Need help speeding roach breeding. Also, good display roach species?

[jebbewocky]

1.) From what I can tell, the best temp for B.lats and B.dubia is about 90 degrees. I had a thermostat left over from when I had reptiles, so they are at 90 degrees. I give them oranges, and they barely eat them. Well, the lats barely at any rate. Aside from citrus, water crystals, and good temps I'm not sure what else to do. Truthfully, I haven't had the dubia long enough to see how they are doing, and the lats would probably be doing better if I hadn't accidentally fed off all the males of one generation. Oopsies.

2.) I'm kind of want to keep a display species of roach. I'm thinking either G.portentosa, or B.discoidalis, but I'm not sure. Any other suggestions?

 

[gvfarns]

I've kept four species of hissers and they are great display roaches. My all around favorite was the common hisser, but for display I'd say these guys

Princisia vanwerebeki. I think that's the right species name, there was some confusion about it.

Your lateralis probably just need time. It's like watching a pot heat up. It seems like forever if you are waiting for it. Humidity can be a factor too, for this species. I've never had luck when they don't have a (slightly moist) substrate. Other people have, though, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[tjmi2000]

I really enjoy my colony of Peppered roaches (Archimandrita tesselata) as a display species. They are large and attractive and are pretty calm when handled.

 

[Crysta]

do you feed them a protien?...or are you feeding just oranges?

 

[jebbewocky]

I started feeding them cat food, and a high-protein mix from my local LPS. They don't seem interested in either. I keep mine without substrate because it reduces smell, but I've been considering putting peat moss in for the dubia and the lats.

 

[Crysta]

weeird... try avacado? roache haven there. Insted of using dog food use non medicated chicken food (like one without grow horomons ect) should be available at any farm store....try grounding up unsalted penuts and mix it with the avacado to make it soft... bananas are loved too... This are the well trusted food sources mine went crazy for... unless you have like 60 and your not seeing them eat very often because they did it at night.. when you get near 1000 its crazy time...lol
Also are you sure the temps are 90? Maybe the thermostates abit messed up.

 

[jebbewocky]

weeird... try avacado? roache haven there. Insted of using dog food use non medicated chicken food (like one without grow horomons ect) should be available at any farm store....try grounding up unsalted penuts and mix it with the avacado to make it soft... bananas are loved too... This are the well trusted food sources mine went crazy for... unless you have like 60 and your not seeing them eat very often because they did it at night.. when you get near 1000 its crazy time...lol
Also are you sure the temps are 90? Maybe the thermostates abit messed up.

The rubbermaid tubs are hot to the touch--I'm quite sure they are at 90F.
They don't really seem to like avocado. Right now the Lats are pretty much all nymphs, and my Dubia--well, I bought 17 of them, and fed two off, so maybe that's not that unusual. I don't want to buy more, because having them shipped is such a pain because I work. I might use crickets until fall, when my fiance's work schedule changes, and then she can sign for them. I'll look into the chicken feed.

EDIT: I don't give them any substrate or bedding. Could adding that help?

 

[evicton]

I consider substrate uneeded for dubias at all, for lats its more useful I've had success with lats reproducing using both substrate and no substrate but I had a small rubbermaid container with damp substrate in the enclosure with no substrate for them to lay there eggs in. My lats don't eat anywhere near what my dubias will eat. With only 17 dubia your gonna be waiting a bit for that colony to produce dubias are kinda slow growing compared to Lats. Even with your lats if they just nymphs there its gonna be a while before there producing as well. If your not gonna get any more shipped to you, I'd just sit tight on what you got and keep doing what your doing.

 

[Crysta]

whooops 15 lol well I find a small colony has a big difference. if you are keeping the 15 in a bigger container then they need that would make a difference as well... back in the day i started with 100 strong adults and before i killed them off i had around 1000... lol poor lil lifes

 

[jebbewocky]

I consider substrate uneeded for dubias at all, for lats its more useful I've had success with lats reproducing using both substrate and no substrate but I had a small rubbermaid container with damp substrate in the enclosure with no substrate for them to lay there eggs in. My lats don't eat anywhere near what my dubias will eat. With only 17 dubia your gonna be waiting a bit for that colony to produce dubias are kinda slow growing compared to Lats. Even with your lats if they just nymphs there its gonna be a while before there producing as well. If your not gonna get any more shipped to you, I'd just sit tight on what you got and keep doing what your doing.

Might get some more Dubia, and use crix in the meantime.

 

[fangsalot]

as for display,ide go with G.oblonganata just for the size

 

[ZephAmp]

Wonderful display species:
Blaberus craniifer, Eublaberus distanti, Gromphadorhina grandidieri, Blaberus fusca, Blaberus boliviensis, Rhyparobia maderae "goldii", Princisia vanwaerebeki "big black," Neostylopoyha rhombifolia, Gyna lurida "Yellow", Therea sp, Eurycotis sp, Polyphaga aegyptiaca, Elliptorhina javanica, Blaberus giganteus, Blaberus colosseus, Eublaberus sp. "White", Archimandrita tesselata.

Take your pick.

 

[wraith]

Hissing Cockroaches are the best display roach. They are active and eat/breed voraciously. The key to a rapidly breeding colony is in the numbers. If you want fast breeding at least 1000 Lats, and Dubias will be needed for either colony. They are social insects and as such are more comfortable the more there are of them. The more comfortable they are the faster they breed. Its sort of a catch twenty-two really. You need roaches to breed very quickly to have large numbers and need large numbers to breed very quickly. Not to mention you'd have more breeding adults with numbers that high. Good luck and if you're interested in Hissers let me know. My colony (also a display/natural enclosure) is doing fantastic and I'd be willing to sell some on the cheap to get you started.

 

[jebbewocky]

My LPS had G.giganteus on sale for pretty decent. I started with some of them.

 

[rm90]

Hmm.. Dubia do love banana. Try giving your dubia that. What I like to do is keep one side of my bin empty and spray it. Creates high humidity in the bin without the water getting all over the egg crates and they seem to love that. I guess its all about what your roaches find best from trial and error.

 

[jebbewocky]

Hmm.. Dubia do love banana. Try giving your dubia that. What I like to do is keep one side of my bin empty and spray it. Creates high humidity in the bin without the water getting all over the egg crates and they seem to love that. I guess its all about what your roaches find best from trial and error.

I'll get some nanners and see how it works. Not too many though, I can't stand them.

 

[jebbewocky]

I keep forgetting to get the bananas.
Also, I am having a heck of a time finding pesticide-free, dye-free hardwood mulch. Everything either has dyes in it, or is softwoods.

 

[ZephAmp]

I keep forgetting to get the bananas.
Also, I am having a heck of a time finding pesticide-free, dye-free hardwood mulch. Everything either has dyes in it, or is softwoods.

Can you get cypress mulch? Home Depot usually has it in bags for about $3.

 

[jebbewocky]

Can you get cypress mulch? Home Depot usually has it in bags for about $3.

I can get cypress, but cypress if a softwood. I take it cypress doesn't have the aromatic oils then? I'll use whatever works, and I can definently get cypress.

EDIT: I've also been giving them fruit, and chickenfeed. They seem to ignore the chickenfeed though.

 

[ZephAmp]

I can get cypress, but cypress if a softwood. I take it cypress doesn't have the aromatic oils then? I'll use whatever works, and I can definently get cypress.

EDIT: I've also been giving them fruit, and chickenfeed. They seem to ignore the chickenfeed though.

Cypress is the only exception to the softwood rule. It doesn't harm the roaches like pine, cedar, etc does. Even softwoods can be used, however, the wood must be really, really, REALLY old so that it has lost its aromatic oils.