Feeder Roaches - Your Choice?!

[padkison]

I wouldn't let them go. Get them into the freezer overnight and then toss them. They will be dead then.

 

[IguanaMama]

Do you have them on substrate, like I do? I think that absorbs smells--organic soil, peat, vermic and cork bark. My husband always complains about my sensitive nose. He says I complain that this smells and that smells. I even complain that toothpaste smells, so when I say my lateralis don't stink, they don't stink. It must be something you are feeding them or the substrate. I think they are a great feeder roach, my Ts LOVE them. Maybe there is something in that cricketfood.com stuff:? Is it wet or dry. I'm going to the website now..... I think they would just die if you let them loose in a field btw, why don't you just go on a feeding frenzy instead and feed them off, make all your Ts fat for the winter.

 

[Lorgakor]

No, it can't be what I'm feeding them, because they stunk already when I received them. I opened the packages and it was like, EWWWW.
My discoids don't smell whatsoever, and they eat the same food. They've been eating the same food for over a year.
No I don't have them on substrate, I worry about mites so I leave them substrate free.

I guess I could start feeding them off, but honestly I am so grossed out by the smell that I don't even want to open the bin. Plus there are 250 of them so that would take a long time!

I guess I'll do that though, it would be better than letting them all go.

Thanks for the advice though, much appreciated.

 

[Taceas]

Well I wouldn't release them. Despite the onset of winter in your neck of the woods I think it'd be irresponsible to release them. Some may overwinter somewhere and survive, and then it'd potentially be another invasive species.

Why not just sell them to a local pet store or put an ad up in your area? Make some money and get rid of the smelly offenders. If I were closer, I'd take them off your hands.

Like I said earlier, my roach box smells but I don't think its anything unusual. Its not overpowering, and I can only smell it when I really stick my nose in there. Plus, I too have an empty bottom.

I only feed the food from Blaberus.com, no fresh fruits or veggies here, too damned many fruit flies. Maybe the differing diet is the culprit despite what you think. I know when my dog eats cat food, she passes gas and the nastiest stools imagineable. When the cats eat it, nothing any different. Maybe its just the way different creatures process their food is the difference between your species.

I don't know what the weather is like in British Columbia and I'm sure it varies whether you're coastal or more interior....but when the humidity is up in the house, like when I have windows open and the AC off, they'll smell a little more than usual. But I must be used to farm animal smells or something, its nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[pinkfoot]

I just don't get it. I feed mine fruits an veggies and roach food from cricketfood.com. Same as I feed my Discoids.
But these guys stunk from the moment I got them. And the smell has just intensified. It is in no way shape or form a pleasant smell.

I live in British Columbia, do you think these guys would pose a threat if I let them go? Seriously, I don't want them in my house. I don't even want to stick my hand in there. It smells that bad.

Any reason no-one's considered they might be infected with something?
Just a thought, since this is the only time I've read of a stench this bad outside of a gym..?

 

[IguanaMama]

Hey, both Taceas and Lorgakor said no substrate and they have stinky roaches. I use substrate and mine are stink-free!!! If you are afraid of mites, just stick some roly-polies or other isopods in there! I don't have mites, I don't have stinky roaches either!!! I'm happy happy! BTW, regarding which blaberus to get, I don't know the difference as far as which are better for breeding, eating etc. I'm raising discoids and death-heads for no other reason than I think they are the prettiest. I also have some fuscas, just because I got them and I haven't the heart to feed them, so there they be. For some reason they aren't breeding, they are just hanging out. The discoids are breeding however, the death heads are still nymphs.

 

[Lorgakor]

So you don't actually have B. lateralis IguanaMama? Becuase I too have Discoids and they don't have even the slightest smell. But I will try your substrate suggestion, though I honestly don't see how it could possibly take the smell away. Even if the dirt absorbed the smell, then I would be left with a bin full of stinky dirt would I not?

I'm not trying to be difficult, and i understand the food suggestion, but they were already smelly before I ever fed them a thing. They don't look sick (although what does a sick roach look like? ), and they are breeding fine.

I'm going to add some substrate this weekend and see how that goes. There are some isopods in with them already, so that should help.
Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the help.

 

[Galadriel]

Are they on a substrate? I think substrate absorbs smells. I have mine in a fairly small container for the number of them, and still no smell. They are reproducing like crazy too.

Hey Mama! I was also told not to use substrate, just egg carton. I've been pulling the oothica before they can hatch so I can catch the little buggers. Seems like they'd be much harder to find in soil. There's just no such thing as a maintenance free pet, I guess. Even rocks should be dusted once in a while =) And the smell is like jasmine compared to crickets.

