# Help with lobster roaches!



## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

ok today I bought about 40 lobster roaches, then I find out that they are really good at escaping! I lined the top of the cage with vaseline so that could stop them from escaping. I want to know what cage I should put them in so they CANNOT what so ever escape. any ideas? 

I have them in a ten gallon tank that you usually get from petco.


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## EightLeggedFrea (Jan 3, 2009)

A ten-gal would work, wit vaseline alined on the top few inches. On the other hand, you can find special "roach barrier" on Aaron Pauling's website, cheap. I don't have any exp with lobster roaches, but this stuff is supposedly much more effective and cleaner than vaseline to keep the roaches in.


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## GartenSpinnen (Jan 3, 2009)

Heres your problem Thompson.... you got LOBSTER roaches! They are barely a step up from the German roaches that infest houses. I left my colony in my house when i went through with the foreclosure, 2 1/2 months later in below zero weather there is still survivors in there. They are evil little critters.

Order some B. bolivensis from davegrimm, they are colorful, easy to breed and take care of, they do not smell one bit, and they dont climb glass! Trust me, lobsters will ruin anybodys opinion of roaches as feeders! 

-Nate


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## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks guys! Jade- does davegrimm have anymore of them? But I mey have to keep the lobsters for a while before I can order any thing at all!


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## GartenSpinnen (Jan 3, 2009)

Thompson08 said:


> Thanks guys! Jade- does davegrimm have anymore of them? But I mey have to keep the lobsters for a while before I can order any thing at all!


Just do it man! But dont take them all! I told him i wanted some more a few weeks back, but im saving my money just so i can boost my colony a bit lol. I hope he still has some when i finally get my unemployment!

Anyways, they are awesome roaches. I almost feel bad feeding these off, they are so neat and have almost become pets to me to some extent. I just have a normal heat lamp on mine in a 29 gallon, made a hiding dealing like what Ryan did with his B. dubia (the cork board). Then i just feed them cat food and oatmeal that i let get soggy in water first, then i will occasionally throw some cantalope in with them. 

Check them out, you will not be disappointed!

-Nate


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## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

lol I won't take them all, if I do get any. Roaches are awesome little creatures!


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## Matt K (Jan 3, 2009)

Sometimes I have to wonder why no one seems to use Google.  ITs a great way to find ansers to questions.

Try going here:  www.roachforum.com

You can find loads of roach info and people who can supply you with any species of roach.


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## bluefrogtat2 (Jan 3, 2009)

i say get rid of them too.
i got rid of mine too risky...
andy


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## gvfarns (Jan 3, 2009)

Vaseline is an effective barrier against lobster roach escaping if it is applied correctly.   I think it gets on their static pads so they don't really stick, but there still needs to be plenty of vertical glass before the top of the enclosure.  If the vaseline is very thick, they can almost use their little hooks to climb it when they are motivated.

What I'd suggest is the following, make the band of vaseline super thick (that is, wide, not deep).  Say, at least half way down the sides of their enclosure.  Make it thicker (as in deep) at the top than at the bottom.  

You won't have any escapees after that. 

Although what worries me more than escaping from their enclosure is possibly escaping from the enclosure of the tarantula or whatever you are feeding them to, depending on the construction of that enclosure.

I like lobsters and they are what I use now (so much better than dubia) but I am a little tired of them climbing to the roof of my tarantulas' enclosures and not getting eaten.  Going to switch over the B lateralis as soon as the weather is convenient.


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## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

Matt K said:


> Sometimes I have to wonder why no one seems to use Google.  ITs a great way to find ansers to questions.
> 
> Try going here:  www.roachforum.com
> 
> You can find loads of roach info and people who can supply you with any species of roach.


I wonder why you assume I didn't use google. Thanks for the link


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## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

gvfarns said:


> Vaseline is an effective barrier against lobster roach escaping if it is applied correctly.   I think it gets on their static pads so they don't really stick, but there still needs to be plenty of vertical glass before the top of the enclosure.  If the vaseline is very thick, they can almost use their little hooks to climb it when they are motivated.
> 
> What I'd suggest is the following, make the band of vaseline super thick (that is, wide, not deep).  Say, at least half way down the sides of their enclosure.  Make it thicker (as in deep) at the top than at the bottom.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I am going to switch to lateralis also. And that is a great idea to have to bands of vaseline in the roach cage, I am going to do that.


