Who's The Top Roach?

[Arachnophilist]

okay I am going crazy from all the freakin chirping.. I like it to a point but I have to keep too many crix now fr it to still be a pleasant background noise.
so I wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best feeder to have a colony of.. I know Lobster seems to be most popular but looking at posts from roach keepers they seem to think there are better ones.. if anyone can please gimme some help I would appreciate it thnks!

Christopher

 

[Pyst]

This is the latest poll taken on the subject:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=76429&highlight=roach+poll

 

[Randolph XX()]

depends on what u r feeding too
B.lateralis is the best,dozn't climb smooth surface, egg case layer and i have a couple thousands for sell, i live in Richmond, B.C., Pm me if interested

 

[Stylopidae]

depends on what u r feeding too
B.lateralis is the best,dozn't climb smooth surface, egg case layer and i have a couple thousands for sell, i live in Richmond, B.C., Pm me if interested

A lot of folks disagree. I've been told that B. lateralis breeds quite well at room temperature. This coupled with the fact that it's in the same genus as the much dreaded german cockroach makes me more than a little apprehensive about using lateralis. Plus, I've had a number of keepers tell me their cultures stink to high hell.

Some of my thoughts on feeders (too lazy to type again):

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showpost.php?p=761131&postcount=2

Cacoseraph's thoughts:

http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7689

 

[Randolph XX()]

well, they do need heating, cuz they are from central asia
the main reason the whole box stink is too much water in food
since they are from drier region, u should keep them more vent and dry

 

[Aquanut]

Look into Dubias. They don't climb or fly, are odor free, breed fast and have a good meat to shell ratio. I have Discoids which i really like but they breed a bit slower an have a little more shell. I had Dubias but sold them off for lack of room. Check out James Tuttle's sight at www.blaberus.com for info and pics of many different kinds. He is also a good person to buy from.

 

[Gigas]

The two best are Blaptica dubia and Nauphoeta cinerea(personal opinion) the only major difference is cinerea climb smooth surfaces(badly) but can easily be thwarted with a 1 inch wide stip of vaseline around the top of the tub.
I have heard Nauphoeta cinerea can reproducs faster if high enough temperatures are reach but i haven't seen any evidence to prove that its faster than dubia.

 

[cacoseraph]

vaseline is awful!

it is SO messy... and it congeals at lower end room temps and some roaches have no problem walking over it. and it is SOOOO messy! and after you made a mess vaseline/petroleum jelly is so hard to clean up... *shudder*

i use olive oil in a (1.5x the length of the longest roach band) around the top of my bins and it works much better for me.

the biggest disadvantage i have found is you have to reapply it every 4-6 weeks... but some of the pro bug barriers need to be reapplied about that often... and i can buy almost a gallon (4L) for $1 (less than 2euros)

 

[Gigas]

The bin i'm using doesn't have a well for the Olive oil, and the tub is at a minimum of 25c so the vaseline is always slimey, best bet would be Dubia's i reckon, the guy selling feeders didn't have any on his stand though

 

[GailC]

I have lobsters, dubia and lateralis, by far my favorite for my T's are the lobsters. The dubia just burrow and the T doesn't find them. I haven't really tried the lateralis yet as my colony is still small.

 

[Canfire]

okay I am going crazy from all the freakin chirping.. I like it to a point but I have to keep too many crix now fr it to still be a pleasant background noise.

I know exactly what you mean (getting up at 1:30 am and crushing all the crickets in the Green Anole cage).

 

[Randolph XX()]

I have lobsters, dubia and lateralis, by far my favorite for my T's are the lobsters. The dubia just burrow and the T doesn't find them. I haven't really tried the lateralis yet as my colony is still small.

that's exactly wat i am going to say about dubia
i used to have dubia colony, but the thing is they are just too flat and some animals just don't really take them, and they dig
but lateralis have disadvantages too, they are pretty fast and jumpy,at least u can crush them instead of digging dubias out of the whole substrate b4 ur ts are moulting
it is still better than chirping at 3 am

 

[angus]

hello Christopher..

i think choose which sp. of feeder roaches were according to u want to feed what kind of pets...if u ar looking into non-climber sp., some common sp. as below......

