Anyone keep C*ckroaches?

[Vermis]

It took me a while the first time I kept inverts, but when I started trying to breed feeder roaches I got bit by the bug, almost harder than with Ts. I don't know exactly what it is about them. I kept dubias, red runners, lobsters, discoids, but the pride of my collection was a tub full of big peppered roaches, Archimandrita tesselata.

This time around, I'm bit again, though the diversity of available species in the UK seems to have dropped a bit. Or maybe it's just me. Started with another feeder colony, this time orange heads, Eublaberus posticus (just a wee bit more colourful than dubias, and something I haven't kept before) from the one regional seller I could find. They've been putting out enough nymphs over the past couple of months that I almost feel like I could feed my one T from them exclusively.

They were quickly followed by a colony of red heads, Oxyhaloa duesta. From the same seller and, again, the only one who had any to sell! Planned to get these going for feeding some potential future slings, but oddly, these are a bit more reluctant to start popping out nymphs. Oh well, they're characterful little buggies anyway.

Thirdly, a second colony of A. tesselata. I couldn't not. I almost thought these had disappeared completely from the UK scene, but once again I managed to find a single seller after trawling private ads. Bought twelve nymphs, one shed and emerged fully mature during transit, but it seems like the stresses were too much and it died a couple of days later. Currently treating the remaining precious little trilobites with kid gloves.

And I'm thinking about another colony, a species that's a real rarity that I got some info about. Something that I not only haven't heard of before, but that I can't even find any photos of online. Fingers crossed, and watch this space.

 

[mrsoul1974]

I have a pair of hissers as pets. When they breed I either give the babies away as pets, and whatever I can't give away becomes T food. I also keep a colony of red-runners as my staple food for my Ts. They all pretty much eat Fluker's cricket food and the occasional raw veggie.

 

[arachbiodude]

I am breeding dubia and lobster roach. The lobster is very strong for it's size and is a climbing roach.

 

[Nurse Ratchet]

I've been itching to start a colony up for my T's. Something that won't infest my home and that is fairly easy to keep. I've looked a lot into Dubia's, but have no experience. I've never had to purchase a heat mat or thermostat, and heat sources make me nervous to be honest.
Anyone willing to share some photos of how and where they keep their colonies?

 

[Lentulus]

I keep Dubia and red runners. Red runners tend to get a better feed response from T’s because they’re in constant movement. Dubias dig and play dead to great effect. They’re also slower, make great feeders for less agile critters like a bearded dragon. Both love heat. My pics won’t do you much good because I can get away just leaving them setup in my garage with no extra heat sources—sunny socal. Have used heat pads in the past but found they keep on keeping on without so I ditched ‘em.

I keep spare tubs handy and just swap them out occasionally as their cleaning maintenance. Easy peezy. Inside is egg cartons on bare plastic. Others like to use bedding for the roaches to dig but I find that unnecessary and just more to clean. Was going to post more pics, but noticed you had viewed other threads that basically mirrored what mine looks like inside, and well honestly, my tub is due a cleaning so my roaches aren’t instagram picture ready.

The clown has some good shots in his massive envy thread, fresher veggies too—if you can find it. Oursapoil—forgive if I mess that up—is another good reference.

 

[Nurse Ratchet]

Thank you. The Dubia appeal is that they won't thrive here in SC. I hate that they dig and freeze, but I worry about escapes. My garage is too cold in winter and gets up to 95F in summer, so I'm guessing they'll have to be indoors. My house temp ranges 72-78. Everything I've read says they need it 90 and dark to breed.
I need to just night the bullet and do it... The initial cost and heat source concerns stink, but feeders have tripled in cost here in less than 10 months.
I've exhausted YouTube and appreciate the input.

 

[Lentulus]

When using heat pads, I used an old piece of glass from an aquarium lid I had lying around. The attached the pad to that, and taped that to the plastic bin. The bugs loved it, just found I don’t need it. The reason for the glass is my fail safe for when/if the heat pad went bonkers. I have seen those things melt holes into tubs and that was a concern for me.

 

[Wolfclans]

It took me a while the first time I kept inverts, but when I started trying to breed feeder roaches I got bit by the bug, almost harder than with Ts. I don't know exactly what it is about them. I kept dubias, red runners, lobsters, discoids, but the pride of my collection was a tub full of big peppered roaches, Archimandrita tesselata.

This time around, I'm bit again, though the diversity of available species in the UK seems to have dropped a bit. Or maybe it's just me. Started with another feeder colony, this time orange heads, Eublaberus posticus (just a wee bit more colourful than dubias, and something I haven't kept before) from the one regional seller I could find. They've been putting out enough nymphs over the past couple of months that I almost feel like I could feed my one T from them exclusively.

They were quickly followed by a colony of red heads, Oxyhaloa duesta. From the same seller and, again, the only one who had any to sell! Planned to get these going for feeding some potential future slings, but oddly, these are a bit more reluctant to start popping out nymphs. Oh well, they're characterful little buggies anyway.

