BOSTON (CBS) – Reptile owners in the Boston area could be having trouble feeding their pets due to a cricket shortage at some area pet stores.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Kendall Buhl reports

Gretchen Yakubowicz, the animal supervisor of Pet Supplies Plus in West Roxbury says her store is experiencing the cricket shortage.

“A lot of reptiles, if they are used to live crickets will not eat freeze-dried crickets, freeze-dried meal worms because they like the hunt,” Yakubowicz said.

Pet Supplies Plus is due to receive their next shipment of crickets on Thursday.

The problem is the recent cold and the fact crickets are not being shipped in heated containers.

The result is that the crickets have expired by the time they arrive at local pet stores. And that’s a big problem if you’re a bearded lizard or spotted gecko.