Blaberus craniifer
Blaberus discoidalis
Blaberus fusca
Blaberus hybird
Blaptica dubia
Byrsotria fumigata
Eublaberus distanti
Eublaberus prosticus
Shelfordella tartara / Blatta lateralis

i generally take the B. hybird, B. dubia, and S. tartara as feeder...

vaseline is awful!

it is SO messy... and it congeals at lower end room temps and some roaches have no problem walking over it. and it is SOOOO messy! and after you made a mess vaseline/petroleum jelly is so hard to clean up... *shudder*

i use olive oil in a (1.5x the length of the longest roach band) around the top of my bins and it works much better for me.

the biggest disadvantage i have found is you have to reapply it every 4-6 weeks... but some of the pro bug barriers need to be reapplied about that often... and i can buy almost a gallon (4L) for $1 (less than 2euros)

hello caco..

i do agree the vaseline is very messy..@_@..i think i would try your suggest method of olive oil next time...i just go to supermarket and get one olive oil is ok~??

 

[james]

I still like the dubia!!!

My T's do not seem to have a problem with them and my dubia are far from flat. I think lateralis and lobsters are good, but I still think lobsters are a pain in the a@!. I've never seen a dubia attack a molting T's (unlike E. prosticus) or harm any animal ever. I use them as feeders for many different types of reptiles. If I have a poor feeding animals lateralis usually do the trick. Oh so many types of roaches who can keep up with them all. Sadly I've turned down like 20 new species just this year because I have no more room!!!!!
James
www.blaberus.com

 

[cacoseraph]

My T's do not seem to have a problem with them and my dubia are far from flat. I think lateralis and lobsters are good, but I still think lobsters are a pain in the a@!. I've never seen a dubia attack a molting T's (unlike E. prosticus) or harm any animal ever. I use them as feeders for many different types of reptiles. If I have a poor feeding animals lateralis usually do the trick. Oh so many types of roaches who can keep up with them all. Sadly I've turned down like 20 new species just this year because I have no more room!!!!!
James
www.blaberus.com

i'll help you build a shed!

good point about the E. prosticus/orangeheads. for kicks i slice a couple lobsters' heads and pitch them in my orangehead tank... it's like a slow-mo feeding frenzy!

and about lateralis for poor feeding animals... i had a male Poecilotheria regalis (Indian ornamental tara) that WOULD NOT eat anything but mature male lateralis. i tried all my species (lobsters, hissers, orangeheads, discoids, and somethign else) and he just wasn't interested... but he would literally leap on mature male lateralis. freakin craziest thing. lateralis also rock ifyou are a breeder/hatcher of predator inverts. the nymphs are tiny and lateralis can't glasswalk... i've fed them to my tiniest baby scorps

 

[james]

heck

I already have 2 rooms. Dave Grimm has been there and knows how big my room is. I can't even barely walk in there anymore. I have friends that keep prosticus colonies just to eat rats and mice the snakes refuse. Makes you wonder if will see them eating something else one day in the next mob movie lol ...
James

 

[angus]

My T's do not seem to have a problem with them and my dubia are far from flat. I think lateralis and lobsters are good, but I still think lobsters are a pain in the a@!. I've never seen a dubia attack a molting T's (unlike E. prosticus) or harm any animal ever. I use them as feeders for many different types of reptiles. If I have a poor feeding animals lateralis usually do the trick. Oh so many types of roaches who can keep up with them all. Sadly I've turned down like 20 new species just this year because I have no more room!!!!!
James
www.blaberus.com

hello james,

i am agree with dubia be the best feeder for me too, most of my herps take it without any problems...but i perfer Blaberus hybird for my treemonitors cos its bigger size and sound the monitors love them very much..once i through into their cage, they will chase the roaches immediately. but S.tartara for manits nymphs or poison dart frog cos the roaches size is perfect for those pets.

i love this pics, although its an old pics,

 

[Dom]

WOW!! Fantastic monitor Angus.
I was just checking out the rest of your collection and it's quite impressive.

 

[angus]

WOW!! Fantastic monitor Angus.
I was just checking out the rest of your collection and it's quite impressive.

thx for your appreciation, Dom...tree monitors family be my favourite one within the Lizards......hope u enjoy the pics.

 

[Sof]

okay I am going crazy from all the freakin chirping..

I know exactly what you mean (getting up at 1:30 am and crushing all the crickets in the Green Anole cage).

lmao! .....