# Hissing roach care and life span?



## Moonfall (Jan 18, 2013)

One of my first pets was a hissing cockroach I got at the age of 5. I had him for 6 years and pretty much just fed him fruits and sprayed water once in a while. His favorite were strawberries.

But most people seem shocked at the age he lived to..is it that unusual? He may have even been older, he never shed when I had him. Escaped multiple times only to be tracked down AND was brought across the country when I moved.

What do you do for care for hissing roaches? 

I want another one. I was really attached to the last roach and I loved being able to hold him, I can't hold my spiders. I'm just wondering if the care is all that different from what I did or not because evidently what I did worked...he wouldn't have lived so long if it hadn't.


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## JZC (Jan 18, 2013)

I love my hissers. I keep them in kk's with a water bowl and give them applesauce. Sidenote: they are best kept communally.


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## Moonfall (Jan 18, 2013)

How do you prevent breeding if they live in groups?

Also yikes at the cost the pet stores want for these guys I've seen them ask 30 bucks a piece...I couldn't afford a pair at that price.

If I get another (and I don't know if I will I have a lot of pets but being able to get back into bugs has made me pretty much an addict) I will be getting a pretty young one, I sometimes see babies. The only reason I can do bugs right now is they don't get myco and go to the vet all the time. My mice and rats are making me go in all the time lately.

I might do a millipede or a T as well..I don't know yet I want ALL the bugs.


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## JZC (Jan 18, 2013)

I got some that I will be selling in a few months...you can keep them in same sex groups so they don't breed.


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## Moonfall (Jan 18, 2013)

Oh wow smart me, huh? I forgot that most people can sex the little guys. I was so young when I had mine that I just said it was male. 

If I decide to get some I might send you a PM, they are so pretty.


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## JZC (Jan 18, 2013)

Sounds good lol! yeah you can tell because the males have big "horns" and females just have little bumps. They actually don't breed very prolifically anyway.


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## bugmankeith (Jan 18, 2013)

5 years is average lifespan for hissers, so at 6 yours was very old but I heard rarely 7 years! 

Mine is in a 20 gallon with repti bark substrate, very shallow water dish, and lots of wood decor I got from Petsmart in reptile section. I added dry oak leaves and rotting bark around the cage. My hissers favorite food is sliced apples, bananas, oranges, and canned papaya/mango. They eat dry cat food and also romaine lettuce, white bread, and iguana fruit pellets. I mist mine with water from a spray bottle once a day they seem to like humidity and drink water droplets. My hissers have many mites living on them, and they are very healthy so I leave them alone.

I'm currently breeding my own exotic hissers, I never raised them until now and it will be exciting to see if the babies will take after the parents.

I had a hisser when I was younger but he died soon. Now I learnt better care of them and my hissers are huge! 

Here is a roach website that can help with more questions you have. http://www.roachforum.com/


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## Moonfall (Jan 18, 2013)

Yeah mine had pretty good sized bumps so I don't know. Too bad I don't have any photos. 

He's somewhere in the garage or something I think. I collected dead insects for years and he is with them. If he ever turns up I guess I'll know.


If they did breed though I would end up keeping every one of them and naming them and such, I'm nuts like that. I'd probably have a few hundred.


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## bugmankeith (Jan 18, 2013)

If they had bumps they are adults. Even females get tiny bumps, but males bumps are very noticeable and they are Strong roaches!


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## Scoolman (Jan 18, 2013)

Moonfall said:


> One of my first pets was a hissing cockroach I got at the age of 5. I had him for 6 years and pretty much just fed him fruits and sprayed water once in a while. His favorite were strawberries.
> 
> I want another one. I was really attached to the last roach and I loved being able to hold him, I can't hold my spiders. I'm just wondering if the care is all that different from what I did or not because evidently what I did worked...he wouldn't have lived so long if it hadn't.


