Blatta orientalis: A crazy idea?

[GiantVinegaroon]

I've been pondering trying to start a culture of oriental cockroaches, but seeing that they are one of the major pest species, it has made me think that rearing them would be a bad idea. However, I have read that they do not climb glass(although some other people say the males can) and they can't fly. Are there others out there who rear this species, or is the idea of rearing them just a bad idea?

 

[ZephAmp]

I've been pondering trying to start a culture of oriental cockroaches, but seeing that they are one of the major pest species, it has made me think that rearing them would be a bad idea. However, I have read that they do not climb glass(although some other people say the males can) and they can't fly. Are there others out there who rear this species, or is the idea of rearing them just a bad idea?

In my opinion this is not a "pest" species. I have kept these on and off for the past few years, and while occasionally an individual pops up who can climb glass, my current batch cannot.

I once asked an exterminator about these guys; he says they primarily live in storm drains in basements and do not multiply quickly. The problem is that one person sees a single roach out and about and thinks their house is infested. Although this may sometimes be the case, with this species I think not; a curious individual may wander out of his wet home in search of a decent meal. Although they produce many egg cases they grow incredibly slowly; My B. lateralis will go from newborn to half-grown size before these guys have molted twice.

Personally, I've had these and two species of Periplaneta get loose in my basement, all of which have reputations for "infesting;" within 6 months there was no trace of any of these species at all.

On the other hand, I had several B. lateralis get loose this spring, and they found their way down there; I was surprised when I checked my storm drain the other day to find 2 adult females and 10 or 12 nymphs staring at me. I'd fear B. lateralis "infesting" (If you can even call it that) much more than I'd fear B. orientalis.

 

[Matt K]

It really depends on what state you live in. Some roaches multiply much faster in different regions of the USA. In Texas, all of those mentioned have an explosive population if loose in the house or out-doors. It varies from region to region.