# Can Discoid Roaches infest?



## Adenovirus19 (Apr 15, 2017)

Happy Easter All!
I am thinking of starting a roach colony.  I hate the smell of crickets.  Many of my Ts can't stand worms.  I live in Florida, so I can't use Dubia's.  Discoid roaches are legal for me.  My question:  Can Discoid roaches invade a house?  My wife would kill me if I inadvertently caused an infestation.
Thanks.

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## Shudragon (Apr 16, 2017)

In florida discoids could still infest. Conditions are good especially inside homes there. Almost any roach could infest a house in florida, Dubias included.

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## Adenovirus19 (Apr 16, 2017)

Shudragon said:


> In florida discoids could still infest. Conditions are good especially inside homes there. Almost any roach could infest a house in florida, Dubias included.


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## Adenovirus19 (Apr 16, 2017)

Damn!!  I thought so.  I didn't want to hear it, but I thought so.  Thanks Shudragon.


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## Shudragon (Apr 16, 2017)

I mean with the proper container setup, I've never lost a dubia. Deep sterilite with top holes and not too tall cardboard/paper shreddings.


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## houston (Apr 16, 2017)

Most the roaches avaliable/ legal in Florida are native or naturalized, so theres always an infestation risk. Of course, theres the same problem with crickets-- and crickets are noisy, too.

I would just have a double bin set up. A smaller bin is furnished for the Discoids, then a larger bin to place it in. That way, if a Discoid escapes, it'll just be in the larger bin, not in your house.

They can't climb, I don't think, so you can use a taller bin if your or your wife are especially anxious. I know that feeling, so I have a few (insecticide free) roach motels-- just in case, haha

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## Adenovirus19 (Apr 16, 2017)

Good idea Houston.  I'll bounce it off the Admiral. The worst she could do is shoot me down.


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## Hisserdude (Apr 17, 2017)

Just to clarify, they can NOT infest your house, but if they escape they could reproduce outside and become naturalized in your area, and it would then be possible for them to accidentally wander indoors from time to time. But no, these guys can't breed in your actual house.


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## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Apr 17, 2017)

So long as you keep your house looking like that of a severe hoarder and avoid throwing food and water on the ground, they're not going to infest your house.

I live in Florida and have a large discoid colony. I've dropped several adults before that have gotten a lucky leg spine into a finger, and sometimes they get away before I can grab them. I almost never worry about the occasional escapee because so far I've found every one accounted for in the bathroom shriveled and dried up a couple weeks later.

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## dragonfire1577 (Apr 26, 2017)

I've had hisser and dubia roach nymphs escape before and they eventually showed back up when I cleaned as dead dry roach husks. They don't last long without access to a good amount of water and food since they are such large insects. Like if your house is clean what would they feed on, they may survive a while but definitely won't last to breed. These roaches have no advantage over really any other omnivorous insect in infesting your house, you don't hear of houses with cricket infestations often so why would a roach that needs more food, water and humidity infest. Just because a different roach species like a german roach that isn't that closely related and is adapted to completely different conditions is able to infest doesn't mean a discoid is even remotely capable of it.

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