People of Arachnoboards who own cockroaches, give me your best tips, tricks and facts on care, husbandry or anything you find interesting!

CockroachSniffer69

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 8, 2023
Messages
3
Just a fun post here to get general information that you cannot find easily on the internet, mostly through your own personal experiences. I’ve been in the insect keeping mostly cockroaches (more specifically cockroaches like Madagascan hissing cockroaches/Dubia roaches) for the past 2 years. This post is mainly to gather as much hard-to-find cockroach husbandry for those keeping these wonderful insects! Give me your infinite wisdom cockroach fanatics!

I’ll start with a little of what I know as an example for the type of information I seek for this post. This is meant to be a fun way to collaborate information in one place since the internet is a huge maze of information. Personal experience appreciated but not required for what works for you in keeping your colonies.

1. The oldest hissing cockroach lived to be 7 years and 10 months old! (Courtesy of OpenAi’s info)
2. Female dubia cockroaches can reproduce up to once per month!
3. Most cockroaches carry their eggs inside of them in what is known as an ootheca; giving live birth!

Now for care tips.

Dubia cockroaches:
Temperatures should be kept between 70-75F for slower breeding or 80-85F for faster breeding.
Frass (roach poop) should be cleaned once every month.
Dermestid beetles help to manage frass and clean up deceased cockroaches which could stagnate a colony without them.
Make sure their food is properly moist as they get all of their hydration from vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes etc.
Protein is necessary for this species (I use Armada 16% egg laying chicken feed)

Hissing cockroaches:
Temperatures between 65-70F for breeding once per year or between 75-90F for breeding once every 70 days.
A self sustaining colony can be managed with a bioactive setup containing springtails, isopods and a moist substrate with a false bottom.
Isopods/springtails replace the dermestid beetles in the hissing cockroach colony as a cleanup crew.
They eat the same things as dubia roaches eat (mostly carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and the occasional orange as well as their protein source being the same Armada chicken feed).
 

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Tulip

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 28, 2023
Messages
26
I have kept four different species of roaches. For starters, I keep all of my roaches in bioactive set ups with wood lice and springtails. I don’t like to clean their enclosure because a lot of the times very small babies will prefer eating the adults waste instead of fresh food. Dubias, just like Madagascar hissing cockroaches, like their humidity a little bit on the high side, and they actually enjoy misting in the enclosure every now and then (they can drink water, just not from a bowl, but rather from drops on the side of the enclosure). I don’t know why but all of my roaches don’t eat carrots, but that’s probably just a preference.
Also food wise, they basically eat everything. I find that dubias and hissers prefer a fruit based diet, but they still enjoy meat (for protein I use either fish food or cat kibbles, and occasionally fresh meat if I have some wastes from my food).
 

DomGom TheFather

Arachnoprince
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
1,975
I have a few species. All kept the same way.
Bare bottom bins with harborage and screen in the lids. One bowl for wet, one for dry. They get a lot of carrots. Sometimes banana, apples, melon or squash. Occasionally, water crystals. Dry/protein is pond fish pellets. Bowls are empty a lot because i only give them what they can finish in a day or two. This keeps things clean. Temps usually in the 70's.
It's not pretty but it works.
 

madagascarhissinglover

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 15, 2022
Messages
95
I keep G. Portentosa or Madagascar Hissers, and I find it super interesting that they actually life birth in a way. It's super fun to research.
Also; prosthetic leg makers for veterans actually base the build and function off of cockroach legs!
 

Tarantuland

Arachnoprince
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
1,354
I am newer to keeping roaches but I keep buffalo beetles in with mine and just throw whatever produce scraps or uneaten rodents I have from my snakes in there. I make sure to double check whatever I throw in is safe beforehand. I also sprinkle in fish food. They all love citrus
 

Dielc4

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 27, 2022
Messages
7
Just a fun post here to get general information that you cannot find easily on the internet, mostly through your own personal experiences. I’ve been in the insect keeping mostly cockroaches (more specifically cockroaches like Madagascan hissing cockroaches/Dubia roaches) for the past 2 years. This post is mainly to gather as much hard-to-find cockroach husbandry for those keeping these wonderful insects! Give me your infinite wisdom cockroach fanatics!

