# Woodies



## Foozil (Feb 4, 2018)

Does anybody know of any pet shops in Wollongong that sell woodies? Or anybody else that sells them?
(sorry if this is in the wrong place, mods)
Thanks,


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## Scutellatus (Feb 4, 2018)

Livefoods Unlimited

http://www.livefoods.com.au


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## Foozil (Feb 4, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Livefoods Unlimited
> 
> http://www.livefoods.com.au



Ok that looks a lot better than a pet shop. Thank you!


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## Scutellatus (Feb 4, 2018)

Make sure you have your order in by Sunday and you will get them Wednesday or Thursday.


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## Foozil (Feb 4, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Make sure you have your order in by Sunday and you will get them Wednesday or Thursday.


Will do


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 4, 2018)

They have silkworms too which are awesome reptile food.


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## pinefamily (Feb 4, 2018)

Brian's Worms. Sells woodies all over Australia. And a great bloke too.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 4, 2018)

pinefamily said:


> Brian's Worms. Sells woodies all over Australia. And a great bloke too.


That's who I got my woodies and worms from originally.


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## Wally (Feb 4, 2018)

pinefamily said:


> Brian's Worms. Sells woodies all over Australia. And a great bloke too.



Great service never had an issue!


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 4, 2018)

Wally said:


> Great service never had an issue!


Agreed.


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## Foozil (Feb 4, 2018)

Thanks guys.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 4, 2018)

pinefamily said:


> Brian's Worms. Sells woodies all over Australia. And a great bloke too.


I buy my woodies from Brian,quick delivery and always good quality.


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## Foozil (Feb 4, 2018)

Sounds like a great guy, I might give him a go.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 4, 2018)

Foozil said:


> Sounds like a great guy, I might give him a go.


You wont go wrong,Brian really looks after you,He never gives old bugs


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 4, 2018)

Brian Mercer keeps turtles, he's a top guy.


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## Tobe404 (Feb 4, 2018)

Honestly I'd buy a bulk lot and then start breeding you own. It's really not hard.

Spare heat mat and/or cord under plastic tub set to 30c and chuck in any spare food scraps you have (just don't over do it) and make sure you have plenty of ventilation. Also apply some Vaseline around the top of the tub to prevent them from getting out (mine is open at the top with no lid/screen, but up to you).

I started with about 3-4 tubs (which I stock up every now and again, but not often) of large Woodies from a local pet shop and I now have hundreds if not thousands in a matter of months.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 5, 2018)

Tobe404 said:


> Honestly I'd buy a bulk lot and then start breeding you own. It's really not hard.


You don't need to start out with a bulk lot. I started this colony with just 30 woodies from Brian.



Once a year I buy a small container of Pisces woodies from any random pet store and put them in my woody bin. This is just to add some more genetics to the colony. Also, rather than keep them in tubs, they fare a lot better straight outside in a large compost bin.


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## Foozil (Feb 5, 2018)

I am going to start breeding them. Where I am heat cord isn't needed.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 5, 2018)

Foozil said:


> I am going to start breeding them. Where I am heat cord isn't needed.


I don't use a heat cord either (except for a little time during winter)
I used to let them die off during winter and start a new colony (this is why Brian loves me) in spring but I bought central netted last year so I needed small bugs year round.Sorry Brian it's not you it's me.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 5, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> I don't use a heat cord either (except for a little time during winter)
> I used to let them die off during winter and start a new colony (this is why Brian loves me) in spring but I bought central netted last year so I needed small bugs year round.Sorry Brian it's not you it's me.


They shouldn't die off, they just stop breeding for about a month... I'm on top of the Great Dividing Range and it's been down to -16 in the dead of winter and mine have been outside now for 6 years. They don't die off. Even when the woody bin is covered in frost they're still alive. They just eat noticeably less because they slow right down... Mine have still been breeding in June, stop in July and usually start again in late August. The bin gets the sun all day so even in winter it stays warm enough.


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## Foozil (Feb 5, 2018)

I guess if the invasive roaches don't die during winter why would the natives?


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 5, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> They shouldn't die off, they just stop breeding for about a month... I'm on top of the Great Dividing Range and it's been down to -16 in the dead of winter and mine have been outside now for 6 years. They don't die off. Even when the woody bin is covered in frost they're still alive. They just eat noticeably less because they slow right down... Mine have still been breeding in June, stop in July and usually start again in late August. The bin gets the sun all day so even in winter it stays warm enough.


mine didn't just die,I fed them to the chooks


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## Foozil (Feb 5, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> mine didn't just die,I fed them to the chooks


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 5, 2018)

Foozil said:


>





dragonlover1 said:


> mine didn't just die,I fed them to the chooks


My chooks ABSOLUTELY LOVE tub cleanouts,when they see me come out the back door with a tub they run like olympic sprinters


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## Foozil (Feb 5, 2018)

For good reason! Yummo


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 5, 2018)

The Peewees try to get into my woodies every day.


