Orange Headed Roaches "Eublaberus Prosticus"

[Buspirone]

I just got 2 dozen Orange Headed Roach nymphs "Eublaberus Prosticus" for 20 bucks at a reptile show. I plan on using them as my staple food source for my Tarantulas. Anybody have any hints, tips or need to know info on these. I do have one question....What should I use as a substrate in their enclosure? I'm clear on dog food/catfood, 3 grain cereal and fresh greens and fruit as food source and the need for high protein cause they will attack each other. These are live bearers and can't climb smooth surfaces. So is there anything else I need to know. Thanks in advance!

Rob

 

[Buspirone]

I used peat as the substrate. I figured it would be safe to use. I went to the trouble of supplying them with egg carton to hid and crawl in. Within 5 minutes of placing them into the enclosure they all dug themselves down into the substrate, all I can see are sets of antennae sticking up out of the substrate fluttering around. Oh well...you live and you learn They have shown no interest in the crushed up dog biscuits and cheerios I supplied for food til I can buy some dry dog kibble.

 

[Buspirone]

Some pics of the roach motel I set up for these guys:

 

[Wade]

This is a VERY prolific species and is very easy to raise. I have read that they need alot of protien in their diet, more than most roaches, and my experience is consistant with this. Adults will eat one annother's wings off if not given an alternative source. I use chick mash for most of my feeder insects, but these guys get dog food as well.

Be careful when using them as feeders. As with all feeders, they could attack a molting T, but because of their burrowing and need for protien they are a bit more dangerous. I lost an adult female T last year to a couple of these that were burried in the substrate (unknown to me) and attacked when she was molting.

I now crush their heads and drop them in front of the retreats when using this species.

Wade

 

[Buspirone]

Thanks for the warning I'll keep that in mind.Even so I still would rather use these instead of crickets. I guess I'll have to look for some unmedicated chick mash too. The dish I have in the pictures is crushed up nutromax senior dog biscuits and healthy essentials beef dog treats. I just put in some nutro MaX Salmon flavored cat food. The salmon flavor is from salmon meal. They weren't much interested in the dog buscuits but once I put the cat food in they started coming up out of the substrate and swarmed the food dish

 

[Buspirone]

One more question if you don't mind, do the adults dig into the substrate too or do just the nymphs? Thanks.

 

[Wade]

The adults do it some too, but the nymphs do it more.

Wade

 

[Buspirone]

Well. I found out quite a bit more about these so I thought I'd throw the info in here in case someone was actually interested or somebody in the future does a search on the same topic:

Orange Head Cockroaches
(Eublaberus Prosticus)

Daytime temps 90 to 95 - night time temps above 68
Lifespan 1 year +
Max length 2"
Reach adult size in 3 to 4 months
Sexual maturity in 3 to 4 months
Gestation period approximately 25 to 30 days
Flightless
Non glass climbers

They require a higher protein diet(which has already been stated) so it was recommended to me to use High quality cat, ferret or Koi food with a minimum protein content of 30% . I also have some zoomed anole food(dried lab flies) which claims it can be fed to tarantulas....I tried using it for slings without success but the stuff is 63% protein, fortified with vitamins and the roaches aren't too picky. They like lettuce, apples and bananas as fresh food. I've been told that they relish oranges but mine showed no interest it.

 

[Wade]

I just thought I'd mention that I don't think they really need those high temps. I don't heat mine at all and they reproduce like gangbusters. Normally it ranges from the low 70's to the high 80's in my animal area. More heat equals more reproduction and faster growth, but 90-95 makes it sound like you need a heat lamp or something for them, which you don't unless you're in a really cool area.

Wade

 

[Buspirone]

I thought those temps were kind of high too. The 90-95 range is optimum breeding/growing temps and its stated as a daytime temps not a constant but I was also told that a keeper would see less breeding and successful births when they are maintained at temps below 75. Right now I only have 2 dozen nymphs so I'm keeping the temps between 85 and 90 till the nymphs mature and I get my first generation of new births.

