Roach Breeding

[DnKslr]

For those who raise feeders like distanti and discoids, do you take the little baby roaches out or leave them in with the larger roaches?
I have mine in the tank with the adults and they have many pieces of bark and oak leaves for substrate/shelter. I haven't noticed any problems yet but I would like to know when to remove them so they don't get eaten or attacked.

 

[Wade]

There is no reason to ever split the babies out, keep them together. Your colony will produce at a greater rate if there's a lot of roaches together, splitting them up will only slow things down. The great advantage of rearing cockroaches as feeders is that they are very easy to maintain, no seperating out different generations is required.

You might have gotten more responses in the insect forum

Wade

 

[DnKslr]

Thanks! I didn't think I had to do that but I wanted to be sure. They seem to be reproducing just fine so far.

 

[minax]

Hey Diane!

Sorry we did not reply sooner...............Wade is right on, as usual. I keep all my babies in with the adults as well; even with the "orange heads", who are known to be a bit bitey. I also raise Discoids, and I even saw some babies eat an infertile eggsack! This really surprised me, as they are very docile. But...............I also have seen them joust a lot, before they breed. Seems the males are VERY territorial, and competitive. But after the jousting, it seemed to set off large scale breeding. Anyway...........as long as you have some hiding places, the babies will be fine. The roaches do not seem to have a propensity for eating the babies; especially when you keep them well fed. I have even seen the "Orange head" females stay with the babies for the first few hours after the "birth". Maybe they are guarding them?

 

[DnKslr]

I give them Hisser Munchies for a main diet with some fruits occasionally. About once a week I'll through in some bits of scrambled eggs for protein, they all seem to fight over the eggs everytime! They tug at it and some run away with pieces while all the babies just huddle on one piece and munch away
I know I should use dog or cat food but there is so much waste from the mix I make that I figured I could share my breakfast once a week. There is never anything left of the eggs so I don't have to worry about it rotting in the tank.

 

[Mendi]

They really, really like these 2 treats... Those little cat food pouches of beef pate and cantaloupe even more. I just mix either in with the normal carrot salads I fix them. Once a month is likely enough to have them eating these well enhanced salads. And you know I think they need fresh oranges once a month...

I really get some strange questions about why roaches get fed so well by my non-T friends. They have problems with them eating all these fresh fruits and veggies before I point out what they eat, furnishes my Ts with all the good too. A bit later, but they are eating fresh veggies when they munch a roach


And oak tree leaves... Mine will eat the dried ones with as much or more zest than any of the staple dry dog/cat kibble. Load up this fall... I've got to save even more this fall for them and my millipedes

Tip, put in 3 feed bowls on either side of the enclosure, one in the middle just for the dog food, and one either side for the fresh foods. This will let the nymphs have a much better chance of getting the "treats"

 

[DnKslr]

And oak tree leaves... Mine will eat the dried ones with as much or more zest than any of the staple dry dog/cat kibble. Load up this fall

Hi Mendi!
You know I was a bit skeptical about the oak leaves but I went out and got a bag of dried leaves a few weeks ago. They pretty much ignored them but just the other night I did a quick check in the tank and I saw them munching some of the leaves! I'm gonna get a shoe box full tomorrow. I know of this huge oak tree in a park about a mile from my house so I'm set for this winter
I haven't tried cantelope yet but since we're having a BBQ tomorrow, I might pick one up when I go to get a watermelon. This way I won't have to waste a whole cantelope and there will be other people to help eat it. I can't really have any myself, allergic to it