I’ll start with a little of what I know as an example for the type of information I seek for this post. This is meant to be a fun way to collaborate information in one place since the internet is a huge maze of information. Personal experience appreciated but not required for what works for you in keeping your colonies.

1. The oldest hissing cockroach lived to be 7 years and 10 months old! (Courtesy of OpenAi’s info)
2. Female dubia cockroaches can reproduce up to once per month!
3. Most cockroaches carry their eggs inside of them in what is known as an ootheca; giving live birth!

Now for care tips.

Dubia cockroaches:
Temperatures should be kept between 70-75F for slower breeding or 80-85F for faster breeding.
Frass (roach poop) should be cleaned once every month.
Dermestid beetles help to manage frass and clean up deceased cockroaches which could stagnate a colony without them.
Make sure their food is properly moist as they get all of their hydration from vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes etc.
Protein is necessary for this species (I use Armada 16% egg laying chicken feed)

Hissing cockroaches:
Temperatures between 65-70F for breeding once per year or between 75-90F for breeding once every 70 days.
A self sustaining colony can be managed with a bioactive setup containing springtails, isopods and a moist substrate with a false bottom.
Isopods/springtails replace the dermestid beetles in the hissing cockroach colony as a cleanup crew.
They eat the same things as dubia roaches eat (mostly carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and the occasional orange as well as their protein source being the same Armada chicken feed).
Most cockroach husbandry is pretty straightforward from my experience. I've been keeping hissers since about 2019 (Only a handful as pets, not a full colony). I have a care sheet that I compiled based on my research that I'd be happy to dm you if you're interested. Most of your dubia husbandry rules would translate pretty well into Hissing cockroach care. And now, for my VERY fun roach fact. I've never seen it independently corroborated, but I've heard that if you hold your pet roaches enough (daily) they can learn to recognize and distinguish between different people based on familiar touch. Pretty cool if it's true 🤯
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
810
Well I had to do an update on my E. posticus roaches.

They are fat as hell.

Today before going to work I had to rehouse into a different enclosure. I needed to dump all the substrate and wash the bin out.

So......this is the first time I've ever handled a roach. Anyone that has owned Eublaberus posticus roaches know they are huge.

They are a burrowing roach like B. dubia but much bigger.

I have to say.....what a weird feeling of these roaches climbing up my hand was. They also grab onto you if you put your hand close. Thought that was pretty cool.

After I grabbed a bunch trying to get them out of the remaining substrate I became comfortable in handling them which I wasn't eager to do at first. Very hard to grab with tongs, like slippery armor.

I've only fed three of them off and I felt bad doing it. IMO this is a roach just to keep not use as a feeder. That's just how I personally felt about mine.

I did have to crush the head as these will retreat fast and burrow.

I dropped one down my P. irminia's cork round. When I peered down with a flashlight it was in a threat pose which it never did before. First time it did that usually immediately grabs and kills prey. Roach was a shocker. It ate it after a minute though.

I don't have any mature adults yet but I have quite a few that are close.

I can say this now. I ordered 100 count. In reality I actually have maybe 30 - 40 somewhere around there.

I don't know why but I really love these roaches. It is now an issue for me to be able to use them as feeders.

B. laterallis I couldn't wait to get them in the T arena fast enough.

Also my Eublaberus posticus roaches are porkers. I had no idea they ate this much it's ridiculous.
 
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Ultum4Spiderz

Arachnoemperor
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
4,547
Well I had to do an update on my E. posticus roaches.

They are fat as hell.

Today before going to work I had to rehouse into a different enclosure. I needed to dump all the substrate and wash the bin out.

So......this is the first time I've ever handled a roach. Anyone that has owned Eublaberus posticus roaches know they are huge.

They are a burrowing roach like B. dubia but much bigger.

I have to say.....what a weird feeling of these roaches climbing up my hand was. They also grab onto you if you put your hand close. Thought that was pretty cool.

After I grabbed a bunch trying to get them out of the remaining substrate I became comfortable in handling them which I wasn't eager to do at first. Very hard to grab with tongs, like slippery armor.

I've only fed three of them off and I felt bad doing it. IMO this is a roach just to keep not use as a feeder. That's just how I personally felt about mine.

