Is it safe to order alive insects online? 

Yes it is, and here’s why. 

Here on Australia’s largest insect farm, the Reptile Realm team has spent over 35 years providing feeder insects to owners of bearded dragons, reptiles, frogs, turtles, arachnids, birds, wildlife and all sorts of insect-eating pets.

We supply zoos, wildlife parks, hospitals and rescue facilities, plus breeders, shops and homes across Australia. 

While many of our customers enjoy ordering products like frozen crickets or dried mealworms, they find that it’s live food that truly delights their pets. Live crickets, woodies and mealworms are not only the freshest, most nutritious reptile food you can get, they also provide vital mental stimulation and encourage natural hunting behaviours in creatures like reptiles, birds and spiders. 

We safely supply fresh insects like live woodies, crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, BSFL or vitaworms, silkworms and live fly pupae to Australians throughout QLD, NSW, ACT, SA and VIC, and we’re so confident in our processes that all of your orders are protected by our Live Insect Arrival Guarantee.

How do we do it?

We start with the healthiest insects possible, carefully raised by insect experts on our farm, free from pesticides and parasites, and loaded with protein and nutrients. 

On the morning of dispatch, our experienced growroom teams carefully pack your insects to ensure the most comfortable trip. They are checked and packed into orders for swift shipping by priority couriers to your door. Our growing, production, packing and shipping processes are all designed to ensure the best possible insects reach you. 

Over the years, we have pioneered the development of specialised packaging systems designed for live insects. 

All Live Insect Tubs and Value Packs travel in quality ventilated plastic containers that can be reused for insect housing, hatchling habitats, or whatever your heart desires.  They are convenient, recyclable and can be repurposed. 

Most Bulk Insect products travel in a robust calico bag. The fabric and cardboard packaging of bulk insects is compostable or reusable too. By purchasing insects in bulk you are helping to reduce the plastic waste of small tubs and reducing the shipping impact as the bulks take up less room on trucks and planes.

Ideal shipping conditions to maximise their health year-round

Our shipping boxes are also designed with insect care in mind. Winter-time means closed boxes with heat packs where appropriate, and summer-time brings vented boxes with handy windows to let the fresh air in to your insects. Our bugs are also given the ideal food, moisture, substrates and housing to ensure a comfortable trip. (First-class travel for everyone.)

Orders are packed for collection by priority couriers every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. This way, you’ll receive the order by Friday, which avoids your insects being stuck at depots over the weekend.

Please order before 8am Wednesday morning (7:30 if you’re in South Australia) to receive your order in the current week. 

Ideally, it's great to be home to receive your feeder insects, but that's not always possible. That's why all orders are shipped with an Authority to Leave. If you have a safe spot in mind - pop it in the notes at checkout. 

Our systems are all tailored to ensure that your nutritious feeder insects will arrive at your door safe and sound, ready for feeding reptiles, birds, arachnids, wildlife and other insectivorous or omnivorous animals.

But can't I just get bugs from the pet store?

Of course, you can often find alive crickets at pet stores, however, it can be hard to tell how long those bugs have been sitting on the shelf, and how long they were travelling.

Also, bugs that are not purchased before they die on the shelves add vastly to the food waste in our environment. The valuable resources that go into the complex farming, packaging and distribution of specialised animal food are wasted, without ever reaching a hungry creature's mouth.  Sometimes, these live insects are not fed and watered, so they are in distress and their lives will be shortened. 

Feeding live insects is crucial for the health of many animals, but it is also vital to consider their health and comfort before they are served for dinner. 

For these reasons, we recommend ordering products like live crickets for reptiles fresh from the farm where they are grown!

What happens if something goes wrong?

Occasionally, bad things happen in transit - if you have any issues with your order when it arrives, our Live Insect Arrival Guarantee means you simply need to take photos and email contact@reptilerealm.com.au and we’ll take care of everything.

What are you waiting for? Fresh live crickets, woodies, mealworms and other insects for feeding reptiles are ready now for a swift and safe journey from our farm to your door.