B. lateralis is the better roach.

[TalonAWD]

My opinion.
I have been trying to get rid of crickets and tried the Dubias because so many said this was the ultimate feeder. So I had problems trying to get some of my T's to adapt. And even after they realized that it was a food item and ate them, they ate them half heartedly.

Now not all my T's hesitantly ate dubia. My L. parahybana just attacks as soon as it hits the ground.

So I decided to try the B. lateralis because some said that these are irresistable to many T's. so I got some and now I feel that for the most part this is the better feeder next to crickets with Dubias coming in at second. Plus Lateralis females are larger than female crickets.
My T's attack these lats with the same high energy as crickets. The bad part is that these are better climbers than dubia and very clever and persistant. (packing tape does the trick 2 lines of it) They are also not afraid of the light like dubia and explore without digging into the substrate like crickets. The best part is no worries on them laying eggs in the substrate like crickets. (I hated that :wall: ) No crushing heads (dubias) and the nymphs are the same size as pinhead crickets for slings.
How many feel this way as well?

Heres a comparison picture between a female cricket and a female lateralis.

 

[Endagr8]

I agree.

Only my mature Ts will accept dubia.

 

[billopelma]

I also agree except that some of my t's and gecko's refuse them, not always at first but after some time. I have lat's, lobsters and/or dubia living in some of my t setups but I throw in a cricket and it's instantly eaten. Works the other way around also, not very often though.


Bill

 

[Ranty]

I only have dubia, but all my T's love them. Even my Versi slings love them... I might have to try out those lats.

 

[brothaT]

I admit it took awhile for me to warm up to lats but now I couldn't live without them. No other roach I own comes close to cricket behavior like they do in their energy or lack of burying instinct. I still keep dubia for large animals but if I had to choose one roach it would most definitely be this one.

 

[TalonAWD]

How long do they take to mature?

 

[brothaT]

How long do they take to mature?

Very quickly actually. From my experience if you keep 'em warm and they'll be adults in under 3 months.

 

[evicton]

If I did not have a healthy dubia colony I'd never use them. But I do, and there a good meal for a full size T, but I always a better feeding night when its Lats compared to the dubias, some t's will hit dubia others remind me of my kids pushing the veggies around on the plate till hunger gets the best of them. I perfer lats by a large margin.

 

[TalonAWD]

some t's will hit dubia others remind me of my kids pushing the veggies around on the plate till hunger gets the best of them.

Exactly!!!!

 

[rd_07]

My opinion.
I have been trying to get rid of crickets and tried the Dubias because so many said this was the ultimate feeder. So I had problems trying to get some of my T's to adapt. And even after they realized that it was a food item and ate them, they ate them half heartedly.

Now not all my T's hesitantly ate dubia. My L. parahybana just attacks as soon as it hits the ground.

So I decided to try the B. lateralis because some said that these are irresistable to many T's. so I got some and now I feel that for the most part this is the better feeder next to crickets with Dubias coming in at second. Plus Lateralis females are larger than female crickets.
My T's attack these lats with the same high energy as crickets. The bad part is that these are better climbers than dubia and very clever and persistant. (packing tape does the trick 2 lines of it) They are also not afraid of the light like dubia and explore without digging into the substrate like crickets. The best part is no worries on them laying eggs in the substrate like crickets. (I hated that :wall: ) No crushing heads (dubias) and the nymphs are the same size as pinhead crickets for slings.
How many feel this way as well?

Heres a comparison picture between a female cricket and a female lateralis.

the black crickets can get really big and fat - larger than adult b.lats

i used to have a colony of these crickets but when i left home for a week gave them a bit too much food and when i came back mites already infested.
unlike b.lateralis give them food supply for a week or 2 they'll be fine and you'll be surprised!

 

[jayefbe]

Sounds like I need to get some. I particularly like that they can be fed to young T's. I've got dubia, but most of my T's are too small for them.

Couple questions:
1) do they smell? I've read that they do have a slight odor, while dubia do not.
2) How adept are they at climbing? Will a ring of vaseline or bug stop keep them from getting out of a tub?

 

[rd_07]

Sounds like I need to get some. I particularly like that they can be fed to young T's. I've got dubia, but most of my T's are too small for them.

