If you run a shop, feeder supply is a standing problem. You need bugs on the shelf every week. You need them in the size your customers ask for. And you need a supplier who tells you early when they cannot deliver.

Here are six questions that sort a grower from a middleman.

How can I tell if a feeder supplier raises their own insects?

Ask them to describe a colony. Someone who raises feeders can tell you how one starts, how long it produces and how often it gets sorted. Listen for whether the answer stays on price.

Start here, because the rest follows from the answer. A reseller passes on whatever arrived. A grower decides how the bugs are raised, sorted and held, and can tell you why a batch is what it is.

Why does sorting matter when buying feeder insects?

Because size is what your customer came in for. If you order mediums and receive a mix, you cannot sell them to somebody who asked for a specific size.

Ask whether sorting is a real step in their process or an afterthought. We run whole totes through width sorters every 30 to 45 days. If they cannot describe how they sort, they probably are not doing it.

What should a supplier do when they cannot fill my order?

Tell you early. That is the whole answer.

It is the question worth asking hardest. Colonies are living things. They get sick, they slow down, and a bad month happens to everyone who raises insects. What separates suppliers is whether you hear about it before the box arrives short.

We hold bugs back rather than selling everything we raise, so some months we have less to sell you than you asked for. We would rather tell you that than empty a colony to fill one order.

Should a feeder supplier confirm my order before shipping?

Ask whether a human looks at your order before it ships. We do. Every request comes to us, we check what we have, and we come back to you.

That is slower than a shopping cart. It is also why we confirm against what is actually in the room.

Do feeder insect rules vary by state?

Yes. Rules on live insects change from state to state. We check yours before we take your order.

Ask your supplier whether they do the same. If the answer is vague, that is worth checking yourself before you order.

What is the smallest feeder order I can place?

Ours is 25. Nothing smaller.

This is a fair question to ask any supplier, and the answer will not always suit you. A minimum that is too high for your shelf turnover means dead stock, so ask it early rather than after the first order.

The short version

Ask who raises them, how they sort, what happens on a bad month, whether they confirm before shipping, whether they check your state, and what their minimum is. A grower will have an answer to all of them. Ask us through the request form on this site and see.