About Us

Schubugs started with a simple idea — to produce high-quality, sustainable protein using insects.

Founded by Zachery Schubert in Adelaide, South Australia, the journey began in a garage with a small-scale cricket colony and a big vision: to grow insects for human consumption. With a background in Nutrition and Exercise Science from UniSA, Zachery understood the growing global demand for sustainable protein sources and the incredible nutritional potential insects offer.

Crickets, in particular, are one of the most nutrient-dense protein sources available. They are rich in complete protein (containing all essential amino acids), and naturally high in iron, calcium, B vitamins, and healthy fats. They also require significantly less land, water, and feed than traditional livestock, making them a highly sustainable alternative protein.

While travelling the world as a professional beach volleyball athlete — competing internationally and qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games — Zachery was exposed to cultures across Asia and South America where eating insects is a normal part of everyday life. This experience reinforced his belief that insects have a place in the future of food.

In the early days of Schubugs, Zachery partnered with Mikkel, who was based in New South Wales. Together, they built an online store called Just Crickets, supplying feeder crickets to customers all across Australia. This partnership played a key role in growing awareness and building a national customer base for high-quality feeder insects.

As the business evolved, Mikkel later stepped away from the industry, and the brand transitioned fully into what is now Schubugs — a business focused on quality, innovation, and long-term growth in the insect space.

Along the way, Zachery identified a major gap in the Australian market — a lack of high-quality feeder insects for reptile owners and breeders. Because Schubugs was already producing crickets to a standard suitable for human consumption, it became clear that these same crickets were far superior to typical feeder insects. Healthier insects mean healthier reptiles.

With the support of his father, Tim Schubert, Schubugs took its next big step. The operation moved out of the garage and onto a farm in Loxton, South Australia, starting with a single shipping container. Over the next five years (2018–2023), the business expanded to three containers dedicated to cricket production.

As demand grew, so did the ambition. Plans were made to scale into a purpose-built cricket facility to improve efficiency and output.

However, like many agricultural ventures, the journey wasn’t without challenges.

A significant inbreeding issue impacted the colony, leading to a sudden collapse in production and forcing Schubugs to pause operations. At the same time, Zachery was entering a critical Olympic qualification period, and the decision was made to step back from the farm and focus fully on competing at the highest level.

Now, Schubugs is back — with more experience, stronger systems, and a long-term vision.

We are currently developing and breeding a new line of crickets tailored to the Australian market, designed to outperform traditional feeder crickets in both nutrition and resilience. Alongside this, we are now producing Dubia roaches, widely regarded as one of the best feeder insects for reptile health.

Why Our Insects Are Different

At Schubugs, we don’t just grow insects — we focus on quality at every stage.

Our background in producing insects for human consumption means our feeders are:

• Raised on clean, high-quality feed
• Packed with nutrients
• Healthier and more active

For reptile owners, this translates to real benefits:

• Crickets provide excellent protein, encourage natural hunting behaviour, and suit a wide range of reptiles.
• Dubia roaches are high in protein, lower in fat than many alternatives, easy to digest, odour-free, and don’t climb or make noise. They also live longer and are easier to keep alive, making them a reliable feeder option.

Healthier feeders lead to better growth, stronger immune systems, and improved overall wellbeing in reptiles.

More Than Just a Business

Schubugs is built on transparency and education. Through the Schubugs YouTube channel, Zachery shares behind-the-scenes insights into insect farming — showing exactly where reptile food comes from and helping people better understand the process.

From a garage in Adelaide to a growing operation in regional South Australia, Schubugs is still driven by the same core mission:
to produce better insects — for people, for reptiles, and for the future of protein.