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Why are your prices slightly higher than your competitors?

What are the average shipping costs?

Why are shipping costs so high?

Why is this fabric bag in with my package?

Do you ship internationally?

Why are your bugs livelier then when I purchased them other places?

How does your membership program work?

I've received my package and some are dead. What should I do?

I have a *blank* and I'm curious what items you would recommend feeding?

What do you recommend as the best feeder item(s)?

Your Canadian Feeders gutload mix has a great mix of ingredients in it, but what use do they have for my animals?

How do you prepare your silkworm chow?

How do you prepare your hornworm chow?

How long does silkworm/hornworm chow last?

What are the nutritional values of your various feeders?

All this sounds great. How can I place an order?

Why are your prices slightly higher than your competitors?

Over the years we've seen many competitors come and go. Pricing can be a big influence on the length of time a given company can stay in business. Our pricing guarantees we will be able to continually offer you product. In addition, none of our competitors offer their insects in various gutload feeds or with overcount. We also stand behind our products 100%. We know if you try Canadian Feeders you will notice the difference!
What are the average shipping costs?

Shipping costs usually average between $15-$25, but change depending on what is ordered and your postal code. If you are interested in an exact shipping charge let us know your order size and your postal code, and we will email you a quote!
Why are shipping costs so high?

Shipping costs are calculated with many factors. The postage for mailing it is what is placed on the box by Canada Post. In addition there is a fee for insurance and for a signature request when it is delivered. Signatures are purchased so that in the event someone is not home Canada Post won't leave the package outside. After these expenses, there are fees for the box, tape, envelope, receipt, heat packs or cold packs as required, and the time it takes to prepare your package. As you can see these expenses can add up, but rest assured Canadian Feeders does not make any profit on shipping charges.
Why is this fabric bag in with my package?

These bags are heat packs that are used during cold weather shipping. Without them, your package would likely freeze and and arrive dead. We ensure each heat pack is perfectly placed to maintain maximum effectiveness. There is not any additional fees for heat packs which are used to pack your shipment. If you'd like to purchase additional heat packs, they will be shipped sealed and ready for your later use unless requested.
Do you ship internationally?

Certain countries may require permits to import our live items. We will gladly ship internationally, but the live arrival guarantee is void and the buyer is responsible for checking with their local authorities. If you're still interested please contact us and we would be glad to help you find out the laws in your area. Non-living items can be shipped internationally without hassle.
Why are your bugs livelier then when I purchased them from other places?

Here at Canadian Feeders we get countless emails asking this question. The reason we feel our feeders are so much livelier then other places is all insects, except crickets and cultures, are hand sorted as they are ordered. No feeders are precounted or weighed without sorting, and as such you are always assured only live insects. Other places may prepack products which means you could have been shipped less then you ordered or dead insects. When our orders leave all insects are live and fresh. Also, most of our worms have gutloaded for at least a week on site. They're fresh and well fed allowing them to ship in peak condition.
How does your membership program work?

Our membership program is done by a yearly dues. The first year is $25, and to renew each year is $20. Your membership is good for one year from the date of purchase. Memberships can be terminated due to lack of use or suspected abuse without prior notice or warning.
I've received my package and some are dead. What should I do?

First thing you should always do is remove all dead insects to help keep the ones still alive in best condition. If only a few insects are dead you do not need to do anything. Canadian Feeders always places an over count of around 10% in all of our orders (except crickets and cultures) just in case any die on the way. If a large portion arrives dead and you meet our live arrival guarantee criteria then either email us or call us to receive a quick response to your problem. Crickets are typically sent with 5% overcount.
I have a *blank* and I'm curious what items you would recommend feeding?

Here at Canadian Feeders we only sell feeders that we endorse. As such all items on our website make for great feeders. To help a little, here is a simple breakdown.

If you have tiny aquatic pets, such as tadpoles or fish, try our microworm or vinegar eel cultures!

For slightly larger aquatic or terrestrial pets try using fruit fly or springtail cultures!

Smaller animals can take full advantage of crickets, mealworms and small butterworms, hornworms, and silkworms. Waxworms make a great treat, but aren't suitable as a regular staple. Any of our gutloads are great for the crickets and mealworms, and help ensure your animals are getting more of the nutrition they require. Dusting with a calcium supplement and a vitamin supplement is also a great idea, and we recommend consulting your vet about the dosages and regularity.

Medium sized animals can enjoy crickets, superworms, large butterworms, silkworms and hornworms, in addition to most of the items suitable for small animals. Superworms will thrive on our gutloads, and should be dusted as well.

Large sized animals can be fed superworms, large butterworms, silkworms and hornworms.


We are always expanding our selection, and hope to offer other feeders for your animals shortly, so be sure to check back regularly.
What do you recommend as the best feeder item(s)?

A great question that we receive regularly is "which feeder item(s) do you recommend as the best". The most important thing to realize is that, even though one feeder item may be fantastic, feeding a variety of items is the key to a healthy and happy animal. The more of a variety offered the better. But with that in mind some feeder items rank higher then others.