 

[IguanaMama]

I didn't say I didn't have lateralis. I do have lateralis. I have around two dozen different species of roaches. I like roaches.:8o I haven't been pulling the egg cases out, but they are still reproducing well. I have just a thin layer of soil mixed with a bit of vermic and moss on the bottom, just to lighten up the soil, and then I threw in some straight spahgnam moss and some oak leaves to hold moisture and some cork bark for climbing and hiding spots. To harvest them, I lift a piece of bark over a container and tap tap tap, but I am trying to build up a bit more before I really start feeding from it, it is still a fairly new colony. But.... all the female adults have egg cases coming out of their butts and LOTS of teeny tiny nymphs so I know they are reproducing.

 

[Gesticulator]

I just purchased about 50 Giant lobster roaches- Henschoutedenia flexivitta. As mentioned here, the slight odor is way better than the reek of the crickets. I am thinking its the apple mixed with the vaseline that I smell. I am less than thrilled with the surprise gooey brown excretion I was welcomed with when I held one, but I guess I can just use tweezers. They are pretty fast, but the nymphs are cool looking. I haven't fed any yet, but I am hoping that because they are quite fast, that I have better luck than I had with the dubia. Oh well , if not, I can always ask Jodi to adopt them!!!!!!

 

[eman]

My favourite are B. dubia, A. tesselata and R. maderae. Most others will do but the above are hard to beat.

I agree with IguanaMama - soil as a substrate is certainly the way to go. I add plenty of bark for them to climb/mate. The nymphs usually like to burrow into the soil (for many species).

Cheers,

Eman

 

[IguanaMama]

My favourite are B. dubia, A. tesselata and R. maderae. \\

Are yours the standard R. maderae or the goldi? I got the goldi, I was wondering if there was much of a difference.

 

[jbrd]

Roach Poll

I also wanted to add that we intend to use B.dubia as a feeder too but the colony is not quite large enough to feed off, so it is mostly the hissers we use for now.

 

[Duc de Blangis]

I don't have any issues with smell, but all i feed my roaches for the most part are carrots, potatos and fresh corn on the cob.

I feed N. Cinera all three of the above and i have way too many roaches than i know what to do with.

I have B. dubia and B. fusca which completely devour the corn and a little bit of the carrots.

And i have B. latteralis which completely devour the potato.

 

[IguanaMama]

Do you cook the potato or serve it raw? I heard sweet potato was good, so I bought some, organic no less, but I haven't used it because I don't know if I'm supposed to cook it, peel it or what??????? :?

 

[Duc de Blangis]

Do you cook the potato or serve it raw? I heard sweet potato was good, so I bought some, organic no less, but I haven't used it because I don't know if I'm supposed to cook it, peel it or what??????? :?

i've just been giving it to them raw. the potatos and corn on the cob both. i peel just a little bit of the potato for them to get to it but i don't think it's really necassary. i don't even give the n. cinera a water supply and they're still breeding insanely fast. i still provide water crystals for my other roaches. i'm not sure they really need them either.

my b. lateralis weren't doing eating too well with dry dog food, etc but they gobble up potato. same with both my b. fusca and dubia. they didn't seem to like what i was giving them; i'd find items only slightly nibbled and i've found they go crazy over corn. the n. cinera eat anything.

 

[Beardo]

I tried B. lateralis a while back and I did not like them at all....they stunk horribly as soon as I got them and no matter what I did, I could not get any of the eggcases to hatch, thus leaving me with a non-reproducing colony. I fed off the larger ones as quick as I could and gave the others away to a friend.

I have used B. dubia, Discoids, Orange-Heads and Lobsters with great success.

 

[Stylopidae]

I'm considering feeding yams to my lobsters to increase production...I'll post results.

I use dog treats for the dry food (mostly because they come in a container that isn't bad for keeping bugs in) and I use cucumber for moisture.

Would yams be moist enough to be a secondary foodstuff?

Has anyone noticed a noticible difference in reproduction whilst feeding fishfood?

 

[Arachnobored]

This is a great thread! Why isn't it pinned?!:?

I am also going to start feeding roaches to my collection, and I've learned tonnes already!

Way to go, pinkfoot!:clap:

 

[cacoseraph]

Do you cook the potato or serve it raw? I heard sweet potato was good, so I bought some, organic no less, but I haven't used it because I don't know if I'm supposed to cook it, peel it or what??????? :?

i ALWAYS peel everything i feed to my roaches. and i don't use high surface area to volume food like grapes. and it kills me but i don't use leaf foods like spinach. the reason being that they are more likely to have pesticides on them... and i believe some pesticides can kind of "seep" into the meat of the plant things.

i like bananas for this reason... very easy to peel, all species seem to like them, and the tough thick skin makes me feel like it would be harder for seepage to occur

also, i try to feed as much stuff raw as possible. i believe that cooking breaks down some vitamins


well... ok, i do use leaf foods sometimes, but only when they are the hideously expensive, organic, and pesticide free variety. i swear my dang roaches eat better than i do!