Couple questions:
1) do they smell? I've read that they do have a slight odor, while dubia do not.
2) How adept are they at climbing? Will a ring of vaseline or bug stop keep them from getting out of a tub?

1)smell depends to what you feed them, if dry they dont smell
2)like dubia they cant climb smooth surfaces

 

[TalonAWD]

They can climb the Roughneck tubs pretty good. The thing is that they are persistant. They keep trying.
The tub has to be silky smooth for them not to be able to climb.

 

[evicton]

Yeah these guys are better climbers then dubias vasoline works well for them but I have personally watched lats climb through vasoline, I recently rehoused my whole colony cause I seen this I was easier to tape up a whole bin and move the colony.

I find my dubia colony has more of an odor then my lats to be honest. I know some people keep the lats on a damp substrate but that comes down to choice. I use no substrate and I have never misted my colony. My eggs hatch just fine.

 

[QuantumGears]

I'm now thinking about switching to roaches. How are they at room temperature? (65-70 F)

 

[TalonAWD]

I used the packing tape method and they can still find a way past the first barrier. They can clib right where the two pieces of tape meet. I wish I could do one continuos stream of tap all the way around the bin.
The Steralite clear containers would be the only bin they can't climb at all but don't like that its clear.
My setup. I too choose not to use any substrate. Humidity is fine

 

[gvfarns]

Sounds like I need to get some. I particularly like that they can be fed to young T's. I've got dubia, but most of my T's are too small for them.

Couple questions:
1) do they smell? I've read that they do have a slight odor, while dubia do not.
2) How adept are they at climbing? Will a ring of vaseline or bug stop keep them from getting out of a tub?

They don't really smell unless there are dead ones in there or their frass builds up. It's comparable to dubia except they are not as long lived and people tend to have way more of them. If you have 2000 roaches and leave them alone for six months or so, you bet there will be an aroma. It's not particularly problematic. Clean out their enclosures from time to time and you will be fine. I keep mine in my living room.

They can't climb worth squat. I keep mine in a plastic bin and there's zero climbing. They may be better than dubia (which can't climb anything at all it seems) but they can't climb up a wall. No need for vaseline. In fact vaseline would probably make it easier. The purpose of vaseline is to defeat the sticky pads lobster roaches have on their feet. lateralis just have little hooks, so they have no sticky ability. A real small, light lateralis could probably climb vaseline, but they can't climb a smooth wall. If you have issues it means your wall is too rough , a line of packing tape is more recommended.

 

[evicton]

They don't really smell unless there are dead ones in there or their frass builds up. It's comparable to dubia except they are not as long lived and people tend to have way more of them. If you have 2000 roaches and leave them alone for six months or so, you bet there will be an aroma. It's not particularly problematic. Clean out their enclosures from time to time and you will be fine. I keep mine in my living room.

They can't climb worth squat. I keep mine in a plastic bin and there's zero climbing. They may be better than dubia (which can't climb anything at all it seems) but they can't climb up a wall. No need for vaseline. In fact vaseline would probably make it easier. The purpose of vaseline is to defeat the sticky pads lobster roaches have on their feet. lateralis just have little hooks, so they have no sticky ability. A real small, light lateralis could probably climb vaseline, but they can't climb a smooth wall. If you have issues it means your wall is too rough , a line of packing tape is more recommended.

After I switched to packing tap, I glued some fly tape at the top of my enclosure to see if any where getting past the tape. And I've gotten a few maybe 2-3 since I rehoused them last week. One which was a mature male I've also watched them climb the sides of my arcylic tanks as well.

 

[cacoseraph]

one problem with lats... they are definitely an infesty species. parts of southern CA have established pops of them. it was REALLLY confusing cuz i didn't know or forgot that... and found a mature female at my friend's house one day. i thought i was giving them rides somehow =P


i liked lobs the best. much tougher than lats, at least for reproduction. all my cages were set up to not let bugs in (so no out, either) and i pretty much prekilled/mangled everythign before feeding it out anyways so glasswalking wasn't really a problem

 

[gvfarns]

I'm now thinking about switching to roaches. How are they at room temperature? (65-70 F)

They live at room temperature and cooler. They grow up just fine in those temperatures and you can keep them for long periods of time.

But in my experience they won't reproduce unless you keep them warm. At least 10 degrees warmer than you indicated.