# B. Lateralis roach set up/husbandry



## Karmaz (Aug 16, 2015)

*Red Runner set up/husbandry*

After much thought and weighing the pros and cons of other species I've decided to start a colony of B.  Lateralis. I chose this forum vs the enclosure and habitat forum because of it being species specific therefore bordering husbandry vs just asking about the enclosure. I have read, and read and searched and read some more about this species.  I have found very conflicting answers to my questions and tried to take the good and separate from the bad.  I just want to do this right the first time. 

I have ordered a colony of 20 adults and around 250 nymphs.  I am going to house them in a large opaque Sterelite tote.  It is an 18 gallon 22"L x 17"W by 15.5"H. I plan to cut out a 10" square from the lid and place screen there for ventilation.  I purchased a heat mat rated for both plastic and glass enclosures, along with a digital thermometer(one of the stick the probe wherever you want in the tank and attatched the thermometer to the wall above the enclosure  ones, not a cheap one)  to keep track of the temp and ensure a constant 80-85 degrees F.  The climbing/hiding surfaces for the roaches will be egg cartons,  drift wood, fast food cup holders and other similar items. I intend to bowl feed,  not just throw it in there (Im a neat freak and i will pass my virtues to my roaches ha!) as well as use a shallow dish with pebbles in the bottom rather than water crystals for a water source. I know this species sucks at climbing so the bowls will be modified for their needs.  

So,  did I miss anything, get anything wrong,  anything I should do different? I'm still unsure about substrate, i know it's not necessary, but would the roaches appreciate it?


I'm just one of those people that has to know everything about anything before I do it.

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## Ellenantula (Aug 17, 2015)

Oddly, I started with pinheads.  lol  Originally I bought pin head B lats for my OBT sling and their growth outpaced his, so a few grew up....

I keep mine in large rubbermaid container -- never did get around to putting a screen in lid -- lid just has soldering iron holes -- largest holes over area without egg crates, smaller holes over area with egg crates.  I absolutely adore feeding and watering -- mine come rushing out and I end up watching them 10 minutes or so.  Last night they got canteloupe -- big hit!  They mostly get carrots and baby lettuces/spinach for wet food and Iams cat food, Trader Joe Organic High-Fibre Os (like Cheerios) and whole wheat bread for their dry food.  There is a dampened papertowel folded up under the lettuces and that is where most the ooths are laid (just not visible in pix)  Roaches adore water -- I battle the balance between damp enough for the roaches but dry enough to prevent mould/mildew.  I do have to replace egg crates every month or so -- better ventilation would probably prevent that. I use some TP tubes to make it easier to shake out a few when needed for feeding.  All I feed mine is GONE by morning.  I feed alternate days.

I've never used substrate, I gently reach in with a dampened paper towel and wipe out any heavily soiled areas (avoiding injuring little pinheads).  I had isos in with mine -- they disappeared. (shrug) 

Best of luck -- I have enjoyed mine so much it is almost a shame to feed them to the Ts.

Below is fairly recent pix -- note all the tiny pin heads living in harmony -- roaches seem to treat one another kinder than crix do:


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## Karmaz (Aug 17, 2015)

Ok, so no substrate..  Lol makes my life easier and yes crickets are vile little creatures. They seem cute and harmless until you watch a gang of them devour a molting cage mate.  Ugh, I've also read they can regenerate their severed heads if you don't sever them completely..  Needless to say my tiny slings now get sliced and diced cricket.


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## Hisserdude (Aug 17, 2015)

I can say for a fact that no cricket known to man can regenerate a new head, lol!

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## Karmaz (Aug 18, 2015)

Not regenerate a new head, but heal itself enough to survive and function again if the cricket equivalent of a spinal cord isn't severed. Which honestly, though I haven't researched it doesn't seem too far fetched as even my fully decapitated crickets have both animated heads and bodies for atleast 45 minutes after being decapitated, unless my T eats it before then.  Which is creepy enough on its own.


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## Hisserdude (Aug 18, 2015)

Ah, OK, I see what you're saying.


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## peterUK (Aug 18, 2015)

Large RUB with upright eggflats is all that is needed (I use a 23" x 16" x 18")

Heatmat underneath the RUB. DO NOT worry about the temps, the hotter the better. (i think mine is in the mid to high 90's)

Food is always ground up into a fine powder by an old coffee grinder. 
I've tried various foods over many years and have found that chick crumbs or layers mash is worth using and is very cheap to buy compared to many   

Moisture is supplied by bug gel only

I may put in an occasional banana or orange if there are any left at the end of the week (usually eaten within 45-60 minutes)

Ive found that frequent feeding of fruit and veg attracts flies and mites 

Thats it. Nothing else is needed.  

TIP. . . NEVER EVER use a female as food


As you are starting with such a small amount I wouldnt use any at all until the nymphs are adults and started breeding with should only be a few months if you keep the heat turned up

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## Karmaz (Aug 18, 2015)

While they will eventually feed all of my T's, for the moment they are essentially sling food, so I should have enough nymphs to manage. The 20 adults are freshly matured and majorly female (average of 1 male per 5 females) and I won't be feeding off adults any time soon. My issue with water crystals is they mold easily, I'd much prefer a water dish.

Is sexing nymphs of this species similar to sexing Dubia nymphs where the very last scale ( correct term?)  on the underside of the abdomen will be as wide as the rest for female and narrower for males?


