death to all crickets!

[gumby]

Ok so the males from Lats fly that does make a difference Ill stick with som dubias in that case.

 

[Evil Seedlet]

I read that unless you live somewhere that is nearly always hot and humid all year, it's really hard for Dubias to infest your house, even if a preggers one escapes. If she lives long enough to have babies, they will all freeze or dry up and starve. Can't speak for the other ones though, I haven't done enough research. The no climbing thing is a bonus too though

 

[AbraCadaver]

I don't even know if my T's want roaches.. They've never been fed roaches, not with me or anyone else, and they are afraid of mealworms, when I occasionally give them that. Usualy they get cricks.. Right now, 4 of them are in pre-molt, having webbed themselves into a some serious webs, so I can't really try right now.. Maybe my pulchra baby can get one.. But they're so frikkin' icky!

 

[CAK]

I don't even know if my T's want roaches.. They've never been fed roaches, not with me or anyone else, and they are afraid of mealworms, when I occasionally give them that. Usualy they get cricks.. Right now, 4 of them are in pre-molt, having webbed themselves into a some serious webs, so I can't really try right now.. Maybe my pulchra baby can get one.. But they're so frikkin' icky!

Believe it or not... You will get used to roaches. All of mine converted over to roaches except for slings! About 2 out of 5 slings actually ate a dubia. Currently everyone that doesn't eat dubia get 1/4" crix.

 

[AbraCadaver]

BUt they're sooo gross!!!!!

I'll try.. But I*m not making any promises!

 

[Kathy]

I was just researching b. lats since I am paranoid about them getting loose, and it said the males don't really "fly" they can flap their wings and jump sort of, but it's not like they fly around the room. FYI

 

[LadySharon]

huh. I thoght this post was about the cricket fungus infestation. Anyone hear about that?

The last few weeks my local exotic store has had a hard time getting large crix in. Now they say they just found out from their supplier that there is a cricket fungus giong around killing just about all the crickets before they hit adulthood. They say that more then one supplier has this problem. So I came on here to see if anyone heard about it.

I'm really really nervous about roaches so I don't want a colony - but I may suppliment as the store sells them indivdually as well.

One thing - I currently "paralyze" my crix by putting them in the fridge. This allows me to 1. pick out sizes 2. not have a bunch escape when I open the container and 3. easly pick them up with tweezers without chasing them all over the container.

Can I do that with roaches though? Some insects just keep going and going.

 

[malevolentrobot]

I don't even know if my T's want roaches.. They've never been fed roaches, not with me or anyone else, and they are afraid of mealworms, when I occasionally give them that. Usualy they get cricks.. Right now, 4 of them are in pre-molt, having webbed themselves into a some serious webs, so I can't really try right now.. Maybe my pulchra baby can get one.. But they're so frikkin' icky!

i've slowly been able to get my rosea to eat them regularly, and she was from petco so i'm pretty sure she got crickets most/all of her life. i've also had sucess with feeding her waxworms and the occasional mealworm, but i'm trying to stick it out with the roaches since they have many advantages over crickets.

if you find them icky (which i kind of do too, but they grow on you? we've got a big momma who has her own little KK now and is a "pet") buy a pair of looooooong feeding tongs to drop them in the cage and you're golden.

variety is the spice of life, right?

 

[Evil Seedlet]

XD I think dubias are adorable, I can't wait to get my own colony, partially so I can just play with some now and then. I think the major reason people think roaches are gross is because they think they are dirty, but your roaches will be in a mostly controlled environment, not feeding off of diseased food or meat or anything. They'll be just as dirty as your T's

 

[AbraCadaver]

The reasons I'm scared of roaches are that I have "wild" roaches in my building, and I'm scared I'll be accused of being the perp that brought them in.. Your everyday moron can't tell a dubia apart from a cat, so I just dn't want trouble.. That's my main concern, really.. But they are sorta gross to.. I would freak out if one escaped or ran up my arm.. I don't know why, but cricks and roaches scare me.. I can "pet" a blondi, but if a crick jumps on me, I'm near to a heart attack..

 

[JC]

Crickets do suck, but not so bad you are going to feed them all off fast.

 

[MIC]

I think there is a prejudice in air against poor crickets . Personally i had never had any problem with them and from Ts point of view I think there are much more desirable and funny than roaches.

Naturally a week based cleaning (just put away any dirt and crap) is essential if you want avoid the well known stink. Very good ventilation is also needed as well, but with this small effort we can have the ultimate prey for our Ts.