Thirdly, a second colony of A. tesselata. I couldn't not. I almost thought these had disappeared completely from the UK scene, but once again I managed to find a single seller after trawling private ads. Bought twelve nymphs, one shed and emerged fully mature during transit, but it seems like the stresses were too much and it died a couple of days later. Currently treating the remaining precious little trilobites with kid gloves.

And I'm thinking about another colony, a species that's a real rarity that I got some info about. Something that I not only haven't heard of before, but that I can't even find any photos of online. Fingers crossed, and watch this space.

You actually got bitten by a dubi roach? I didn't think they bite lol what you do when it bite you did you scream

 

[Lentulus]

They still make babies in the 70’s just not as quickly. I have more Roaches than I know what to do with.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

This is my simple starter set up for my dubias
Plastic tub (they can't climb plastic), cut slits in the lid and hot-glued mesh on for ventilation.
A dark tub would have been better, but I went with what I had. The tub is tucked away in the cupboard so nice and dark anyway.

Heatmat taped to the outside, close to the egg cartons.
I didn't get any babies until the instant I added the heatmat.
One tray of water beads, and another tray for food.

It takes a while to get started, but once you have a range of ages, you should have a stable colony.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

You actually got bitten by a dubi roach? I didn't think they bite lol what you do when it bite you did you scream

I think she meant 'bitten by the bug' in the 'got into the hobby' sense, rather than an actual nip from a roach

 

[Nurse Ratchet]

When using heat pads, I used an old piece of glass from an aquarium lid I had lying around. The attached the pad to that, and taped that to the plastic bin. The bugs loved it, just found I don’t need it. The reason for the glass is my fail safe for when/if the heat pad went bonkers. I have seen those things melt holes into tubs and that was a concern for me.

I LOVE the glass barrier idea. I saw one too many videos with melted bins for my comfort.

 

[Nurse Ratchet]

Has anyone used a standard 10 gallon aquarium before? Too small? I could spray paint the exterior black to block light, and not have to worry about climbing the glass or plastic melting.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Has anyone used a standard 10 gallon aquarium before? Too small? I could spray paint the exterior black to block light, and not have to worry about climbing the glass or plastic melting.

Can't see why it wouldn't work. The person I bought my hissers from had a colony in a glass tank.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Has anyone used a standard 10 gallon aquarium before? Too small? I could spray paint the exterior black to block light, and not have to worry about climbing the glass or plastic melting.

Wrapping with a window tilt film might work better than spray paint.
I'd be worries about fumes, and I think paint would chip off glass relatively easily,

 

[Nurse Ratchet]

Wrapping with a window tilt film might work better than spray paint.
I'd be worries about fumes, and I think paint would chip off glass relatively easily,

I've got black grill paint, odorless when dry, but may indeed scratch off too easily. I've got blackout window cling (might melt), or I could go with a classy aluminum foil wrap.
Maybe a window tint three sides and foil on the heat source side...

 

[arachbiodude]

The Dubia roach is helpless and can't even climb 5 gallon open bucket.

 

[Vermis]

Orange heads rather than dubias here, but this is my setup.

18 litre vented tub. About an inch and a half of coir (with a bit of sepiolite clay) and a 'roach hut' of slats cut from a 6" plastic pipe offcut.

Cork bark to finish the effect.

I started off with no substrate, like most feeder dubia setups, but I read that it might help nymphs escape the adults of this more-cannibalistic-than-usual species. All ages burrow like to burrow into it. The coir, which can get slightly moist, is also why I switched to plastic hides from egg cartons. The cork bark is an extravagance but these are part pets as well as feeders.
I also used to keep them in an opaque black tub, to give them a bit of darkness. Trouble then, was I couldn't see them. I switched to transparent when I upsized them and it doesn't seem to have fazed them much. A lot of the adults and big nymphs just chill out on top of the cork bark, and there are still plenty of newborn nymphs.

Also, I was going to post this over in the current heating topic, but it'll do here too: I got a pair of big 28W Komodo heat mats for the back of the bookshelves that my small collection rests on, to replace a whole lot of little 15W and 20W mats. With the boost in wattage I was all ready to carefully monitor temperatures and drag out my old mat stat if needs be. To my surprise the fistful of thermometers I used didn't read much over 24-25°C, 75-77°F, after a couple of weeks running. Normally I would say, don't sweat the little 7-15W mats (as long as you don't stick them underneath) but if this is how gentle modern heat mats are, then really don't worry about them!

I think she meant 'bitten by the bug' in the 'got into the hobby' sense, rather than an actual nip from a roach

Yes, he did.

 

[Poppy2020]

I use a regular heating pad under half the bin for my dubias. Coco and reptisoil mix. I spray the soil when it starts to dry out. Dubias have been breeding like crazy—- lots of babies. I use a partial lid as they cannot climb the plastic. Apparently oranges are supposed to make them frisky to breed

 

[x_raphael_xx]

I use a regular heating pad under half the bin for my dubias. Coco and reptisoil mix. I spray the soil when it starts to dry out. Dubias have been breeding like crazy—- lots of babies. I use a partial lid as they cannot climb the plastic. Apparently oranges are supposed to make them frisky to breed View attachment 65053

They go mad for oranges.
Be careful if you also plan to feed to reptiles, citrus isn’t good for them apparently.