworms...
^ This. Tropical house crickets are great, some of my local pet stores changed to them a few years ago so I usually use them.
I agree! There is a pet supplies plus near me and they sell them now. They are so much better. They are a great alternative for people who hate roaches. They don’t smell as bad as house crickets and they live longer.
I keep colonies of both B.dubia and B.lateralis...I much prefer the B.lateralis roaches.
They come in a pretty convenient size for most small to medium insectivores. For larger insectivores I use orange heads which ime are much better feeders than dubias. They grow a bit larger, have a much higher meat-to-shell ratio, and the large nymphs are as chunky as, or even chunkier, than the adults. Only problem is they are burrowers, but you can crush their heads before feeding. They're also really good for composting too and prefer more protein than your average roach species, although they will eat any and everything with gusto.
Not bad feeders, but the do have another problem - they release an unpleasant odor when stressed. So if you're really bothered by foul odors avoid them.