# breeding Blatta lateralis (feeders)



## rhom (Aug 13, 2006)

i was wondering how hard it is to get a colony going for these guys i orderd 55 and there commin in 2 days what kinda set up should i use? and how fast will this number double triple ect.. you get my point.. i have alot of Ts to feed including slings.. are Blatta lateralis  offspring small enough for 1/2'' slings? and im also hoping 55 is a good start?


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## padkison (Aug 13, 2006)

The B. lateralis nymphs are small, about 3/16".  I pick them up with tweezers, crushing them as I do and drop them in squished for tiny slings.

You may find a roach sorter helpful.  I bought a 5 pack of disposable Glad containers and drilled progressively smaller holes.  I dump the roaches in the stacked containers and the roaches try to go down and sort themselves into sizes.

It took awhile for my nypmhs to reach adult size and start putting out babies, about 2 months.  Once they start, you'll have lots.

I keep mine on eggcrates in a 14g tupperware container with a 4"x4" screened hole cut in the top.  They eat ground dogfood and water crystals.  I have vermiculite on the bottom.

I started with a couple hundred and now have thousands.


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## BurrowDweller (Aug 13, 2006)

B. lateralis are the first roaches I have tried to raise for feeders. Started with 300 about 2.5 months ago and now have at least 3,000, probably actually closer to double that. Of course, most are small nymphs. These roaches will breed incredibally quickly, they are almost always laying eggs. 

I keep them in an old 28 quart igloo cooler with some venthilation holes cut in the top. There are egg crates at each end and across one section of the middle. I mist them once or twice a day, I tried water crystals but they seemed to just want to lay eggs on them. 

For food I give them vegtable and fruit scraps every other day and they get a dry mixture of ground sweet cattle feed, dog food, and fish flakes which they absolutely devour.

Temperature wise it varys between 85 and 100. I keep a heating pad set on low beneath on end of the cooler. At 100 degrees they will eat a ton of food and need more moisture.

The small nymphs can easily be fed to 1/2" slings. I regularly feed them live to my 1/4" slings. They are very soft bodied and the slings have no trouble taking them out.

Anthony


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## rhom (Aug 13, 2006)

So if i start with 55 i should be doubling that number in a few months?


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