# Loose roach horror stories...



## Aarantula (Oct 28, 2012)

Hey all! I've just been thinking of introducing my T collection to a new variety of feeders... specifically dubia and hissers. Has anyone ever had any type of roach get loose inside their home? If so... what happened? Did they end up breeding on the loose or did the loose fella end up poping up while you had company over? I really wanna her about the in's and out's of a loose feeder roach before I'm 100% commited to taking on a small colony. I'm just a bit paranoid because I've had a cricket get away from me from time to time but a cricket isn't a "pest" in the same way a roach could be. Thanks for all your replies in advance!


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## Terry D (Oct 28, 2012)

Aarantula said:


> did the loose fella end up poping up while you had company over?


No such luck yet. There probably won't be as I quit using them awhile back- but there are a few visitors that I'd love for this to happen to...........


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## Zurc (Oct 28, 2012)

Thats quite simple. What weather did u have in your region? Dubia roaches are a tropical specie, need humidity and warm to survive and reproduce, even if ur house is heated any loose roache will die from the dry. Just choose a tropical specie and u are fine. Even so its very easy to make a loose prof container ; )


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## catfishrod69 (Oct 28, 2012)

I occasionally have lateralis roaaches get loose. But they never amount to anything, being they need alot of heat and humidity to survive/reproduce.


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## Aarantula (Nov 2, 2012)

I'm debating on a hisser colony... I figure they're more like large beetles than roaches anyway. 
What's everyone's thoughts... Dubias or Hissers?


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 2, 2012)

Hissers have a thicker shell than other roaches and this could sometimes break fangs in tarantulas, so only the larger t's can eat them, but they shouldn't be eaten regularly.


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## Aarantula (Nov 2, 2012)

ShredderEmp said:


> Hissers have a thicker shell than other roaches and this could sometimes break fangs in tarantulas, so only the larger t's can eat them, but they shouldn't be eaten regularly.


From what I've read and the videos I've seen it seems like only the adult shell of the hisser is rigid and could pose a problem for anything else but an adult T. The nymph shells are alot softer and are ok for smaller Ts. Unless I'm wrong on those facts?


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 2, 2012)

I'm not sure, do some searches and see what comes up.


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## Zurc (Nov 4, 2012)

Bubias man


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## Spiderkid (Nov 5, 2012)

Actually, I'm pretty sure a cricket infestation is more likely to happen than a tropical roach infestation...but anyway, my problem with dubias is that they tend to freeze when they approach a tarantula, and as a result aren't recognized as food sometimes. They also like to burrow, and my T's usually don't bother digging them up. I haven't tried B. lateralis, but they would seem like a better alternative...


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## springtail (Nov 10, 2012)

If it's the size of the roach you would like trying an orange head  instead of a dubia. Both are non glass climbing. But dubia are smaller and not as meaty as orange head roaches. You can find both on e bay too or other web sites.


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## Dhaynes (Nov 10, 2012)

I once found a false death head roach... I've never brought one into my house before. I think I got it from one of my animal shipments.

I was getting ready for work, and when I picked up my pants, a massive, full grown False Death roach falls from it.


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## spiderengineer (Nov 10, 2012)

I just started a colony for dubia roaches and I asked the same question and if you think about you need a male and a female roaches to reproduce to worry about infestation. so its not like one tropical roaches will breed with a local roach and suddenly have hybrid species running loose or suddenly the roach starts to reproduce asexually. I mean yeah if it was a pregnant female that's a different story, but I don't feed the females since I need a thriving colony and you would not want to chance you female you feeding is pregnant.  so if its just one roaches then I wouldn't worry, I am more worried if my setup gets knock over and alot come out. then you might have a true horror story on your hands. I have had crickets disappear sometime when i try to feed my T's and i would not find them immediately but, they always pop back up a day or two later. so I figure same would go for a roaches as well, but maybe not so easily since they are more skittish to light.

also since dubia roaches are incapable of flying and they can't hop or climb glass or smooth plastic. I almost feel you really need to try and have them get away from you to have a escape. Its not like they bite or hurt so I always have a firm grasp on them when throwing them in a tank. I mean they are sturdy then crickets so yoou dont have to be so careful of crushing them by accident. I have had crickets bite me of course my payback is them fed to a T's :biggrin: that's the sadist in me.


