Reasons to keep a cockroach colony?

[Warren Bautista]

My parents think that the roaches being fed to arachnids are the kind you see inside city buildings. I need you peoples to help me convince them that roaches are a better Idea than buying crickets. Give me reasons!!!!

 

[arachyd]

Not a problem. Tell them it's like doves and pigeons. Both are in the same family, columbidae. Doves are beautiful wild creatures often thought of romantically, even used in weddings and preferring to live away from people. Pigeons live around people, are well-known disease carriers unless being cared for as pets, literally infest parks and buildings and cover everything in smelly droppings. The exotic and tropical roaches are more like the doves and the German cockroach is like the pigeons.

 

[Warren Bautista]

Very Nice! i'LL TRY THAT. More reasons needed to convince them though probably.

 

[dtknow]

Not a problem. Tell them it's like doves and pigeons. Both are in the same family, columbidae. Doves are beautiful wild creatures often thought of romantically, even used in weddings and preferring to live away from people. Pigeons live around people, are well-known disease carriers unless being cared for as pets, literally infest parks and buildings and cover everything in smelly droppings. The exotic and tropical roaches are more like the doves and the German cockroach is like the pigeons.

ironically...white doves used in weddings are generally homing pigeons.

Xx_Reptiles_xX: Your parents should know that their are several thousand different species of roaches, and of all those only 3 are major pest species here in the USA(namely, the American, German, and Oriental Roaches). The rest are cleaner than humans(less bacteria on them than us!), cannot survive for long term in houses, and are much better smellwise than crickets.

I can actually open my small colony of roaches around guests feed my pets. Would probably not go so well with crickets!

 

[EightLeggedFrea]

Of all the know roach species, less than ONE PERCENT are pests (try that one first)
As feeders, roaches have more nutritional value...
Have a higher meat to shell ratio...
Do not stink to high heaven...
Do not chirp...
Cannot jump (but B. lateralis can move pretty fast)...
Cannot climb (unless you have lobsters, hissers, etc)...
Cannot fly...
Are hardier and do not die as easily...
If they somehow escape, the tropical ones will not infest your home...
You do not have to drive to and fro the pet store to pick up smelly crix, so it saves on gasoline (let's face it, gas prices are NOT going to drop any time soon).
If your babies are hungry, you can just reach into your closet (that's where I keep my Dubia and B. lateralis colonies, because it's dark and out of the way).

Of course, that's only to name a few.

 

[arachyd]

You can also try the tactic I used when I was a kid and convinced my mom (not an animal lover by any means) to let me get pet rats. It was not until I explained that the very faint scent of rats in the house would keep wild rats and mice away because it would say loud and clear that the territory was taken that she finally agreed. We had been having mouse trouble at the time. While I had my rats there was no sign of mice or wild rats in the house at all. You could explain that some of the roaches such as dubia are much larger than pest species and their scent will scare away other roaches (it could happen :liar: ). Obviously you would not be allowed to get a species that resembles German cockroaches. That would be asking too much.

 

[Reanne]

Or you could be like me, keep em secretly. *Prays nobody will find out*

Since they don't stink, don't make noise and have almost 0% of escaping.

Why they don't suspect? I have a lot of pets, so I put them amongst them. Also, I never, ever, EVER mentioned it to them before. If they ever ask, 'it's a type of beatle that looks stunningly like a roach. ^^ They sustain my animals so you'll never have to hear the sound of crickets or the horrible smell of dead ones.'

They actually smell nice, a bit perfumy. I got some friends to actually call them cute when they actually looked at it properly. 'I never thought I would ever be calling a cockroach "cute".' <-------- This phrase may be more common in the near future.

 

[Warren Bautista]

Almost there!!!!!!!!! Come on come on come on!!

 

[bjaeger]

You don't have to run to the pet shop every week and get crickets, thus saving you (or your mom) some $.

My dad agreed just last night on me having a roach colony. He said as long as I don't tell my mom or let her see them, I could keep them

 

[brunoboy]

I have a bearded dragon and started a colony of lobster roaches about a month ago. I've found the lobster roaches to be just as fascinating/intriguing as the bearded dragon! They are fun to watch and easy to care for. They don't seem a bit interested in escaping and I've yet to see one climbing on the sides of their enclosure---a rubbermaid 16qt container. These guys breed rather quickly and my dragon LOVES to eat them. Beardies eat a serious amount daily and sustaining them or any other reptile/arachno by breeding your own feed is not only WAY cheaper----it's part of the learning experience!

Good luck!

Keeping roaches is fast becoming a new hobby and is quite educational as well.

 

[pinkfoot]

Just tell them the truth, Dude ;

Crix stink - roaches don't
Crix die prematurely - roaches don't
Crix cost a bloody fortune - roaches don't
crix are known to carry disease - roaches are not (Not scientifically)
Crix make a noise - roaches don't
Crix colony is difficult to sustain - roach colony is not.

Anyone who disagrees is not smarter than a third grader...

Have a nice day.

 

[Warren Bautista]

Yay! The roaches are aprooved and my dad ordered me 25 orange headed raoches today!

 

[Warren Bautista]

Oh yeah uh huh oh yeah uh huh (While doing the cabbage patch)

 

[Mister Internet]

Congrats, but only getting 25 nymphs, you will using crickets for at least another 8-12 months. Longer if you have a larger collection of predators. Colonies take awhile to bake...

Just a word of caution, because I know the first thing you'll want do do is feed 10 of them to your inverts... I know that's the first mistake I made. You have to think a year into the future, and ask yourself how many future breeding adults you are killing off now by feeding. My advice would be to learn how to keep them properly, show your parents that you are responsible with them, and then in a month or two, get yourself a couple hundred to get a nice start.

You will love roaches! Although, if these are E. prosticus, you will find them smellier than other roaches... also a tiny bit more "vicious" in how they treat their cagemates... keep them well-fed.

 

[johnharper]

Tell them the roaches will come in handy when they can't make it to the grocery store to buy meats they will have plenty of food once the roaches get started breeding providing a tasty meal for the whole family.

John

 

[Warren Bautista]

Actually I asked for a dozen adults and I only have 2 mouths to feed right now.

 

[Senses-Tingling]

Actually I asked for a dozen adults and I only have 2 mouths to feed right now.

You will still have problems with feeding them off for awhile - they aren't the typical feeder roach. They are more of a pet/exotic roach due to their attractive appearance and reproduction rate that is slower than many other feeder roaches. They do emit an odor when disturbed which can be offensive to someone with a sensitive olfactory system - they don't bother me though.
If you can swing it - I would recommend a colony of a second species. It adds some variety to your pets' diet and allows the colonies to grow some without being depleted. And - who couldn't use another species of roach for their collection? I have 16-17 species and I "need" another 30 or so before I'll be satisfied.
Good luck.
PS - It's against the rules to have 1 T, or 1 colony of roaches.
That is why they are called your "first" T and your "first" roach - cause more are supposed to follow. I don't want you to get banned from AB - just looking out for your best interest.