I cannot also understand why you bitch for the chirp of crickets. I find it very beautiful and reminds me, especially in full winter, the summer and the terrific beaches of Greece. Of course I don't raise them close to my bed but I think this is the terminus for any kind of feeders, crix or roaches.

For the last four+ years I use crickets as feeders, I managed to have always all kind off sizes of them to feed very small slings (pinheads) to full growth adults Ts. It's a matter of varying temperature to have different growth rates from the same breed, without considering that is the easiest thing to have always some eggs ready to hatch.

Finally with crickets we cross off the danger of roach infestation in case of escapes. Crickets are innocuous and they cannot survive once out of their nose bag.

 

[JC]

I think there is a prejudice in air against poor crickets . Personally i had never had any problem with them and from Ts point of view I think there are much more desirable and funny than roaches.

Just curious and want to clarify, do you keep and breed crickets all year long?

 

[MIC]

Just curious and want to clarify, do you keep and breed crickets all year long?

Yes! Constantly for the last four years. They are my only food resource for my Ts except some Madagascar roaches ( is the only type of roaches I don't 'yuck' for) that I use occasionally for my bigger Ts.

 

[Moose9]

I was so happy when I stopped using crickets. Theres a shortage of crickets right now do to a virus that affects only crickets. Roaches are much better than crickets all around. I manage over 350 tarantulas and they all will eat B. dubia, small to adult. I give mine a variety of B. dubia, B. lateralis. B. discoidalis, N. cinerea and G. portentosa plus a few others when my colonies get up a little larger.

Each species has a place for feeding depending on the size of tarantula in my case, also the same when feeding reptiles. B. lateralis newborns work best for the smallest of slings. If you birdeaters, Discoids and Hissers work. Juvenile Ts, everything in between. Lats and lobsters work good for juvies cause there active and don't burrow.

Here is something I found that works when you have escapes, especial B. lateralis. Set out container(s) of water along a wall(s) and the roaches are attracted to it and drown.

I find that male B. dubia and B. lateralis are very sneaky if you lift the egg flat up to high above the bin, the males are the first to try to escape. You can actually watch them thinking, looking for the right place to jump.

You hear allot about these roaches being able to infest homes in the US, will I have. Although it may be possible they can survive under certain extremes, there not likely to infest unless your house is filthy and tropical conditions. I have had plenty of escapes and to date, never been a problem.

All above mentioned is from my experience in breeding and using roaches over crickets.

 

[Kathy]

You hear allot about these roaches being able to infest homes in the US, will I have. Although it may be possible they can survive under certain extremes, there not likely to infest unless your house is filthy and tropical conditions. I have had plenty of escapes and to date, never been a problem.

Well I am happy to read that. Hopefully with how dry it is here, the few that probably have escaped on me won't survive. But I am going to do the water dish just in case.

 

[Moose9]

Well I am happy to read that. Hopefully with how dry it is here, the few that probably have escaped on me won't survive. But I am going to do the water dish just in case.

Kathy, are climates are about the same, dry for the most part. The B. lateralis roach has even acclimated itself here in the past 5 years. They were first discovered in Ca. about 30 years ago. They come in the house now and then from outdoors, straight to the bug room. I haven't seen any yet this year, though. The water trap will work on visitors (from outdoors) as well, if you have them.

 

[Kathy]

Right after I wrote that one escaped when I was feeding. Lordy. They are so fast it ran up the tongs and out and under the sofa. What I don't get with the water though is if they can't climb plastic, what do you use? If the dish is too low they can crawl out, too high and they can't crawl in....

 

[Moose9]

Right after I wrote that one escaped when I was feeding. Lordy. They are so fast it ran up the tongs and out and under the sofa. What I don't get with the water though is if they can't climb plastic, what do you use? If the dish is too low they can crawl out, too high and they can't crawl in....

I use plastic deli containers, half full of water, set next to the wall. They can climb your walls most likely. Another good method is taking a large soda bottle, cut the top 2" or so off and invert into bottom half. Same thing, add water and set aside the wall flush or lean. Be sure its secure if leaning. Roaches fall in and can't get out. I heard there also attracted to coffee grounds.

 

[Stopdroproll]

I got roaches, I still think roaches are somewhat gross, but dubias look pretty cool. I have so much now. I saw this really really fat one run like there's no tomorrow. It was amusing. I have tongs ready if they try to burrow, I start digging.