I did have to crush the head as these will retreat fast and burrow.

I dropped one down my P. irminia's cork round. When I peered down with a flashlight it was in a threat pose which it never did before. First time it did that usually immediately grabs and kills prey. Roach was a shocker. It ate it after a minute though.

I don't have any mature adults yet but I have quite a few that are close.

I can say this now. I ordered 100 count. In reality I actually have maybe 30 - 40 somewhere around there.

I don't know why but I really love these roaches. It is now an issue for me to be able to use them as feeders.

B. laterallis I couldn't wait to get them in the T arena fast enough.

Also my Eublaberus posticus roaches are porkers. I had no idea they ate this much it's ridiculous.
Yeah I got mine from the same place I think . I really gotta buy more dubia or something to feed off until this colony is established. I’ve even held a few of them and it was easier to grab them individually with my hands then with tongs. I also agree these are a good pet species ! :D Despite mine kept dying in the ee substrate so I had to remove it . Lost about 20-30 as doa but had no luck with-getting any customer service help. I ended up just feeding them to my spiders before going bad.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
810
Yeah I got mine from the same place I think . I really gotta buy more dubia or something to feed off until this colony is established. I’ve even held a few of them and it was easier to grab them individually with my hands then with tongs. I also agree these are a good pet species ! :D Despite mine kept dying in the ee substrate so I had to remove it . Lost about 20-30 as doa but had no luck with-getting any customer service help. I ended up just feeding them to my spiders before going bad.
The first 100 count I ordered all arrived DOA.

They worked with me fast and got the next 100 count asap to me, all arrived alive.

There's something I'm missing to this 100 count as I don't think you actually get 100.

The extremely large ones might make up the difference, I don't know. Sorry to hear you had difficulty dealing with them.

I received these guys on 03/23/2023. I thought for sure I would have some mature females and males by now.

I mean as much as I feed these porkers as just as much as they eat one would think.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

Arachnoemperor
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
4,547
The first 100 count I ordered all arrived DOA.

They worked with me fast and got the next 100 count asap to me, all arrived alive.

There's something I'm missing to this 100 count as I don't think you actually get 100.

The extremely large ones might make up the difference, I don't know. Sorry to hear you had difficulty dealing with them.

I received these guys on 03/23/2023. I thought for sure I would have some mature females and males by now.

I mean as much as I feed these porkers as just as much as they eat one would think.
they’re growing slower than I expects also.
Yeah this is the response I got . I probably should just called them but I didn’t know if it was worth the hassel . I wanted to pm it but wouldn’t let me upload anything. They might be a good site I just had bad luck . I’m lucky 30-45 made it. Prices are reasonable even if you get closer to half of the order .
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
810
they’re growing slower than I expects also.
Yeah this is the response I got . I probably should just called them but I didn’t know if it was worth the hassel . I wanted to pm it but wouldn’t let me upload anything. They might be a good site I just had bad luck . I’m lucky 30-45 made it.
Yeah those were the same messages I was receiving too. They are a good company overall though.

I would delete the attachment from your post though. It has the retailer's name and that's against the forum topic rules.

I believe it's only allowed publicly under online dealer reviews.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

Arachnoemperor
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Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
4,547
Yeah those were the same messages I was receiving too. They are a good company overall though.

I would delete the attachment from your post though. It has the retailer's name and that's against the forum topic rules.

I believe it's only allowed publicly under online dealer reviews.
Ahh that’s why I wanted to pm it , I got rid of it anyways. I take it I gotta call them next time this happens ? Orange roaches are pretty awsome just I think it could be a year until I got enough breeding to feed more off I only fed Doas . Been buying superworms from the pet store . Pet supplies were all dead I had to go to another local shop. 2 escaped in the substrate but are they a threat for a 4” spider no we’re near molting ?
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
810
Ahh that’s why I wanted to pm it , I got rid of it anyways. I take it I gotta call them next time this happens ? Orange roaches are pretty awsome just I think it could be a year until I got enough breeding to feed more off I only fed Doas .
90 days was what I read from them that these roaches should start breeding.

I think that's only if you buy mature females and males to start with.

With what sizes I started with I'm giving it another 2 months starting in July. I'm learning as I go with these.
 
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