GliderCENTRAL

Feeder Roaches

Posted By: sugarlope

Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:20 AM

I thought it might be nice to have some basic information about the more common feeder roaches in one place, for anyone interested: (They are in alphabetical order)

Blaberus craniifer (Death Head Roach)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: About 1 year
Adult Size: About 3 inches
Nymphs: about ¼ inch when born (reaches maturity 3-5 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing about 30+ at a time.
Temperature range: 70-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)
Notes: Discoid and Blaberus hybrids are often called Death Head roaches, but if they do not look exactly like the picture (black wings, white head, clear markings) then they are not true Blaberus craniifer roaches.

Blaberus craniifer/Blaberus fusca hybrid (Brown Wings)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: Adults live 1 year
Adult Size: about 2 ½ - 3 inches
Nymphs: about ¼ inch when born (reach maturity 3-5 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing about 30+ at a time.
Temperature range: 70-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)

Blaberus discoidalis (Discoid Roach, False Death Head Roach)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: Adults live about 1 year
Adult Size: about 2 inches
Nymphs: about ¼ inch when born (reach maturity 3-4 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing 30+ at a time.
Temperature range: 68-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)
Notes: Discoid roaches will reproduce best in a moist environment, so make sure there is always a fresh supply of gel water available. The gel water in conjunction with the high temperature should keep their environment humid enough without misting.

Blaptica dubia (Guyana Orange Spotted, Orange Spotted or Dubia Roach)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: about 2 years
Adult Size: about 1 ½ - 2 inches
Nymphs: about 1/8 inch when born (reach maturity 3-4 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing 30+ at a time.
Temperature range: 68-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)
Notes: Although Dubia roaches can tolerate a drier enclosure than most other feeder roaches, they prefer a humid environment and will reproduce best in a moist environment, so make sure there is always a fresh supply of gel water available. The gel water in conjunction with the high temperature should keep their environment humid enough without misting.

Blatta lateralis (Turkistan Roach, Rusty Reds)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: Adults live about 6-12 months
Adult Size: about 1 inch
Nymphs: about 1/8 when first hatched (reach maturity 3-5 months)
Gestation: Egg bearing species, leaving egg cases that hatch in about 28 days, with about 30 babies.
Temperature range: 70-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)

Eublaberus distanti (Six Spotted Roach)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: Adults live 1-2 years
Adult Size: about 2 ½ inches
Nymphs: about 3/16 inch when born
Gestation: Live bearing species
Temperature range: 68-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)
Notes: The adults and sub-adults of this species have sharp spines on their legs, so if you decide to feed an adult, the legs should be removed first.

Eublaberus prosticus (Orange Head Roach)
Cannot fly, cannot climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: Adults live about 1 year+
Adult Size: about 2 inches
Nymphs: about ¼ inch when born (reach maturity about 3-4 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing about 30+ at a time.
Temperature range: 68-95 (85-95 being preferable for very active breeding colonies)
Notes: Orange head roaches are more carnivorous than other species and will feed off of each other if there is not a consistent food and water source, or if they get overcrowded. They also have a tendency to chew at each other’s wings, but this is not harmful to the nutritional content of the insect or the breeding of the insect. They also enjoy meat, but only give what will be consumed in a few hours and removed the excess so it does not spoil or attract flies. Making sure there is a fresh gel water supply available, usually decreases wing chewing. Orange head roaches give off a defensive odor when disturbed.

Gromphradorhina portentosa (Madagascar Hissing Roach)
Cannot fly, CAN climb smooth surfaces
Life span: 2-3+ years
Adult Size: about 2-4 inches long
Nymphs: about ¼ inch when hatched (reaching maturity in about 5 months )
Gestation: about 60 days. Egg bearing species, but females incubate the eggs in a brood pouch her body, so the first you see of them will be live young. They have about 30 at a time.
Temperature range: 68-95 degrees (day temp of 85-95 being preferable for active breeding colonies)
Notes: The adults of this species have sharp spines on their legs, so if you decide to feed an adult, the legs should be removed first.

Nauphoeta cinerea (Lobster Roach)
Cannot fly, CAN climb smooth surfaces
Life Span: About 1 year
Adult Size: Up to 1 ¼ inch
Nymphs: about 3/16 inch when born (reach maturity around 3-4 months)
Gestation: babies carried about a month. Live bearing species, bearing about 30-40 at a time.
Temperature range: 70-90+ (80-90 being preferable for active breeding colonies)
Notes: They are a soft bodied roach, so more easily digestible. This is a hardy species – easy to keep and breed with minimal care. Make sure the colony is well ventilated. A very large colony of lobster roaches (if not separated) can produce a gas that is toxic to them and will kill the colony.

There are many other feeders of varying availability as well, but those listed above are more widely known and available.

Roach breeding basics: If you have a climbing species, you need to smear Vaseline across the top 3 inches of the enclose to keep them from escaping. Most roaches do need any kind of substrate at the bottom of their enclosure, instead use cardboard egg cartons stacked in the bottom for perching and hiding places. You can also use bark or sphagnum moss if you do want to use a substrate to help increase enclosure humidity, but it makes cleaning more difficult. They need a high protein dry food source (like cat food, roach diet, or something similar) and a shallow dish of water gel (do not use standing water, as nymphs could drown. Do not use calcium fortified water gel, because too much calcium can kill roaches). Feed fresh fruit or vegetables once a week and leave in no longer than 24 hours. Enclosure should be cleaned every month or two (or more often if needed).
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:29 AM

Thanks, Gretchen! That's very useful! xD
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:39 AM

Where do you get your roaches from?

Thanks for the info!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:47 AM

It seems that the discoid or dubia would be best for gliders. I thought I had a link to a nutritional page; does anyone know where one is? I lost it. frown
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:48 AM

NYWorms sells several different species, Wormman sells a few, also bigappleherp has started selling several species recently.

But if you look up feeder roaches, you can find several places that sell. Once you order your first batch, you want to let the colony stabilize (have several different sizes) before starting to feed off of it, so that it will sustain itself. Different roaches will reproduce at different speeds.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/12/08 03:50 AM

http://doubleds.org/contactus.html
No one can complain that waxies are too high in fat if they feed mealies- look at the comparison! :/


Edit: http://www.nyworms.com/roaches.htm
These guys give some pretty good info if you click on the links.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: Feeder Roaches - 10/13/08 01:56 AM

off_topic No one argues the fact that mealworms are higher in fat than adult form insects (like roaches, crickets or moths), but they still have less fat and more protein than waxworms (which aren't listed on the doubleds site to compare).

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