Where to Go for Live Insects ...

Crickets

Field crickets and house crickets are sold commercially as live bait. Most bait shops stock them (or know where you can get them). Crickets are also sold in pet shops as food for reptiles and amphibians. Bait shops are generally cheaper than pet shops. If a local source is not available, you can order them from:

Fluker Farms

P.O. Box 378

Baton Rouge, LA 70821

Phone: 1-800-735-8537

Mealworms

Darkling beetles and their larvae (mealworms) can be found in poultry litter, the wood shavings used as ground cover by breeders of chickens and turkeys. Mealworms are also sold by pet stores as food for birds and some reptiles. If a local source is not available, you can order them from:

Rainbow Mealworms

126 E. Spruce Street

P.O. Box 4907

Compton, CA 90224

Phone: 1-800-777-9676

Green Lacewings and Lady Beetles

Beneficial insects, like lacewings and lady beetles, are mass produced and sold by "insectaries" (companies that specialize in supplying live insects). These companies can usually accomodate orders from teachers at any time of year.

ARBICO

P.O. Box 4247

Tucson, AZ 85738-1247

Phone: 1-800-827-2847

Hornworms and Corn Earworms

The "Insectary" at North Carolina State University rears a continuous supply of tobacco hornworms and corn earworms. Small quantities of these insects are made available free of charge to school teachers in North Carolina, and are sold at cost plus shipping to residents of other states. Contact Beverly Pagura for more information:

NCSU Insectary

Campus Box 7613

Raleigh, NC 27695-7613

Phone: 919-515-5470