Are you saying he was 1 years old when he died????
They reach full maturity in 9 months. Most likely you had a very young male. The average lifespan is 3-5 years. They are a tropical species that will thrive in higher humidity(80%) and temps (80F), but they are very hardy and will adapt to low humidity and temps very well. From your story I would say you were doing just fine with yours.
Pet stores have an outrageous markup on hissers. I sell my extras to pet stores for $0.50 - $1 each, depending on the quantity they purchase.
As was mentioned, they are communal, and I recommend you get at least three. If you dont want them to breed, just keep their temps below 80F.


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## bugmankeith (Jan 18, 2013)

Scoolman said:


> Are you saying he was 1 years old when he died????
> They reach full maturity in 9 months. Most likely you had a very young male. The average lifespan is 3-5 years. They are a tropical species that will thrive in higher humidity(80%) and temps (80F), but they are very hardy and will adapt to low humidity and temps very well. From your story I would say you were doing just fine with yours.
> Pet stores have an outrageous markup on hissers. I sell my extras to pet stores for $0.50 - $1 each, depending on the quantity they purchase.
> As was mentioned, they are communal, and I recommend you get at least three. If you dont want them to breed, just keep their temps below 80F.


During hurricane Sandy my room was in the 50's F  I had no heat normally you never want to expose them to cold temps like that it could kill them if prolonged but I could do nothing without power. my hissing roaches bred during this time, so that is not true they wont breed at cold temps, just slower breeding.


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## Scoolman (Jan 18, 2013)

bugmankeith said:


> During hurricane Sandy my room was in the 50's F  I had no heat normally you never want to expose them to cold temps like that it could kill them if prolonged but I could do nothing without power. my hissing roaches bred during this time, so that is not true they wont breed at cold temps, just slower breeding.


Already gravid roaches will continue their incubation. And, true you can not stop breeding altogether, but like you said they will slow down dramatically.

Your other option is to get only males.


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## Moonfall (Jan 19, 2013)

No, he lived until I was 11! He was at least 6 years old when he died because I had him that long and when I got him he was full size so was even older, though I don't know how much older. He was a very old guy when he finally passed on, I do know that.

I kept him in shredded paper for hiding and he sure seemed fine with that and fed him fruit. I guess coconut stuff would be better but I have to say after 11 years of having a frog on it I never want to see it again. I fought fungus and those weird little bugs and it was heavy and messy and got on EVERYTHING, I had to enlist help just to clean the tank. So I might try a different, less irritating substrate..that peat moss stuff might work?

I never gave supplemental heat either.

If I get them I don't want babies because I couldn't sell to pet shops or anything. I'd get a clutch and be so excited to have little ones and name them all and get attached and it would just end up with a lot of roaches. Boys are fine with me.


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## JZC (Jan 19, 2013)

My hissers don't have any heat, but they are fine. Some females have aborted their oothecas, however.


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## ReignofInvertebrates (Jan 19, 2013)

Be sure to try some variety!  I've found that its fun to sample the different types such as tigers, dwarfs, halloweens, wide horns...  Definately a suggestion i would give!


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## Moonfall (Jan 19, 2013)

Can the different kinds live together? I would LOVE that.

I want a Halloween like nobody's business they are lovely.


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## Deac77 (Jan 19, 2013)

I keep 3 types of hissers and. Large Dubia Colony I love them the attitude and communal set up they are awesome to keep I make my own roach chow so I feed that with fresh fruits and veggies regularly


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## ReignofInvertebrates (Jan 20, 2013)

Moonfall said:


> Can the different kinds live together? I would LOVE that.
> 
> I want a Halloween like nobody's business they are lovely.


Not sure what species mixed would crossbreed, so I'm not sure I would.


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## bugmankeith (Jan 20, 2013)

Grasshopper99 said:


> Not sure what species mixed would crossbreed, so I'm not sure I would.


Generally any with the same first part of scientific name. Gromphadorhina are a commonly found species with at least 4 varieties.


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## McGuiverstein (Jan 28, 2013)

bugmankeith said:


> My hissers have many mites living on them, and they are very healthy so I leave them alone.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## bugmankeith (Jan 28, 2013)

McGuiverstein said:


> bugmankeith said:
> 
> 
> > My hissers have many mites living on them, and they are very healthy so I leave them alone.
> ...


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