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## Craig (Jan 3, 2009)

I had a lot of luck with the equivalent to a 20 tall made for reptiles that had a sliding screen (I'm sure you have seen them before).  I used a 4" wide band of petroleum jelly  on all sides near the top. I never had one escape. I would also sit and watch which ever animal I was feeding eat the roaches. I was also worried about them escaping. b


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## Thompson08 (Jan 3, 2009)

great advice. I'll watch and make sure they don't escape from the t's enclosures.


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## gvfarns (Jan 4, 2009)

Dude, remember how I was saying you won't have any escapees if you use my method?  Ironic timing, but I just found a dang lobster roach roaming around in my house.  

I know none of them have escaped from the tarantula's enclosures (all accounted for) and I have never seen one escape from my hands, so either it was a tiny one that got out by crawling along my arm when I was messing with them and has subsequently successfully grown to adulthood, or I have had an escape.

I just put my whole colony in the freezer.  Escaping roaches are completely unacceptable.  I'll feed with crickets until I can get a lateralis colony going.


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## bluefrogtat2 (Jan 4, 2009)

i got rid of both lateralis and lobsters,both have the ability to infest(despite what others claim)
get some dubia's
way better.
andy


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## Thompson08 (Jan 4, 2009)

ugg man wish this pet store had dubias. The only thing that keeps me from getting dubias is that one I hear they are expensive, and two they breed slow  

Could a lobster roach really infest this house? I live in vegas and I thought lobsters need some humidity?


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## gvfarns (Jan 4, 2009)

Lobsters can live in a house.  Infest is a strong word.  They have way more requirements than normal house roaches, which is why they don't infest houses even in their home range.  They live outside in leaf litter and stuff.  In your house they can survive and maybe even grow up.  They *may* be able to reproduce, but I don't think they can really infest.  It's like, can rolly pollies infest a house?  Well, they can live in it, but it's not really their prime environment so they won't become a pest.

Lateralis can also live in your house, but typically can't actually infest.  Though they are much better at infesting than lobsters are.   They are actually a pest species in some parts of the country, even though they do not compete well with german cockroaches because they have more specific environmental and nutritional needs.

We all fear a roach infestation, but the truth is that even with escapees and stuff, only german, american, and oriental cockroaches are ever a problem in practice.


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## gvfarns (Jan 5, 2009)

*Falsely accused!*

Dude I feel so stupid.  You know how I was just saying that I froze my lobster colony because I found an escapee?  Well I finally caught the "escapee."  It wasn't a lobster roach, it was Blatta orientalis, a common house pest.  I had never seen one before and I wasn't expecting them to be so big.  It was colored kind of like an immature lobster.  

It just happened to be hanging out in the room where I kept my lobster roach colony.

This means I have no evidence that any lobsters ever escaped my vaseline barrier.

Sorry lobsters, for the false accusation. Oh yeah, and for freezing you all. :8o


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## Thompson08 (Jan 5, 2009)

OH man sorry about that  Did any lobsters survive? And that is very true because Lateralis are once and while found in corners of my house, but they are dead. :] thanks gvfarns!


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## Jakob (Jan 5, 2009)

I used to have a lobster roach colony a few years back. I had a 40 gallon tub with thousands of them in there and had the top lined with vaseline. Never had any issues with them. They breed so damn fast its ridiculous...and if you want to keep their numbers down just hold back on feeding.


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## gvfarns (Jan 5, 2009)

Naw, all my roaches are toast.  It's ok because I was going to switch over anyway and they were beginning to reproduce way too fast.  I felt silly after killing them, though.

I'll totally second the fast reproducing thing.  I have had all three major species of roach people keep and lobsters are by far the fastest growing and reproducing.  Even after I turned off the heat they kept going at it.  Grrr.  

Well, it's all a memory now.  Going to take a second shot at lateralis.


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## Thompson08 (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks guys! I do like these lobsters, they are my first roach, but I really want some dubia :] I've only heard good things about them.


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## Silverbinder (Jan 6, 2009)

I live in Houston. It dosen't get cold enought to kill off any thing that escapes in the house. I tried lobsters for a while when I had a few Veils. They escaped no matter what was done to keep them in. I gave up and went back to crickets for a while. Some one gave me some dwarf hissers, I have been using them and they seem to work much better. They are a little faster than the regular hissers. Spiders and reptiles seem to like their taste and they gut load easily.


