Red Runners not producing offspring?

[jrh3]

I have had this colony for 6 months now, plastic bin with cocofiber and egg crates. I see the females carrying ooths but I never see babies, is there a key to getting the ooths to hatch? Humidity is around 50% and temps are 70s. Feeding carrots and roach chow with water crystals. First colony I have seen not reproduce.

 

[Liquifin]

I've never used cocofiber since it just makes it a nightmare to clean out a colony once poop and waste build up. I would try to aim for upper 70's to low 80's to see if anything happens.

 

[jrh3]

I've never used cocofiber since it just makes it a nightmare to clean out a colony once poop and waste build up. I would try to aim for upper 70's to low 80's to see if anything happens.

I think I will remove the substrate and just go bare bottom, who knows there could be hundreds of babies under the cocofiber for all I know.

 

[Schiem]

I've personally only had success in getting them to breed at 85+ degrees. I had a similar situation where I was keeping them in the low - mid 70s and none of the ootheca hatched. I put a few females with a male in a 90 degree incubator for a month and have more roaches than I know what to do with now.

It kind of makes me wonder if there are multiple species being sold as Red Runners because you can find plenty of stories where people succesfully breed them at 70 degrees, and just as many who can't.

 

[jrh3]

I've personally only had success in getting them to breed at 85+ degrees. I had a similar situation where I was keeping them in the low - mid 70s and none of the ootheca hatched. I put a few females with a male in a 90 degree incubator for a month and have more roaches than I know what to do with now.

It kind of makes me wonder if there are multiple species being sold as Red Runners because you can find plenty of stories where people succesfully breed them at 70 degrees, and just as many who can't.

This is interesting to know, I guess I will give them a heat pad and heat them up a bit.

 

[mack1855]

Im with the others here.Raise your temps up,and no sub.Also,do you have food available all the time,within reason?.I have had adults cannibalize nymphs if there is not adequate food.

 

[jrh3]

Im with the others here.Raise your temps up,and no sub.Also,do you have food available all the time,within reason?.I have had adults cannibalize nymphs if there is not adequate food.

Yes food at all times

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Yup.
Higher temps, bare bottom.

 

[jrh3]

@Liquifin @mack1855 @DomGom TheFather could mites be the issue? I see mite in the bin but looks like maybe grain mites.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

@Liquifin @mack1855 @DomGom TheFather could mites be the issue? I see mite in the bin but looks like maybe grain mites.

I doubt they would keep them from breeding but they are a pest.
Is there a lot of food around? You could try to limit what you give them and clean things up to knock them down. Lots of ventilation usually keeps things under control. I cut my lids and do screen to keep things from getting stuffy.
Having a bare bottom would also help.

 

[Liquifin]

@Liquifin @mack1855 @DomGom TheFather could mites be the issue? I see mite in the bin but looks like maybe grain mites.

Mites are not harmful to ootheca or the roaches unless parasitic, but that's most likely not the case. Grain mites are quite common actually and they're not harmful to any colony so that should be less of a worry for you.

 

[mack1855]

I never have had to deal with mites in my runner colony.I could not say for sure .
I really believe higher temps would benefit you.

 

[RoachCoach]

The main thing is just keeping the oothecas in a humid area, not wet. They can drown. You may run into a stink issue if you go no sub. Adding some cut up corrugated cardboard moist with enough beetles to keep the mold away. Reds love wet cardboard/flats on one side to drop cases. The rest should stay relatively dry. Once you key in the right sets, you will be fighting them off with a telephone pole.

 

[jrh3]

The main thing is just keeping the oothecas in a humid area, not wet. They can drown. You may run into a stink issue if you go no sub. Adding some cut up corrugated cardboard moist with enough beetles to keep the mold away. Reds love wet cardboard/flats on one side to drop cases. The rest should stay relatively dry. Once you key in the right sets, you will be fighting them off with a telephone pole.

This colony is the only species I ever had issues with. My dubias explode.

The reds not so much. Its odd.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

This colony is the only species I ever had issues with. My dubias explode.

The reds not so much. Its odd.

How do you keep your dubias? Mine refuse to breed. I never had issues with runners though.

 

[jrh3]

How do you keep your dubias? Mine refuse to breed. I never had issues with runners though.

There were kept with a heat pad under them, but I hear they don’t need it.