Hissing Cockroach gestation...

[CoinJar]

I just got two Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, one male and one female. They were purchased together in the same container, and I am not sure how long they were together in the container. I now have them separate, but was wondering how long it would be until I know the female is pregnant or not. I understand the gestation period is roughly 60 days, but are there any earlier indicators that she might be pregant? How long until I can be sure she either is or isnt?

 

[Hisserdude]

If they were in for at least a day, she's probably pregnant. And if she was in a colony before that (which she almost certainly was), she's definitely pregnant.

 

[CoinJar]

So should I leave her in the container she came in, which has pinpoint holes that I doubt the babies could escape from, or is it safe to place her in a regular kritter keeper? Would the babies be able to escape the top of the kritter keeper?

 

[Tenodera]

1st and 2nd instars are very good at escaping from Kritter Keepers! Do you have plans to get them in a glass terrarium, net cage, or something else more permanent? Now would be a good time to start setting that up.

 

[CoinJar]

I plan on keeping the two adults, but since the female is likely pregnant I plan on using the offspring as feeders for my tarantulas while they are small, then keeping them both separate to ensure no more offspring are produced. So no, I don't plan on keeping all of the offspring longterm.

 

[Tenevanica]

using the offspring as feeders

Please don't do that. I really don't like it when people use pet roaches as feeders. Hissing cockroaches should honestly be kept as pets and only pets. If you need something large, use B. colossus. Sell them if you can. Selling them at one or two bucks a baby can make you some money to buy another T with

 

[bigjej]

Why not use them as feeders? Many people do. No real justification on moral grounds for using dubias as feeder but not hissers.


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[Tenevanica]

Why not use them as feeders? Many people do. No real justification on moral grounds for using dubias as feeder but not hissers.


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It's a waste of a life. I'm a big advocate of getting people to see cockroaches in general as more than just food for their pets. I want people to see roaches themselves as pets! If you don't want to listen to my moral rantings, there's still the benefit of selling them. If you have other feeders available, why not make some money off of them. Gramphadorhina portentosa (especially pure stocks) will sell for quite a bit in numbers.

 

[bigjej]

I'm just pointing out the inconsistency of valuing the life of one roach species more than another when we are not discussing conservation. I'm not devaluing the roach.

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[Tenodera]

Hissing cockroaches are one of my absolute favorite insects... complex, beautiful, and cuddly.

That said, they are also one of my scorpions' favorite insects! I hate it when people eat a live hisser to make a show of it, it's pointless and is well-described as a waste of a life. But our predators need to eat, and the great amount of nutrients in a hisser are put to good use that way too.