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## pinefamily (Feb 5, 2018)

Our chooks are at the gate before I get there.


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## Tony Stark (Feb 5, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> You don't need to start out with a bulk lot. I started this colony with just 30 woodies from Brian.
> View attachment 323152
> 
> 
> Once a year I buy a small container of Pisces woodies from any random pet store and put them in my woody bin. This is just to add some more genetics to the colony. Also, rather than keep them in tubs, they fare a lot better straight outside in a large compost bin.



What’s in the woody bin to get it to that level?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 6, 2018)

Tony Stark said:


> What’s in the woody bin to get it to that level?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


In the beginning I put a whole bale of sugar cane mulch in it


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## Tony Stark (Feb 6, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> In the beginning I put a whole bale of sugar cane mulch in it



Thanks I’m thinking of doing something similar. How would they go in winter in Ipswich? 


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## Foozil (Feb 6, 2018)

Tony Stark said:


> How would they go in winter in Ipswich?


I would imagine just fine? Doesn't Toowoomba in winter get pretty cold @Aussiepride83?


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## Tony Stark (Feb 6, 2018)

Foozil said:


> I would imagine just fine? Doesn't Toowoomba in winter get pretty cold @Aussiepride83?



My bad I did not realise @Aussiepride83 was in Toowoomba. One more question do you have anything on the bin to stop escapees?


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## Foozil (Feb 6, 2018)

Tony Stark said:


> My bad I did not realise @Aussiepride83 was in Toowoomba. One more question do you have anything on the bin to stop escapees?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not sure what Kev does but I would be putting a band of fluon or vaseline around the top just so they can't climb out when you open the lid.


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## Tony Stark (Feb 6, 2018)

Foozil said:


> Not sure what Kev does but I would be putting a band of fluon or vaseline around the top just so they can't climb out when you open the lid.



Excellent thanks. The outside bin idea is great for me I get in trouble for escapees in the house lol


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## Foozil (Feb 6, 2018)

Tony Stark said:


> Excellent thanks. The outside bin idea is great for me I get in trouble for escapees in the house lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


lol no worries!


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 6, 2018)

Hi there, sorry only just knocked off work... Winters get well below zero here and no I don't use Fluon or anything else near my feeders... Long story short... The odd few come out of the bin here and there but why would they want to leave?? The compost bin has everything they need, a source of food and shelter. The bin stays open like this all the time with a half paver brick under one side of the lid to allow for air flow and that's it. Birds and rain can't get in, I sometimes have a rat visitor but I always have rat traps ready to catch them. The local frogs visit the bin at night. Really, there's no need to try and prevent them from escaping. I've had this outdoor colony setup like this now open 24/7 for 6 years and it's still going nuts. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SkXCiVyOyKMzRZc2ZLeVdER0k/view?usp=sharing


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## Foozil (Feb 6, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> Hi there, sorry only just knocked off work... Winters get well below zero here and no I don't use Fluon or anything else near my feeders... Long story short... The odd few come out of the bin here and there but why would they want to leave?? The compost bin has everything they need, a source of food and shelter. The bin stays open like this all the time with a half paver brick under one side of the lid to allow for air flow and that's it. Birds and rain can't get in, I sometimes have a rat visitor but I always have rat traps ready to catch them. The local frogs visit the bin at night. Really, there's no need to try and prevent them from escaping. I've had this outdoor colony setup like this now open 24/7 for 6 years and it's still going nuts.
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SkXCiVyOyKMzRZc2ZLeVdER0k/view?usp=sharing


Awesome mate and thanks for the info! I like that much better than worms


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 6, 2018)

Foozil said:


> Awesome mate and thanks for the info! I like that much better than worms


Soldier flies also lay their eggs in the compost scraps so there's always a few soldier fly larvae getting around too which turtles love to eat, I have a heap of pill bugs in there too that I gathered up out at my mum's place.


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## Tony Stark (Feb 6, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> Hi there, sorry only just knocked off work... Winters get well below zero here and no I don't use Fluon or anything else near my feeders... Long story short... The odd few come out of the bin here and there but why would they want to leave?? The compost bin has everything they need, a source of food and shelter. The bin stays open like this all the time with a half paver brick under one side of the lid to allow for air flow and that's it. Birds and rain can't get in, I sometimes have a rat visitor but I always have rat traps ready to catch them. The local frogs visit the bin at night. Really, there's no need to try and prevent them from escaping. I've had this outdoor colony setup like this now open 24/7 for 6 years and it's still going nuts.
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SkXCiVyOyKMzRZc2ZLeVdER0k/view?usp=sharing



Thanks mate that’s great 


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## pinefamily (Feb 6, 2018)

Tony Stark said:


> Excellent thanks. The outside bin idea is great for me I get in trouble for escapees in the house lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I get into the same trouble. So much so, I have to tong feed only, just in case any escape the enclosures.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 6, 2018)

Just pinch their heads with your tongs and throw them in... they'll kick and flail about but won't escape. That's all I do.


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