is it bad to buy my bugs from petco and petsmart (2024)

I think inherently, the answer is "no" but I think from a more complicated standpoint, the answer would be "I'd avoid it."
Those stores tend to sell/use feeders for LOTS of lizards, and that really ups the likelihood of parasites being passed from lizards, to feeders, and back.
Many lizards can carry parasites without issue their whole lives. Chams appear to be more sensitive to them. So buying from a store that sells both feeders AND lizards is going to be a breeding ground for parasites.

Conversely, if you buy from insect feeder breeders that exclusively work insects, you're far, FAR less likely to expose your cham to parasites.
That concern alone is enough for me to split getting my feeders from an online source, and I have a dubia colony that I keep myself.

bruce the cham said:

just wondering if its bad

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And secondly I have seen those bins, never cleaned out so there is a bacterial concern

I agree with everything already said. Especially when it comes to buying your bulk crickets there.

Now the ones in containers are very low risk. In a pinch if I need to add crickets I will get their prepackaged ones that are in little clear containers. These come packaged straight from the supplier and are sealed. But otherwise I would order from a reputable dealer.

Agreed with the above, you’re almost guaranteeing parasites at some point buying from those stores. Even if they do everything right, handling feeders and reptiles is a recipe for eventual contamination.

I used to sell a lot of bugs, mainly roaches(I don’t anymore). There’s a lot of good places to buy online and forums meant for inverts/roaches/etc where people are selling. check the sponsors for the worms, flies, common roaches, crickets, etc. Many of them you can get multiple types at once for good prices. And then with Ghanns crickets, the price can be a bit high, but I can tell you(others who buy from them would probably agree), the crickets never seem to die. Give them a good bin with ventilation+food and they only die when fed off. I had some I forgot about live for I swear like 2 months without me doing anything. So with lack of die off, the price comes out to be cheaper IME.

bruce the cham said:

i live in qc arizona and it is to hot to ship here probably the closest reptile shop is 40 minutes away

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Most online bug places will have an option for your local post office to hold the package there for pickup. It's a bit of an annoyance to go pick it up, but you won't have smelly dead/cooked bugs in your mailbox when you get home from work, and you'll have high quality feeders for your cham/reptiles. I'd imagine your local post office is probably closer than the nearest specialty reptile pet store.

bruce the cham said:

this week i am going to drive to the nearest reptile shop and buy some dubias and if i fail i will try getting them shiped

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Dubias aren't too hard to keep. A bin with a lid (and holes poked in it for ventilation), cardboard egg cartons for them to hide/birth in, good food consistently available, and a bin cleanout every few weeks is all it takes for me. I have a heat mat with a thermometer attached to keep the bin between 85-90 degrees on one end, and a bit cooler on the food side.

Just make sure you're also feeding other bugs to your cham too - variety is key! I usually add in BSFL and sometimes let them go to fly stage so my cham has something to hunt. Silkworms are great too. I avoid crickets mostly because I hate them lol. Jumpy little things...