I've been buying the little buggers, but I've just made a cricket cage and thought I'd try my hand at rearing them, then moving on to some roaches as well. Also wondering what substrate to use for 'em. I've got the cage enameled and the inner bottom part is covered with a pond liner. Thanks for reading. Your posts would be appreciated.
Do you raise or buy your feeders?
- Thread starter Feathers
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you will have an easier time breeding roaches because they breed and grow faster than crickets. so you should just some spagnhum (sp) moss and a small shallow water dish for water and you can probably use the cricket food for the roaches too. or just use healthy human foods like wheat stuff, fruits and veggies... and use paper towel tubs so and egg cartons so the roaches have hiding places. i tried to breed crickets, it worked but a lot of them died in the water dishes and even if they didn't it takes forever for them to grow.
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I breed my own roaches. Simple easy effective, and once you put a little money in (less then 75 buck,unless you have a ton of Ts then maybe 150 bucks) you wont have to spend near what you were for crickets. I bought my roaches last Sept, and have not spent a dime on food since. :clap:
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Talkenlate - what species of roaches did you buy?
- what do you feed them
- If you ordered them online what is the website address if not what is a good website to order roaches online from?
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I don't use any substrate for the cricket's, since they will lay there egg's in it. Put a couple of inches of substrate in a tupperware container, moist, and they will lay their egg's in this. Every couple of days remove the container, re-moisten, and put it in a warm place. 9 or so day's later, you will have lots of pinheads.
Downside; they are noisy, the smell, and they don't live long,(6 or 7 week life cycle).
Roach's are the way to go, in my opinion.
Good luck.
Downside; they are noisy, the smell, and they don't live long,(6 or 7 week life cycle).
Roach's are the way to go, in my opinion.
Good luck.
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Feathers, check this thread out...roaches are the way to go, fresh fruit and veggies and some ground up dry dog food.....
Regards, Mike
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=463
Regards, Mike
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=463
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i buy crickets when i need them , generally for slings . but i raise the roaches, my colony isnt self sustaining yet so i have to suppliment wiht crix for the time
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I raise B. discoidalis and its going very well. I got 200 of them for 50$. Just feed veggies and keep them warm and they go and go.
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use sterlite tubs they cant climb thatI have my own B. dubia colony... so far so good, as long as I remember to put the lid on! (I have them in a 20 gallon tank and they climbed up the silicone, naughty buggers!)
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i started my roach colony 6 months ago (more or less) and havnt had to buy any feeders since then (i started with a massive amount to begin with, but they are producing very well for me). i have also had a mealworm colony going for the last 5 years (i used them a lot when i had a lot of fish...i had to sell my cichlid collection when i moved but i kept the worms). i feed my roaches and mealies oats, apples, carrots, green beans, kelp wafers and mangos (the roaches LOVE mango)
ive been thinking about getting a colony of super worms started, and maybe a larger species of roach, but i havnt had the time to do so.
ive been thinking about getting a colony of super worms started, and maybe a larger species of roach, but i havnt had the time to do so.
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I buy crickets and superworms (in case i cant get crickets) but raise mealworms as a backup for my smaller slings.
I will quit using crickets once my B.dubia colony starts producing nymphs though.
I will quit using crickets once my B.dubia colony starts producing nymphs though.
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Wow this thread just made me get up to see if I still have feeder, it is amazing what a cockroach will survive.
Yes I breed my own, and worth every cent.
Yes I breed my own, and worth every cent.
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orange heads probably the better of those two for feeders, but id use dubias if i were you
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I have a B. dubia colony and I love it. I started with 500 and they seem to be reproducing quite well. I started with a handful of adults and now I have several and I see new little ones all the time. I also use plastic tubs like you can buy at walmart and I have personally witnessed smaller nymphs climbing the sides. They are quite clumsy and fall easily but they can climb to some extent. Most of the time they are content crawling around on the egg flats tho...
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I guess because they are non climbing (except for the little ones occasionally) and non flying and aren't really that fast. At least mine aren't I usually just pick up one of the egg flats and pick off the ones I want and put them in a cup. They will breed at room temperature, however, I use low heat now because they breed much faster with it.
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I bought Dubia from Davegrimm1, best investment ever. I buy chopped salad with carrots in huge bags and grind up dog food. They are in a tub with a lid and holes sittting on a lap heat mat that keeps the container around 88-90.
And like I said worth it. Beyond worth it.