Thanks for the info Wade....I had some trouble scrounging up what I did find on these. Most sites focus on hissers with a brief description of deathhead/false deathheads and the orange heads get an honorable mention with out any of the particulars that I listed which is what I really wanted to know.

I never thought I would be this interested in a roach or trying to actually breed them.

 

[Buspirone]

It took me a long time but I actually/finally found a care sheet for these roaches:


http://www.progeckos.com/caresheets/care_oranroach/cohroach.htm

 

[Buspirone]

Here's some pics of my roaches:

I think these two are breeding. I find it interesting that the one roach is still very white from recently molting.

 

[Marc_C]

Hahahahahaha! Roaches are so cool. look at them mating even before the exoskeleton has hardened. That is truely roach like.

 

[Mendi]

I've found several good roach sites out there...

Allpet Roaches
Has pics and descriptions of lots and even a roach board for questions and trading.

Hissing Coack Roaches
Read the caresheets and other pages there for lots of good ideas on care

 

[heyjeyniceid]

Hey Wade(or anyone who knows for that matter), I was looking at one of my Orange Heads the other day and found that its abdomen was REALLY disk shaped for some reason compared to all the other ones Id flipped over before.

Does this mean anything?


Oh and, Just like in the pics, I saw a mature roach mateing with an as-still white freshly molted one. Is their banging gonna pay off in some nymphs soon?

 

[Wade]

I've noticed some of my roaches (of several species) are sometimes diferently shaped, sometimes rounder, than the others. I have no idea what it means however. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the colonys' productivity.

Hopefully, sombody else will be able to help you out with the time table between mating and nymphs. I started out with a colony om mixed adults and nymphs, so I had babies from the start. I've never tried to keep track of growth/mating/gestation etc.

Wade

 

[james]

oranges and more...

The rounder ones usually turn into females. I do keep mine at higher temps for most of the day 90-95F (bottom heat with heat tape). They will breed and grow faster. Also, the darker the better. I keep all mine in dark places and they are much more active. The peat is good substrate, but I use very little. It can be hard to get babies out during cleaning, so the less subtrate the better. Mine breed immediatly after molting into adults. They feed the best on high protein dog food and they thrive on oranges. If you want a less aggressive roach I recommend the orange spots (blaptica dubia). They stay a little smaller than the orange heads, but they are one of the best feeders I have. As adults females do not get wings like the males it is very easy to tell them apart and feed off extra males. These are both good roaches.
James

 

[Buspirone]

Once these guys start breeding they do so quickly. I also had concerns about them not eating the dry foods I was offering. Now I alternately toss in a handful of dog food then cat food every other day and they come out in mass and feed like crazy. I've basically stopped offering fresh food and have been just giving dry dog and cat food along with water crystals for moisture and they are thriving.

 

[jaijjs]

Buspirone, It looks like your roach motel setup works. I couldn't tell from the photo if the holes near the bottom are covered or not. Is the holes covered or are the nymphs too large to escape from them? I went to a garden supply company and bought the water crystals at about 1/10 the cost of the ones sold at petstores. I also had problems in the past finding enough egg flats. I started ordering them at a site that I found called eggcarton.com. [If I'm not to add sites please feel free to delete it.] This site is a must if anyone is really into keeping a lot of different roaches..

 

[Buspirone]

I covered the holes near the bottom with tape when I noticed some bugs in my substrate...lots of them. The holes at the bottom are 1/16" so no nymphs could get through. I think the bugs were book lice. They definitely weren't mites...they moved way too fast and didn't seem interested in the dog/catfood and I couldn't locate them living on or crawling on any of the roaches. Covering the holes didn't make much of a difference but removing my gravity water dish with water crystals in the bowl did. It was keeping the humidity in the enclosure high enough to let them reproduce in large numbers. Since removing the gravity waterer the book lice(?) have disappeared. Its a shame because the waterer works really well. I'll try using it again in the height of winter when the air gets drier here.