# Afraid of pest potential of turkistan roaches



## Carolina_wolfie (Feb 13, 2012)

Hello, everyone.

I am looking for a small non-climbing species of feeder roach (Preferably one that doesn't burrow, but it is not a requirement!).  The one that seems to fit the bill perfectly is _B. lateralis_.  Though its pest potential makes me VERY nervous!  I've done lots of research on this species.  I've read that it has already established itself in these states: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California, Florida and Texas.  Well... I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma and this state is practically "next door" to Texas.  So, will _B. lateralis_ establish itself here in Oklahoma if any specimens escape from captivity???  Do I have anything at all to worry about with this species?  There is one camp of people who say this species won't infest a person's home because it is a desert/tropical species and then there is the other camp of people who say this species does have pest potential.  This is confusing for me because I am reading mixed things!  If this species is bad news, then can someone please recommend another small non-climbing roach that I can use to feed giant wolf spiders and also has nymphs which are small enough to feed tiny spiderlings?  Which roach species is a good alternative?

Any feedback and/or recommendations would be a huge help to me.  Thanks!


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 13, 2012)

Well im not sure if it would pose a problem where you live or not, but i was keeping mine with 50% humidity, and the ooths wouldnt hatch. I then raised the humidity to 70% and they started hatching really good. As far as i know, they are tropical, and need high heat and high humidity. They are excellent feeders, never burrow, soft bodied, get to perfect sizes, and with the right conditions hatch very good.


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## Introvertebrate (Feb 13, 2012)

Do they say which part of Texas?  Maybe just the southern most part.  You guys get pretty cold winters in Tulsa.  lats wouldn't last long in the snow.


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## Carolina_wolfie (Feb 14, 2012)

catfishrod69 said:


> Well im not sure if it would pose a problem where you live or not, but i was keeping mine with 50% humidity, and the ooths wouldnt hatch. I then raised the humidity to 70% and they started hatching really good. As far as i know, they are tropical, and need high heat and high humidity. They are excellent feeders, never burrow, soft bodied, get to perfect sizes, and with the right conditions hatch very good.


Thanks for the info on this species.  I really wish that B. lateralis doesn't have pest potential because it would be the PERFECT feeder to use for giant wolf spiders and their spiderlings. Horror stories like this one scare me to death! The last thing that I need is a roach infestation! Please read this two-page thread:

http://www.chameleonforums.com/b-lateralis-red-racers-42868/

By the way, do you have any suggestions for alternative small non-climbing feeder roaches?

Anyway, thanks again for your feedback.

---------- Post added 02-14-2012 at 08:23 PM ----------




Introvertebrate said:


> Do they say which part of Texas?  Maybe just the southern most part.  You guys get pretty cold winters in Tulsa.  lats wouldn't last long in the snow.


According to this website, they are in El Paso:

http://www.texasinvasives.org/pest_database/detail.php?symbol=32

Also, I was reading a thread (which I posted in my previous reply) and here is what this guy said regarding this species surviving cold winters:

*************************************************************************
"During the winter months when the temps. were below Zero, I left a colony outside to freeze for 2 months. I brought them back inside, they thawed out and in 1 hour all of them were racing around. After that I got rid of all of them. They have been gone since Feb. and I just found 1 about 5 months later."

and

"I never thought it could have been possible either. When I brought the colony inside from the frozen weather, the colony was frozen solid. I thought for sure they were done for. Just 1 hr. later they were racing around just as fast as ever."
*************************************************************************

This guy could very well be exaggerating, but this scares me to death!


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## catfishrod69 (Feb 14, 2012)

well that thread is crazy. hopefully that cant happen. i have a couple get out every now and then. mainly adult males. but my ole lady sees them and kills them. with the lats, i only use the adult males and tiny nymphs as feeders. plus whenever i stick one in with anything, i make sure it is taken, or i take it out. if i leave it in, 99% of the enclosures are escape proof. they cant climb the plastic tub the colony is in, so i dont have to worry about that. as far as a alternative non climber that small enough, im stumped. i dont care for dubia that much, mainly just use the adult males. come springtime, i am going to start another lobster colony, and add more to my lats. the lobsters are great like the lats, but they can climb anything, and seem to have babies alot easier than the lats. crickets aremy favorite feeders, but they stink, rot, eat each other, escape, and never shut up.


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## peterUK (Feb 14, 2012)

catfishrod69 said:


> Well im not sure if it would pose a problem where you live or not, but i was keeping mine with *50% humidity, and the ooths wouldnt hatch*. I then raised the humidity to 70% and they started hatching really good. As far as i know, they are tropical, and need high heat and *high humidity*. They are excellent feeders, never burrow, soft bodied, get to perfect sizes, and with the right conditions hatch very good.