A great feeder that is often overlooked is earthworms. Because of their moisture content and low ash, they tend to be highly digestible by all animals. Easily cut into bite sized portions that still move to keep your animals attention, earthworms are great for any sized pet. Great protein content makes them easily our number one choice for feeders. The downside is that many animals will not eat earthworms or the worms are not good for them. Certain species of worms, such as redworms, sometimes produce an offensive odour/taste that many animals find unpalatable. Also, collecting earthworms from the wild is not recommended as they could have pesticides or other harmful chemicals on them or in their digestive tracts. It should also be mentioned that if you choose to purchase from a bait shop that you ask the staff where their worms come from. Some companies will spray a liquid, such as dish soap, over an area and hire people to pick up the worms as they come to the surface from the irritation. Earthworms coated with these substances are usually fine as fishing bait, but can be quite harmful to pets. Be sure that the worms you are buying were farm raised, or grow some for yourself.

The next three most highly recommend feeders are hard to place in any order. Butterworms, with their bright orange colour and extremely high calcium content are fantastic feeders that most animals accept. Available in small and large sizes they can feed any sized animal. The high calcium content lends itself to be most useful to animals with a calcium deficiency, growing youngsters and breeding females. Hornworms, with their bright green colour and great nutritional value are an amazing feeder for animals of any size. Their amazing growth rate means that you can raise your own large worms in just a few days. Silkworms, with their greyish white colour and high protein are a great feeder that most animals accept. Available in almost any size, they can be fed to almost most animals. Their high protein content helps make them a prime choice for growing and adult animals. All three make excellent staples in a varied diet, but due to the costs most keepers avoid using them regularly.

The other feeders we offer are ideal for items in a regular diet, but we feel these four items will lead to the healthiest animals available when used as a staple over other options. Feeding a diet that consists mostly of these four feeders, and using all the other feeder options available to help provide variety is the key to healthy animals. As always though, you should contact your veterinarian about any particular needs of your pet, including calcium and vitamin supplementation frequency and dosages.
Your Canadian Feeders gutload mix has a great mix of ingredients in it, but what use do they have for my animal?

Bee Pollen - An excellent item to promote a healthy immune system.
Brewer's Yeast - Acts as an antibacterial agent as well as providing B-vitamins.
Dehydrated Alfalfa - Great for carotenoids, vitamins E and K as well as fibre.
Dehydrated Cranberry - Superb source of bioflavonoids, potassium and vitamin C.
Dehydrated Coconut - Supplies potassium, sodium and selenium as well as a terrific effect on nerves.
Paprika - Exceptional for a healthy immune system and enhances colouration in Anurans.
Peanuts - Supplying much of the protein in our mix, as well as B-vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium.
Probiotic Culture - Helps keep the animal's digestive tract in top condition.
Spirulina - Helps out the immune system as well as having terrific nutritional qualities.
All other our items are high quality mix of various oats, grains and seeds that help make a great basis for our gutload mix. All of our gutload items are selected from high grade quality products and blended per order. We do not blend large amounts of mix in advance, as that could affect the quality. Every order is done by hand when it is placed, ensuring freshness and quality, and is only mixed in 235mL quantities to ensure our portions contain exactly the ratios of each item that we have decided on to meet with our high standards.
How do you prepare your silkworm chow?

Simply take a 1/2lb of silkworm chow (approximately 2 cups) and thoroughly mix it with 3 cups hot tap water in a microwavable container. Next, cover it with plastic wrap and microwave it for 3 minutes or until the chow begins to boil. Quickly stir the mix again thoroughly, replacing the plastic wrap and microwaving the mix for an additional 2 minutes. After you are done, press the plastic wrap down flat to the top of the chow to prevent condesation. When the chow has cooled, store the unused amounts in the refrigerator. It should last between 4-6 weeks in its cooked form.
How do you prepare your hornworm chow?

Simply take 1 portion of hornworm chow and mix it with 1 litre of boiled water. Blend the mix for 10 minutes, pour into a container and let cool. When the chow has cooled, store the unused amounts in the refrigerator. It should last between 4-6 weeks in its cooked form.
How long does silkworm/hornworm chow last?

In its cooked form, chow should last between 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator. In powdered form, however, the chow should last approximately one year if stored in the freezer.
What are the nutritional values of your various feeders?

We are currently in the process of arranging to have all of our insects analyzed personally. Until then though, there are many online sources for comparisons. A great source for information is the Nutrition Advisory Group Handbook. Also look at their whole site at http://www.nagonline.net for tons of helpful information. In addition Grubco has allowed us to reproduce their charts. Remember that the nutrition of insects vary from place to place, which is why it is good to always ensure feeders are well taken care of and fed high quality foods.

 
  Crickets Meal Worms Wax Worms Super Worms Fly Larvae
Moisture, % 69.07 62.44 61.73 59.37 68.18
Fat, % 6.01 12.72 22.19 17.89 7.81
Protein, % 21.32 20.27 15.50 17.41 15.58
Fibre, % 3.2 1.73 7.69 6.80 3.46
Ash, % 2.17 1.57 1.02 1.20 1.40
Ca, ppm 345 133 283 124 874
P, ppm 4238 3345 2161 2320 2405
CA/P ratio % 0.081 0.040 0.131 0.053 0.363

Butterworms nutritional analysis is as follows.

Moisture, % 58.54
Ash, % 1.04
Protein, % 16.20
Fat, % 5.21
Calories 87.73
Calcium (mL/100g) 42.90**

**The Calcium content is more than twice that of any other feeder insect you can buy.
All this sounds great. How can I place an order?

Send us an email, use our order form or call us and we'd be happy to help. Be sure to tell us your: Name, Address, Postal Code, Phone Number (Optional) and Items Ordered. We usually will have a response out to you within 48 hours!

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