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## GartenSpinnen (Jan 7, 2009)

Im liking the B. boliviensis, they are nice roaches. Very clean, fast breeders, very meaty, overall just really nice to keep. 

The best way to take care of a lobster roach colony is these 3 steps....

1.) Get a 10 gallon enclosure, put petroleum jelly on the sides about 2" wide all along each side of it making a continuous stream so they cannot escape. Throw in some egg cartons, etc. 

2.) Buy a gallon of gasoline and take them outside.

3.) Pour gasoline all over them, throw a match on them. Light a cigarette over their burning roach bodies, then go buy some good roaches!


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## gvfarns (Jan 10, 2009)

Thompson08 said:


> Thanks guys! I do like these lobsters, they are my first roach, but I really want some dubia :] I've only heard good things about them.


I'll tell you something bad about them: finickey T's will not eat them.  When they get scared they freeze and do not produce any vibrations to attract the T's.  An optimal feeder would run around a lot, like crickets do.  Lateralis are pretty good for that too.

The other downside is that they will burrow away, especially if you feel immature ones, which you likely will since adults are quite large and unsuitable for smaller T's.

I used to keep dubia but I got sick of them and gave them away.  I could have persisted and tried to make my T's eat them, but it's easier to just use a feeder that T's like in the first place.


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## gvfarns (Jan 10, 2009)

jadespider1985 said:


> Im liking the B. boliviensis, they are nice roaches. Very clean, fast breeders, very meaty, overall just really nice to keep.


Can you elaborate on this a little?  Can they climb smooth surfaces?  Do they burrow?  Defensive odor?  Size relative to common feeders like dubia and lateralis?  Live bearer or egg layer?

I'm totally down with trying a new species since lobsters, dubia, and lateralis all have significant downsides in my experience.

If they are the best roach, why is it that no one uses them?


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## gvfarns (Jan 10, 2009)

Actually I just ordered a new T and the seller had some B. boliviensis so I ordered them on a whim.  Thanks for the recommendation!


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## Thompson08 (Jan 10, 2009)

I need some of these roaches. My darn lobsters aren't breeding, maybe I'm just being impatient.


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## Matt K (Jan 10, 2009)

_B. boliviensis_ are almost the same size, colors, and rearing habits as _B. discoidalis (discoids), B. fusca, B.parabolicus, B. atropos,_ and the jet black but otherwise similar _B. craniifer_.  All are easy to keep and slightly bigger than B.dubia for all practical purposes.

I have all of the above.


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## Rick McJimsey (Jan 10, 2009)

C'mon Thompson.
Just get some dubia.
They're all the rage.
I got 450 adult/subadults for $85 shipped, they aren't that expensive.


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## Thompson08 (Jan 10, 2009)

well I noticed some little babies runnin around and now all of a sudden some adults can climb the vaseline! What's going on?


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## gvfarns (Jan 10, 2009)

Thompson08 said:


> well I noticed some little babies runnin around and now all of a sudden some adults can climb the vaseline! What's going on?


Not sure there is a relationship between those two things.


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## Thompson08 (Jan 10, 2009)

so do you think that the vaseline is applied wrong?


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## Matt K (Jan 10, 2009)

Thompson08 said:


> so do you think that the vaseline is applied wrong?


If it is on like a thin greasy film, then yes.  If it is on as thick as a few pieces of paper, then it should be o.k.  If you put in on super-thick (like much thicker than a CD is) then it wont work because it will  just goosh up under thier feet and they can make it over.  The thickness of a couple pieces of paper to as thick as a CD is good.

I just glop a big wad of Vaseline on my finger and wipe it back across the side of the enclosure back and forth a couple times and there it is....


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## Thompson08 (Jan 10, 2009)

thanks! I just put new vaseline on, and so far so good.


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## gvfarns (Jan 10, 2009)

Matt K said:


> If it is on like a thin greasy film, then yes.  If it is on as thick as a few pieces of paper, then it should be o.k.  If you put in on super-thick (like much thicker than a CD is) then it wont work because it will  just goosh up under thier feet and they can make it over.  The thickness of a couple pieces of paper to as thick as a CD is good.
> 
> I just glop a big wad of Vaseline on my finger and wipe it back across the side of the enclosure back and forth a couple times and there it is....


Man, I asked this question when I first got lobsters and this is a way better answer than I got.  Good work.


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## Thompson08 (Jan 11, 2009)

I agree, great info.


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