I keep my colony HOT (90F+) but completely dry with no misting or added water. Their moisture needs are satisfied by apples and oranges.
I started the colony with approx 70 adults last May and this video was in October. 
This was the first time that I had cleaned the roach tub and was totally suprised of the amount of roaches !
ALL the roaches are juvenile in the video as the adult have now died.
The container is 24 inches x 16 inches 


Click on picture for video


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Feb 16, 2012)

I specifically do not ship or even raise this species because I didn't like seeing them on my collecting trips through Arizona and California. They really would be perfect for your spiders, however you can circumvent the drawbacks and downsides of some other species. For example, strategically placing B. dubia next to your spider's burrow should ensure a feeding response by the spider. Limiting the substrate in tanks will also prevent the roach species from burrowing. Another method is volume feeding where you offer more roaches than the spider will eat. Of course, there are many other species available in the hobby.


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## Carolina_wolfie (Feb 16, 2012)

catfishrod69 said:


> well that thread is crazy. hopefully that cant happen. i have a couple get out every now and then. mainly adult males. but my ole lady sees them and kills them. with the lats, i only use the adult males and tiny nymphs as feeders. plus whenever i stick one in with anything, i make sure it is taken, or i take it out. if i leave it in, 99% of the enclosures are escape proof. they cant climb the plastic tub the colony is in, so i dont have to worry about that. as far as a alternative non climber that small enough, im stumped. i dont care for dubia that much, mainly just use the adult males. come springtime, i am going to start another lobster colony, and add more to my lats. the lobsters are great like the lats, but they can climb anything, and seem to have babies alot easier than the lats. crickets aremy favorite feeders, but they stink, rot, eat each other, escape, and never shut up.


If I get some lats, then I will make darn sure that they are securely contained and I will also place sticky glue traps in various places in my apartment (especially in the bathroom & under the kitchen sink) to catch any possible escapees.

---------- Post added 02-16-2012 at 12:45 PM ----------




Bugs In Cyberspace said:


> I specifically do not ship or even raise this species because I didn't like seeing them on my collecting trips through Arizona and California. They really would be perfect for your spiders, however you can circumvent the drawbacks and downsides of some other species. For example, strategically placing B. dubia next to your spider's burrow should ensure a feeding response by the spider. Limiting the substrate in tanks will also prevent the roach species from burrowing. Another method is volume feeding where you offer more roaches than the spider will eat. Of course, there are many other species available in the hobby.


Next to lats, are dubias the smallest non-climbing feeder roaches that I can get?


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## Vfox (Feb 21, 2012)

I would suggest Lats honestly, I've had a few escape now and then by my blunder, not them actually escaping their enclosure and they wind up dead in a corner behind my roach rack normally. It's tool dry in my house, they can never find water. As for optional species that can't climb...well...ones as prolific and as small as the Lats are not really in the hobby. Dubia isn't a bad suggestion but the nymphs will burrow and have harder exoskeletons. Not to mention the 1st instar nymphs are 4-5 times larger than 1i Lats. Everything else is kinda...too large for spiderlings.


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## Carolina_wolfie (Feb 22, 2012)

Vfox said:


> I would suggest Lats honestly, I've had a few escape now and then by my blunder, not them actually escaping their enclosure and they wind up dead in a corner behind my roach rack normally. It's tool dry in my house, they can never find water. As for optional species that can't climb...well...ones as prolific and as small as the Lats are not really in the hobby. Dubia isn't a bad suggestion but the nymphs will burrow and have harder exoskeletons. Not to mention the 1st instar nymphs are 4-5 times larger than 1i Lats. Everything else is kinda...too large for spiderlings.


I sincerely appreciate your feedback.  You have helped me to decide that I WILL raise a feeder colony of lats.  I feel confident they won't infest my apartment because I will have them inside a secure bin (The fact they don't climb smooth surfaces will make it much easier for me!).  Plus, I am planning on putting down glue traps as a precaution.  Lats it is!


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## Vfox (Feb 22, 2012)

Carolina_wolfie said:


> I sincerely appreciate your feedback.  You have helped me to decide that I WILL raise a feeder colony of lats.  I feel confident they won't infest my apartment because I will have them inside a secure bin (The fact they don't climb smooth surfaces will make it much easier for me!).  Plus, I am planning on putting down glue traps as a precaution.  Lats it is!


Lats are super easy to contain, I keep mine in a 20 galling tank with a loose fitting screened lid. I don't use Vaseline as a barrier because they cannot climb...basically they will only get out it you drop them or if you have them really hot and a male gets frisky enough to fly. Granted I keep mine in the high 70's low 80's an never saw a male even attempt to fly. If you're needing to be extra precautious then use a barrier and a decent lid. Keep their hides far from the lid and top rim and you should never have an issue. 

Lats start off slow, my 100 starter colony took 3-4 months before a single ootheca hatched. After they did however, they never stopped lol. I had well over 5,000 in no time. I reduced their numbers greatly though and now keep a breeding population of 30-40 adults with various numbers of nymphs.


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