Alternatives to feeder roaches?

[Ghostmooner]

I know I asked this in the past, but can't find the info, I just suck at searches or something

anways, I am looking for alternative feeder pray for my Ts, I hate crickets, too noisey and too stinky, and I'm not allowed to keep roaches in the house, and I plan on getting a T. Blondi soon so i'll need something bigger than crickets to feed em with, and i'll need to be able to restalk my supply in the middle of winter. anyone got any ideas? I'd hate to have to sneak in a small roach colony and try and hide it from my family. I thought about grass hoppers, they seem like a nice big juicey pray item but i don't know where to find a supplier all year round. also thought about little lizards of some sort, but don't know much about that.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

Sneak in the roaches if you have to. Or try explaining how they dont climb glass, make noise and are less likely to escape. Tell them they are silent. Try to explain your case best you can. I dont see any logical reason to be ok with crickets and not roaches. :? Both can infest your house just as easy. And crickets are way nasty smelling and always killing each other. I am glad i dont use crickets anymore. Damn things kept me up all hours of the night when one got loose. :wall: And they always jumped away when i dropped them.. Good riddens! B. lateralis are great breeders and fumble around to alert your T. My personal favorite.

 

[Falk]

There are many species of crickets you can use that doesnt smell or make noises. The ones i use never smell or play to loud but i dont remember the scientific names.

They are brown with reddish eyes if that helps

 

[flamesbane]

There are many species of crickets you can use that doesnt smell or make noises. The ones i use never smell or play to loud but i dont remember the scientific names.

They are brown with reddish eyes if that helps

From what I understand in the USA the only species that can be farm produced is Acheta domesticus. So while it is possible to keep other species one would have to capture them and raise them.

 

[Ghostmooner]

Sneak in the roaches if you have to. Or try explaining how they dont climb glass, make noise and are less likely to escape. Tell them they are silent. Try to explain your case best you can. I dont see any logical reason to be ok with crickets and not roaches. :? Both can infest your house just as easy. And crickets are way nasty smelling and always killing each other. I am glad i dont use crickets anymore. Damn things kept me up all hours of the night when one got loose. :wall: And they always jumped away when i dropped them.. Good riddens! B. lateralis are great breeders and fumble around to alert your T. My personal favorite.

yeah I want to use roaches, but I don't quite know much about the different types u all use. I argued before about using tropical roaches that won't survive the cold climate here in Washington state but they just won't budge on the issue, and my family is natoriousely stubborn in their decitions.

i had the idea of finding feeder roaches that don't look like roaches and I can tell my family they're actually tropical beatles, I might be able to do that if I can figure out what to call em

 

[DemonAsh]

I sometimes use superworms for some of my bigger Ts. The only issue I have with them is if the T doesn't go for them right away, they start to burrow immediately.

 

[Ghostmooner]

yeah I'm mostly done with meal worms and superworms, my Ts just ignore em, and they burrow into the coconut substrait and turn into big black beatles that they won't eat for some reason, must taste very bitter or something, I remember hearing about that on a nature channel somewhere, some beatles give off a bitter and nasty oder and taste. anyways, I think I might smuggle in a Dubia colony and hide it from my family, think i'll use Alices' glass tank enclosure to house them in, and then hide that in a large plastic tub containor or something and hide it behind some junk and clutter in the corner of my room somewhere. if anyones got any other ideas do tell

 

[DrJ]

Lying to your family is never a good idea. You will likely ALWAYS get caught, sooner or later. At that point, how do you think that will make your family feel? How will they view you after that? If you can't convince them to let you get roaches, deal with crickets. It is better to have a small inconvenience and keep peace among the family than to go with something "cooler" and sneak behind their backs.

 

[apopli]

How about you just... don't tell your family they're roaches? Call them something else. Say they're feeder beetles or something, and you got them because you got tired of crickets escaping and smelling bad and these "beetles" don't jump or climb glass or make any noise.

 

[DrJ]

So...I just brought up a picture of some winged Blaptica dubia roaches in a room full of people. When I asked what they thought of the beetles, they ALL responded that they were roaches. Nobody will believe you if you try to label a roach as a beetle. Even common, everyday people know the difference. Just had to do an "experiment" to be sure.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

It is really up to what you decide to do. Best of luck.

 

[roaddog]

I have good luck with beef heart and beef liver. Just remember to pull it out the next day. Cube it up according to the size of the T and put it by them. This is great for slings that have a hard time catching food. They just dog pile on the liver or heart.

I mix it up, I have 4 colonies of different roaches and I buy crickets once a month too. Occasional pinkie but since a 1 pound heart is the cost of one pinkie, it can feed 200 T's!

 

[Tindalos]

well when i brought my first roaches home i just called them litter bugs if that helps. i know some countries call em that but which ones i dont know.

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

MM's make good feeders. ;P

 

[Ictinike]

MM's make good feeders. ;P

Now, now your mixing your threads Protect


@OP
While I can understand your parents concern the only legitimate way to do this is to get them to agree however as you've stated they are pretty stubborn which I can understand being both a child and now parent myself.

Don't get me wrong but the idea of having Tarantulas in their home is OK but the roaches no? I guess they could argue the "infestation" clause which could happen but I'm pretty sure your location, much even like myself in Ohio, isn't a big concern because of the seasonal temps in these parts.

My best advice would be to inform and educate more, debate having T's, and other feeder insects (which IMO are more likely to cause problems), in the house but not roaches and lastly don't over debate it. Gradual is the key here; don't go all psycho when they say no, yet again.

Use logic and reason instead of fighting it and possibly offer to house them in a location, say the garage, that might suit them better albeit attach a clause that you would have to find a way to "properly" house them in the garage because of their tropical requirements. Once they hook on to the idea and realize they cannot survive in a cold garage they may understand that they are less risk than some of the other feeders you've had thus far.

If they go for an idea of housing them in said garage spend a bit of money and do just that very thing and when they are dead because of the environment and there is a loss, showing due to said environment, they may also more understand their needs and work with you.

Good luck!

 

[madamoisele]

Now that I have a bunch of T's and two leopard geckos, I'd love to raise the roaches. Only one problem.

I'm scared to death of them. Not as in, it's going to get me, but as in - EWWWWWWWWWWW! I get the big time heebie jeebies.

How do you overcome this?

 

[AmbushArachnids]

Now that I have a bunch of T's and two leopard geckos, I'd love to raise the roaches. Only one problem.

I'm scared to death of them. Not as in, it's going to get me, but as in - EWWWWWWWWWWW! I get the big time heebie jeebies.

How do you overcome this?

You might try taking a bath in them? ;P

Just buy them and get used to it i guess. You will get over it.

 

[Kathy]

Do you have a neighbor or friend who would keep the roaches for you? That way you can have them, you don't have to lie to hide them, and you will have a nice supply of food. I bet someone you know would be willing to keep them for you.

 

[Ghostmooner]

ok, thats a pretty idea guys, luckilly I don't need the roaches right away, so I can gradually get them onto the idea of keeping exotic roaches around.
the idea of puting them in the garage might not work, cause it isn't insulated at all, just board walls really, and they'd most likey turn into roachsickles.

lol, i'll have to work something out with time i guess.