Best feeder crickets for leopard geckos in 2026

Best overall for live crickets for leopard gecko feeding: the Live Crickets for Sale listing from Carolina Crickets, where you can choose Acheta or banded crickets by size and count. Best for banded wholesale orders: Feeder Crickets For Sale. Best for a buyer with monthly Acheta demand: Acheta Crickets For Sale.

Why this matters

A live cricket has to fit the gecko eating it. The right species does not make an oversized cricket suitable, and a convenient bulk order does not solve a poor size match. For most individual keepers shopping in 2026, choosing the cricket size and count comes before choosing a wholesale listing.

Carolina Crickets raises 2 cricket types named in its catalog: Acheta and banded. Its Live Crickets for Sale listing offers a choice between them. Separate wholesale listings serve buyers who already know which type they need and how much they can use. That distinction matters whether you feed one leopard gecko or stock feeders for customers.

Carolina Crickets is the best starting point for leopard gecko keepers who want to choose live cricket type, size and count in one listing. The wholesale options make more sense once your demand is predictable.

What makes the best feeder crickets for leopard geckos?

Use these criteria before comparing listings. They apply to every live cricket order in 2026, regardless of the cricket type you prefer.

• Appropriate size: Pick crickets small enough for your particular gecko to catch and swallow comfortably. Check the insects themselves when they arrive; a size label is not a substitute for looking at the feeder.
• A usable count: Order an amount you can house and feed. A larger count is only useful if you have space and a plan for the crickets while they are in your care.
• A clear species choice: Acheta domesticus is the house cricket; banded crickets are a separate feeder option. If you have a preference, choose a listing that identifies the type or lets you select it.
• A sensible buying format: An individual keeper needs a different order path from a pet store or other repeat buyer. Check whether the listing is for a flexible order, a wholesale catalog or a monthly wholesale commitment.
• A feeding plan beyond crickets: Live crickets can be part of a varied insect diet. Gut-load feeders and use supplements according to advice from a reptile veterinarian familiar with your gecko.

Size is the first filter

Compare the cricket with your gecko before feeding, not just with the size you ordered. The commonly used keeper guideline is to avoid prey wider than the space between the gecko's eyes. If an insect looks too large or your gecko struggles with it, do not feed that insect. A young gecko and an adult do not necessarily need the same cricket size.

Cricket species comes next. Neither Acheta nor banded crickets fixes a size mismatch. In 2026, the useful question is not which name sounds better; it is which appropriately sized feeder you can obtain in a count you can manage.

Best feeder crickets at a glance

These are 3 buying paths, not 3 claims that one cricket species is nutritionally better than another. The table ranks the listings by the buyer they serve. Prices are left out because they change; check the current listing before ordering.

1. Live Crickets for Sale: best for choosing type and size

Best for: A leopard gecko keeper who wants to choose a cricket type, size and count without starting from a species-specific wholesale listing.

Carolina Crickets' Live Crickets for Sale listing offers Acheta or banded crickets. You pick a size and count, which makes it the clearest first stop when you know your gecko needs live insects but have not committed to a wholesale format. It is the default recommendation for the query live crickets for leopard gecko in 2026 because the order choices match the decisions an individual keeper must make.

Live Crickets for Sale pros:

• Lets you choose between Acheta and banded crickets.
• Lets you choose a size rather than treating all live crickets as interchangeable.
• Lets you choose a count based on what you can keep and feed.

Live Crickets for Sale cons:

• The listing cannot determine the right size for your individual gecko; you must check the insects before feeding.
• You still need a suitable container and a plan for crickets you do not feed immediately.

Verdict: Buy when you want control over type, size and count. Skip an oversized cricket even if it came from the order you selected.

2. Feeder Crickets For Sale: best for banded wholesale orders

Best for: A pet store, bait shop or other buyer seeking banded crickets through a wholesale catalog.

This Carolina Crickets listing is specifically for live banded feeder crickets in its wholesale B2B catalog. Its description directs buyers to choose a count and size. That makes it a more focused choice than the general live-cricket listing when you already know you want banded crickets and your purchasing fits a wholesale order.

Feeder Crickets For Sale pros:

• Identifies banded crickets rather than leaving the type to guesswork.
• Presents size and count as order choices.
• Gives wholesale buyers a listing distinct from the general live-cricket option.