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## Ellenantula (Aug 18, 2015)

Karmaz said:


> While they will eventually feed all of my T's, for the moment they are essentially sling food, so I should have enough nymphs to manage. The 20 adults are freshly matured and majorly female (average of 1 male per 5 females) and I won't be feeding off adults any time soon. My issue with water crystals is they mold easily, I'd much prefer a water dish.
> 
> Is sexing nymphs of this species similar to sexing Dubia nymphs where the very last scale ( correct term?)  on the underside of the abdomen will be as wide as the rest for female and narrower for males?


I have never tried to look on roach underside to determine nymph gender.

Mature males look quite different -- blonde and more rectangular with wings.  If you are feeding a roach nymph that is too young and small to be easily sexed by a general glance alone, then it's not a concern if its male or female since it's too immature to be fertile (to lay an ooth) anyway. (I am assuming you are referring feedings nymphs to Ts too small to take an adult). And, if roach is rejected by T, remove it soon and it won't matter what it might have matured into.

I only feed out male roaches to adult Ts.


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## Karmaz (Aug 18, 2015)

Yes, I have several slings ranging from 1/8" to 2.5"..  The smaller of those would be getting the nymphs / sharing the nymphs I swear some of my slings remind me of specks lol. My larger slings and my adults will be eating crickets until the colony is established enough to start feeding off males. 

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## peterUK (Aug 18, 2015)

Karmaz said:


> . My issue with water crystals is they mold easily, I'd much prefer a water dish.


Not sure what you are using but it is a physical impossibility for polymer crystals to mould. 
If you use a water dish be prepared to lose a lot of nymphs to drowning.
By the nature of your questions, I'd hazard a guess that you havent kept these before so I can only tell you from over 10 years of using these as feeders what has and hasnt worked for me and I havent lost any that i have noticed in any way due to the bug gel.
At a rough guess, at the moment i use between 800-1,000 per week of all sizes so I do what produces the most roaches with the absolute minimum of loses.


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## Karmaz (Aug 18, 2015)

peterUK said:


> Not sure what you are using but it is a physical impossibility for polymer crystals to mould.
> If you use a water dish be prepared to lose a lot of nymphs to drowning.
> By the nature of your questions, I'd hazard a guess that you havent kept these before so I can only tell you from over 10 years of using these as feeders what has and hasnt worked for me and I havent lost any that i have noticed in any way due to the bug gel.
> At a rough guess, at the moment i use between 800-1,000 per week of all sizes so I do what produces the most roaches with the absolute minimum of loses.


I don't see how they'd drown in a dish with a platform of pebbles to stand on. I've seen it done by others. I haven't had any crickets drown yet and their water is the same way. I don't breed crickets, but I buy in bulk when I can acquire them as my LPS is always out of stock, I've yet to have a death that wasn't age, cannibalism or just random dead cricket in the corner related. So, I'll try it and find out the hard way I guess. 

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## Ellenantula (Aug 18, 2015)

Karmaz said:


> I don't see how they'd drown in a dish with a platform of pebbles to stand on. I've seen it done by others. I haven't had any crickets drown yet and their water is the same way. I don't breed crickets, but I buy in bulk when I can acquire them as my LPS is always out of stock, I've yet to have a death that wasn't age, cannibalism or just random dead cricket in the corner related. So, I'll try it and find out the hard way I guess.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


I've had pinhead roaches (and crix) drown in a mere drop of water because I was careless with my watering syringe.  I prefer to use a saturated paper towel and place fresh veggies on top.  Others prefer crystals or sponges.  

I would only use a bowl of water with stones for adults feeders -- and since I have no colonies with only adults, it's a moot point re: water bowl/stones anyway.  Perhaps you are thinking in T enclosures, where some will put stones in dish to assist larger prey to avoid drowning?  (I dunno, I don't even put stones in T water dishes either).


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## EDED (Aug 18, 2015)

peterUK

damn man, awesome pics and crazy proliferating colony there!

recently I decided to put vermiculite down and wet it to keep the humidity up. 

its summer time so the roaches are in my garage with screen top for ventilation.  heat is non issue.  egg cases are being dropped but i thought the container was too dry that is why I decided to put substrate in.  Figured vermiculite is synthetic enough that it will resist mold better than dirt, moss etc. 

think I will mimic your set up. 
Bug Gel sounds good.


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## peterUK (Aug 23, 2015)

EDED said:


> recently I decided to put vermiculite down and wet it to keep the humidity up. .


I dont want humidity in any of my roach bins (apart from ambient room humidity) as ive found the hard way, that raised humidity encourages mites and other pests to rapidly proliferate. 

Everyone has their own ideas about how to do things, some are good and some are bad. I have given a few friends enough to start their own colonies up and none of them has come anywhere near successfully breeding the amount that i do.
I have very good results breeding feeder roaches and I do it so that they occupy as little of my time as possible. I do NOT want to spend my valuable spare time messing around with them. 
I spend about 5 minutes per week cleaning the bug gel dish and topping up the dry food and the only other time that the roach tub lid is opened is when I take some out on feeding day.
Twice a year I'll spend a few hours on a spare day off of work cleaning the tubs out, anything else IMHO is just wasting my time  


This is one of my videos on youtube > > >    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBBGy1hqG-E


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