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## KingBaboon85 (Nov 10, 2012)

Did you Not read m'y thread!!! I Just posted a thread about that and no One replied to It!!! Three months later i found a hisser outside and winter started!!!


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## spiderengineer (Nov 10, 2012)

KingBaboon85 said:


> Did you Not read m'y thread!!! I Just posted a thread about that and no One replied to It!!! Three months later i found a hisser outside and winter started!!!


doesn't canada have rules about roaches just like Florida has as far as importation and exportation.


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## KingBaboon85 (Nov 10, 2012)

I am aware of the rules here... But m'y buddy had a reptile farm but It closes down and i took some of his hissers for m'y centipedes but they Were  to much So i had them destroyed... Well i thought i did.... Now i Just want this to go away... I searched everywhere and i mean everwhere No sign of others... Please tell me winter Will kill any Thats left. I do follow the rules and régulations now... I Only keep centipedes  Ts and scorpions and i use cricket, butterworms, superworms for now on...... I Just surprised me today


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## spiderengineer (Nov 10, 2012)

i mean since they are native to Madagascar I can't possible imagine any of them surviving the winter, i mean you need to realize cold does not immediately kill off things. I mean it would have to be like almost close to absolute zero for that kind of result. I imagine they die off like us when expose to cool I realize they are completely different, but the mechanics are the same I figures. so what I would expect is that as it got colder out it started get lethargic body function started to slow or shut down. like anybody would when they are could was to find a warm place. so that probably why you inevitable found it under a brick, which I think is what you said happen. so as it gets colder out the spot will inevitable be useless for it and ultimately succumb to freezing to death since no were outside would keep him warm and he will be unable to find a food source to keep him alive during the winter. If was the case of bug dieing off instantly from being exposed to cold temperatures. then so many people would have suffer lost of T's or scorpions ect so often from a drastic temperature change. so I would not worry about it so much I mean I could understand hisser being potential invasive species in Florida, but not in Canada. you have to realize as well most creature even insect for in hibernation mode when winter hits in order to survive. I mean there are inactive periods that some tropical species have during the cold period but not like true hibernation when snow comes.


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## KingBaboon85 (Nov 11, 2012)

I really do appreciate the reassurance Thank you
Now m'y mind is at peace.... This happend at my Father house i dont live there anymore took everything i Have to m'y own place..... m'y Father is a simple Man two things hé absolutly hates In Life is curry, roaches So If hé New i had roaches at One point hé would Flip his shit


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## bugmankeith (Nov 12, 2012)

I had hissers escape and crawl up my bedroom wall at night! Luckily it was only 2 adults and I got them both back in the cage.


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## Senses-Tingling (Nov 14, 2012)

*Blatta lateralis*

I ordered some Blatta lateralis about 5 years ago and it was my biggest mistake that I have made in my invert hobby. Escapees started their own colony in my house and I did my best to get rid of them without damaging my other critters (would not fog the house with insecticide). I fed off my colony and quit raising them. Four years later, I still find them occasionally.


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## spiderengineer (Nov 14, 2012)

Senses-Tingling said:


> I ordered some Blatta lateralis about 5 years ago and it was my biggest mistake that I have made in my invert hobby. Escapees started their own colony in my house and I did my best to get rid of them without damaging my other critters (would not fog the house with insecticide). I fed off my colony and quit raising them. Four years later, I still find them occasionally.


whats was your setup like? just wondering why you had escapees. I am not sure about climbing and flying like dubia but there are plastic that they can climb, the key is the need to be smooth plastic otherwise they could crawl and I could see that causing them to escape when you open the lid.  I have never raised Blatta laterlis before so I am not sure if they can be kept the same as Dubia. However from what I understand from where B. Lateralis come from the could survive in Michagan in side a house.


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## lizardminion (Nov 18, 2012)

Yeah, I've got a story. One of my hisser nymphs made a great escape one day. Didn't find him until weeks later. By then he was all dead and stuff. He was one of my personal favorites too.


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## le-thomas (Nov 18, 2012)

One time, my dad found a dubia in his luggage. He didn't freak and just had me go get it. Turns out it was one of my brother's, though.
Every once in a while I'll find a hisser nymph crawling on the floor in my room near the enclosure, and my brother has said that he once saw a subadult coming out of an air vent (though I'm unsure if his word is trustworthy). They usually just dry out though since they're tropical. No worries; they won't infest your house. How cool would that be though....


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