# Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Breed



## Arianji (Mar 24, 2012)

I have a pair of Madagascar hissing cockroaches as pets, I have had them for probably about a year now, yet they have not bred. It is a male and a female (judging by the horns and body shape) and I feed them a varied diet often, so I am curious why they have not bred yet? I am not particularly wanting a lot of baby roaches, I just was under the impression they were prolific little suckers that were constantly reproducing. I am just wondering if I am doing something wrong or my pair just wants to be DINKY roaches, but with their names being Morticia and Gomez I was hoping I could atleast get a Wednesday and Pugsley out of them


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## awolfe (Mar 24, 2012)

I did the same thing you did, bought a male and female hoping to get babies. Well let me tell you what my experience is. My male up and died a month after I brought them home. 3 months later (this week) I received a surprise...an egg case. At some point they must have tangoed...I guess we'll find out if its fertile or not just her wanting to be a mother. I've done a little searching, but there doesn't seem to be alot on this species. The dubia however are mad reproducers


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## Malhavoc's (Mar 24, 2012)

awolfe said:


> I did the same thing you did, bought a male and female hoping to get babies. Well let me tell you what my experience is. My male up and died a month after I brought them home. 3 months later (this week) I received a surprise...an egg case. At some point they must have tangoed...I guess we'll find out if its fertile or not just her wanting to be a mother. I've done a little searching, but there doesn't seem to be alot on this species. The dubia however are mad reproducers



Hissers give live birth, no egg cases. So going to say, its a dud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhOGQINu0lk


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## awolfe (Mar 24, 2012)

Poo, I didn't know that


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## Arianji (Mar 25, 2012)

Yeah my female produced one of those egg cases too, I knew they were live bearers (oviviparious?) so I wondered why she ejected the case. I'm sorry she didn't keep it for you though either, maybe get her another male. As for the information I am surprised their is so little on them as well. What to feed them alone is hard enough, I've heard everything from wet newspaper to romaine lettuce. (so I feed them everything I feed my other animals, they seem fond of fish flakes and lab blocks particularly) I guess all anyone really cares about from them is how well other things eat them


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## spydrhunter1 (Mar 25, 2012)

These are subsocial insects usually living in groups with a dominant male, several females and nymphs. Satellite males thrive on the outskirts of the colony. You'll have better luck at breeding if you have more than two together. I feed ours dog kibble and once a weeK some type of fruit of vegetable.


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## shebeen (Mar 27, 2012)

MHCs reproduce using false ovoviviparity, which is unusual among insects.  The ootheca is transferred from the brood chamber, where the eggs are formed, fertilized and packaged, into an incubation chamber just below it.  The ootheca is carried internally and the young released only after the eggs have hatched.  Gestation is usually about 60-70 days.  Brood sizes range from 20-40 nymphs.

Here are a few photos of a female transferring her ootheca.  About 30 minutes passed between photo #1 and photos #2 and #3.

#1






#2






#3


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## awolfe (Mar 28, 2012)

So let me get this straight....it is possible for MHC's to reproduce from an egg case? Ive left the egg case in with the female. She just laid it under some moss I have in with her, it isn't molding or anything, so I should just leave it in there?


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## shebeen (Mar 28, 2012)

Stressed females sometime release the ootheca before the eggs can develop.  I would remove it.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 28, 2012)

awolfe said:


> So let me get this straight....it is possible for MHC's to reproduce from an egg case?


Not once the female has aborted it from her body. I would buy 6-8 nymphs and start your colony. This has worked for me with hissers.


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## Toogledoo (Apr 26, 2012)

Glad for the info. My hissers should be here tomorrow. I got a whole colony.


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