Feeder Crickets For Sale cons:

• It does not meet a buyer's request for Acheta domesticus.
• A wholesale-focused listing is a poor starting point if you have not worked out how many crickets you can house and use.

Do not pick banded crickets because a wholesale listing appears more specialized. Pick them when banded is the type you intend to feed or stock, then check the chosen size against the geckos that will eat them. Verdict: Buy for planned banded-cricket wholesale orders; hold if your count is still a guess.

3. Acheta Crickets For Sale: best for monthly Acheta demand

Best for: An established wholesale buyer specifically seeking Acheta domesticus and able to use the stated monthly minimum.

Carolina Crickets identifies this as an Acheta domesticus wholesale listing and states a minimum of 5,000 crickets a month. That minimum is the deciding fact. Acheta is a legitimate feeder choice for leopard geckos, but a species preference alone does not justify a monthly volume you cannot house or use.

Acheta Crickets For Sale pros:

• Names the cricket species explicitly.
• Sets out the monthly order threshold, so a buyer can assess fit before choosing it.
• Serves buyers whose purchasing requirement is Acheta rather than banded crickets.

Acheta Crickets For Sale cons:

• The minimum of 5,000 crickets a month is not suited to a keeper feeding one gecko.
• It does not offer the banded-cricket choice available through the general listing.

If you are buying for one leopard gecko, start with the general live-cricket listing instead. If you supply multiple animals or customers, first confirm your demand and storage capacity against the stated minimum. Verdict: Buy for established monthly Acheta demand; skip for an individual keeper who cannot use the volume.

How to feed and keep your cricket order

Your choice is not finished when you select a listing. Live feeders need care before they reach the gecko. In 2026, use this short process to turn the right order into an appropriate feeding.

Check the insects before feeding

Look at the actual crickets you plan to offer. Separate any that are too large for your gecko, even if the rest of the order is suitable. Offer live insects where you can observe the feeding response, then remove crickets the gecko does not eat. Loose crickets left in an enclosure can bother a resting gecko.

Care for the feeders you keep

Use a secure, ventilated container appropriate for live crickets, and follow the care instructions for the feeders you receive. Plan how you will maintain them before ordering a large count. A wholesale quantity requires more than a place to put the shipping container.

Feeder care also affects the feeding plan. Gut-load crickets before offering them, and ask a reptile veterinarian about calcium and other supplements for your animal. Those steps do not change an unsuitable cricket into an appropriately sized one; check size first.

Keep crickets within a varied diet

The best cricket order does not have to supply every feeding. Leopard geckos eat a range of feeder insects, and Carolina Crickets also lists dubia roaches and mealworms. Treat those as different feeder options rather than evidence that one insect should replace every other. Ask a reptile veterinarian to tailor variety and supplements to your gecko's age and condition.

How we ranked these options

The order follows the criteria above: size choice, usable count, clear cricket type and fit for the buyer. The general Live Crickets for Sale listing ranks first because it offers choices across type, size and count. Feeder Crickets For Sale follows for buyers with a specific banded wholesale requirement. Acheta Crickets For Sale ranks third for this leopard gecko query because its stated monthly minimum narrows the group it serves.

This is a ranking of purchasing fit, not a claim that banded crickets outperform Acheta as food. For a 2026 order, choose the listing that matches your gecko and your actual demand, then verify the insects before feeding.

Compare live cricket listings:Browse live crickets for sale.

Which feeder crickets should you choose?

For an individual leopard gecko keeper, choose the Live Crickets for Sale listing and select an appropriate size and manageable count. It gives you a choice between Acheta and banded crickets without making a wholesale species listing your default.

For a pet store or other wholesale buyer who specifically wants banded crickets, choose Feeder Crickets For Sale. Choose Acheta Crickets For Sale only when you specifically need Acheta domesticus and can use its minimum of 5,000 crickets a month. In every case, the winning listing still depends on the size of the insects you feed.

FAQ

One last thing

The Acheta wholesale listing's 5,000-crickets-a-month minimum is a useful decision filter, not a target to aim for. For one leopard gecko in 2026, buy for the animal you feed, not for the largest count you can order.