Quick feeder question.

[Stugy]

So I am planning to start my very first colony maybe in a few years tops (I'm not sure if I can convince my parents lol but I'm a junior so I'll get kicked out soon ). So I know there are feeders than can climb smooth surfaces and I hear that "vaseline" does the trick. What is this vaseline because I literally have lost touch with the world this past week xD. So what brand and what kind of "vaseline". I feel like I'm saying something dumb haha. Oh yeah I if you got the time I would like a list of the common nonclimbers and climber feeder insects and stuff.

 

[chanda]

Assuming this is a serious question (you really don't know what Vaseline is???) Vaseline is a specific brand of petroleum jelly - but any brand will do the trick. (The Vaseline company also makes a number of other lotions, skin creams, and other personal care products, but these will not be effective to prevent climbing.) I use it with my Madagascar hissing cockroaches to prevent them climbing the sides of their enclosure. (I just coat the top 1" or so, below the lid. If they want to climb the lower portion of the walls, I really don't care.) My Dubias, on the other hand, can't climb glass or plastic - though they can climb rough surfaces like egg crate.

Vaseline: http://www.vaseline.us/product/petroleum-jelly/vaseline-jelly.html

 

[Introvertebrate]

Just get petroleum jelly. It doesn't matter what brand you get. Generics are cheaper.

 

[nepenthe]

if you want a list of non-climbing vs climbing roaches the quickest way is to go to roachcrossing.com. The site is sorted by roach type so you can just click on non-climbing and see the list of species. That said, dubia and lateralis are probably where you want to start. If your parents are afraid of roaches I suggest dubia. They're great starters because they look a little like roly polies when they are small nymphs and they are so slow and stupid they just don't seem destined for life, haha. They're still one of my favorite roach species

 

[Randomjoe]

Some of the roaches that don't climb glass or smooth plastic include B. dudia, S lateralis, the Eublaberus sp, and the Blaberus sp. Also if your worried about escapes you could even use the sterolite gasket bins to house the roaches.

 

[Stugy]

Thanks peeps. I knew what the Vaseline company was for my whole life as I see the Vaseline lotion at my school all the time but I never really thought they also made the jelly too. Just me being stupid lol. You guys helped a lot.

 

[zukebub]

I'm a little nervous myself making the leap to roaches so I've been breeding mealworms. They're pretty inconspicuous and once they start reproducing their populations explode. Super easy to take care of, and mold generally isn't a problem.

 

[Ranitomeya]

I keep lateralis, but they're already a species that's been present in my area. They're pretty easy to keep if you have a deep container with smooth sides. You can even add petroleum jelly or some other kind of slippery barrier along the sides if you really want to be sure they can't escape.

I once cultured mealworms, but stopped when I had to deal with huge infestations of grain mites since my room is just humid enough for them to breed very successfully in the grains for the mealworms.

 

[zukebub]

It must be too dry for grain mites in my area. It might be an issue for OP.
I typically just feed my mealworms vegetable scraps having stopped using grain altogether and they seem fine. Every month or so I sprinkle in a little flour for good measure but I think its possible without. I'm by no means an expert though.

 

[Stugy]

K.. I'm taking notes here... Oh wait I don't need to. This is in the "world wide web" where everything stays muahahaha.