Is this normal for roaches?

[hassman789]

I a little over 100 dubia on 2-25-11 (or around that) There are adult females and adult males, and they are molting all the time, so more are turning into adults. But still no babies? How long does it take them to start breeding? I have a heatmat on one part of the container and that same side is also close to the heater (which doesn't get very hot) and they have a water crystal dish and a food dish, with small breed dog food. I changed the food from turtle food to that food on like saterday, because they hadn't taken alot off of the turtle food, they still haven't been eating alot of the dog food. I also have a bunch of egg flats in there. Am I doing somthing wrong thats keeping them from breeding? Or does it just take awhile?:? Thanks for any help.

 

[Offkillter]

Try changing the diet my roaches eat only vegetables.I don't use a heat pad and they seem to do well.One more thing,a watched pot never boils.Feed them and leave them alone.I keep mine in a dark closet and they just do what they do.

 

[BQC123]

Patience my friend.

I really recommend starting with more. My 100 was taking forever (OK maybe I got frustrated after 2 weeks) so I added almost 300 more. It was still almost 3 months before they were producing well. Now there are thousands in there. I am able to feed them off, and even sell some.

Get the heat up around 85-90. Mine breed in the mid 70's, but much better production when warm.

I use this recepie (not mine) for food, but far from exact. Dog food instead of flakes, and often ese any dry cereals or stale bread (wheat) crusts.

2 cups commercial non-medicated chick feed ($4 for 10lbs)
2 cups Walmart brand oatmeal
4 cups no name Honey Nut O's
1/2 cup fish flakes
Run it all through the food processor and grind it up.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Roaches normally forget about food while they are molting...but they should feel like eating by the day afterward.

Do they like the food?
Roaches are said to eat "anything," but they do have very definite tastes
and distastes...you might try a more varied menu than just two kinds...
possibly including something that offers more water than they have now.

And they don't heat their own insides as well as we do:
They may stay alive at temperatures that do not permit active breeding.

How much heat do they need?

And how much do they get?
And not just in the daytime...Do they get cold at night?

And insecure animals do not breed their best.
Yours have grown since their arrival:
They may need more and larger places to hide:
with space to spare for prospective babies.

And do they have multiplying mites...?

Please check these things out.

Good luck!!!

Hopefully yours,

Louise E. Rothstein.

 

[hassman789]

Roaches normally forget about food while they are molting...but they should feel like eating by the day afterward.

Do they like the food?
Roaches are said to eat "anything," but they do have very definite tastes
and distastes...you might try a more varied menu than just two kinds...
possibly including something that offers more water than they have now.

And they don't heat their own insides as well as we do:
They may stay alive at temperatures that do not permit active breeding.

How much heat do they need?

And how much do they get?
And not just in the daytime...Do they get cold at night?

And insecure animals do not breed their best.
Yours have grown since their arrival:
They may need more and larger places to hide:
with space to spare for prospective babies.

And do they have multiplying mites...?

Please check these things out.

Good luck!!!

Hopefully yours,

Louise E. Rothstein.

Thanks for that. My house drops in temperature over night but the heatpad is always on. I left a thermometer toward the bottom (not on the ground)where they accumulate (the warmest) and it said 80 degrees F. I will also try giving them more variety, and try mashing the food. And no mites that I see, and I will add a bunch of toilet paper tubes and more egg flats as I go through eggs and toilet paper. Thanks for the advice. I should probably leave them alone too...

 

[llamastick]

I use dry dog food (ground up in a coffee/spice grinder) mixed with whatever random fruits or veggies I feel like buying that week. The enclosure is just a plastic bin with some egg crates stapled together and stacked vertically, with some paper towel tubes along the sides. I've noticed the gravid females prefer the tubes.

Apparently citrus + high temps will help facilitate breeding. They seem to love citrus anyway.

 

[hassman789]

I use dry dog food (ground up in a coffee/spice grinder) mixed with whatever random fruits or veggies I feel like buying that week. The enclosure is just a plastic bin with some egg crates stapled together and stacked vertically, with some paper towel tubes along the sides. I've noticed the gravid females prefer the tubes.

Apparently citrus + high temps will help facilitate breeding. They seem to love citrus anyway.

Yeah I also give them uneaten fruit. They got a bunch of cantalope yesterday!:} it's slowly getting smaller. And to stress them less I will try to only open once a day.