Why are crickets so much more popular than roaches in America?

Marijan2

Arachnobaron
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Don't get me wrong, i don't think they are poor feeders or bad. But as roaches are better than crickets in literally every aspect(keeping, breeding, size, hardiness, nutrition etc) i am not sure why majority use them. Here in Europe roaches are used in vast majority of cases
 

Ghost56

Arachnobaron
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Don't get me wrong, i don't think they are poor feeders or bad. But as roaches are better than crickets in literally every aspect(keeping, breeding, size, hardiness, nutrition etc) i am not sure why majority use them. Here in Europe roaches are used in vast majority of cases
I think one of the main reasons is the majority of people here instantly think "german cockroach" when they hear/read the word roach. And I'm not sure about other states, but I've never been to a pet store near me that sold any form of roach. So unless you ordered from online, you're sort of limited to crickets, mealworms, or superworms.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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Yes here in Florida at the moment only Discoid roaches are legal so I think some form of feeder roach is available in all states in the U.S.

As for why they aren't used as often as crickets is the Ts themselves.. Some keepers have trouble getting there Ts to eat roaches for various reasons.. Some sp. of roaches play dead some burrow almost immediately etc.. IMO all these issues can be over come relatively easily but some Ts just won't touch them.. On the flip side I have never seen a T that won't eat a cricket.. I have no idea why but they love them..

My discoid colony has recently matured and I'm getting enough nymphs now of various sizes to use as feeders.. I fed my current Ts roaches for the first time today.. In the past my Ts were fed dubia roaches exclusively and all of my Ts took them with no problems..

98% of the Ts I fed today excepted the discoids with no issue and I have a mixture of slings and adults.. The only ones that refused are my sub adult versi and a H.sp columbia sling but she is a crap eater and just molted 3 days ago so I'm not surprised..

IMO roaches are a highly superior feeder simply because of how much there stomachs can hold and the diversity of foods that they eat..
 
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BobBarley

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Yes here in Florida at the moment only Discoid roaches are legal so I think some form of feeder roach is available in all states in the U.S.

As for why they aren't used as often as crickets is the Ts themselves.. Some keepers have trouble getting there Ts to eat roaches for various reasons.. Some sp. of roaches play dead some burrow almost immediately etc.. IMO all these issues can be over come relatively easily but some Ts just won't touch them.. On the flip side I have never seen a T that won't eat a cricket.. I have no idea why but they love them..

My discoid colony has recently matured and I'm getting enough nymphs now of various sizes to use as feeders.. I fed my current Ts roaches for the first time today.. In the past my Ts were fed dubia roaches exclusively and all of my Ts took them with no problems..

98% of the Ts I fed today excepted the discoids with no issue and I have a mixture of slings and adults.. The only ones that refused are my sub adult versi and a H.sp columbia sling but she is a crap eater and just molted 3 days ago so I'm not surprised..

IMO roaches are a highly superior feeder simply because of how much there stomachs can hold and the diversity of foods that they eat..
I would love a colony of discoids, in fact, I'd love a colony of pretty much any feeder roach. But, my mom is hardcore Asian (so am I but whatever), and Asians and roaches do not mix. She'd go berserk.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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For me it's just convenience. I am trying to get a dubia colony going, but so far I just use them for occasional feeders until my numbers get higher. Most of the time I use crickets because that's what all the pet stores carry. I can get somewhere between 20-40 crickets for $1 (depending on which shop I go to and who's working at the time) and they pretty much always have plenty of crickets in assorted sizes on hand. The few that do have roaches typically only have Madagascar Hissers - and those are priced more appropriately for someone looking for a pet than a feeder. Also, when I do feed roaches, if the Ts don't grab them right away, the damn things tend to burrow into the substrate and disappear. I once found a dubia in the substrate during a rehouse that had been there for at least six months!
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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I would love a colony of discoids, in fact, I'd love a colony of pretty much any feeder roach. But, my mom is hardcore Asian (so am I but whatever), and Asians and roaches do not mix. She'd go berserk.
Well if she ever changes her mind let me know...I would be more than happy to ship you a starter colony as long as you cover shipping bud..
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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[QUOTE="chanda, post: 2546607, member: 54156 Also, when I do feed roaches, if the Ts don't grab them right away, the damn things tend to burrow into the substrate and disappear. I once found a dubia in the substrate during a rehouse that had been there for at least six months![/QUOTE]

It sounds barbaric but crush the head of the roach before you toss it in they still move around for a long time but they can't burrow..
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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I think it’s something like a culture thing brought on by marketing. Most people in the US buy their feeders from pet stores. Most pet stores order crickets to retail, ..cheap, prolific, fast growers for breeders, more profit for pet stores than roaches, I think. Also like mentioned, there is the “gross” factor pounded in the heads of the public, roaches being pests and home invaders. Basically pet stores make a bigger profit on crickets, I think it comes down to profit. Roaches are more popular for people that grow their own feeders though. I raise both and like crickets better for feeders, if there is a roach and a cricket available, it looks like the stuff I have here likes crickets just a little more.
 

Marijan2

Arachnobaron
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Not all roach species burrow, i feed almost all my T's red runners(S. lateralis) and they are even more active than cricks while reaching the same maximum size. Dubias are only for my bigger T's
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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I use/always used both. IMO nothing is best for T's than crickets and B.dubia. Worms and that stuff on my parts are a rare event.

I breed my B.dubia. Indeed they are extremely easy to care, breed etc and a non plus ultra meal for terrestrial and obligate burrowers Theraphosidae.

Crickets, on the other hand, are not so easy to breed but my experience with B.dubia and arboreals isn't 100% positive. I saw more than once during all of those decades certain arboreals a bit picky with them, unlike for crickets.
 

CEOAirsoft

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Most pet stores don't sell roaches and I don't want a roach colony. That's why I use crickets.
 

Aquarimax

Arachnoprince
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I would probably try a roach colony or two if my wife weren't absolutely dead set against them, but I'd rather have a happy wife than a roach colony. That's the biggest reason I breed crickets. ;)
 

Hisserdude

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The biggest reason I think roaches aren't more commonly used as feeders is, as others have said, the public's strong and irrational hatred and fear of roaches, crickets on the other hand are perceived as cute by many, even though they are way smellier and are much more vicious creatures.

Another thing is feeding response, the commonly cultured feeders like dubia and dicoids often burrow as soon as they hit the substrate, and even if they don't they seldom illicit as much of a feeding response as crickets do, I don't know why but crickets just have this feel to them that predators love.

However roaches are definitely becoming more commonly used as feeders, the petstores here often have dubia roaches for sale, albeit in poorly packed containers that often result in over half the dubias dying before anyone buys them.
 

Marijan2

Arachnobaron
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albeit in poorly packed containers that often result in over half the dubias dying before anyone buys them.
Ok, now i'm really intrigued how they handle them so there are die-offs. Dubias are like tanks, they can survive literally anything. Wow
Only thing i can imagine is overheating them, and thats it
 

Hisserdude

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Ok, now i'm really intrigued how they handle them so there are die-offs. Dubias are like tanks, they can survive literally anything. Wow
Only thing i can imagine is overheating them, and thats it
From the looks of it they keep them in very well ventilated containers filled with dry bran as the substrate and a few eggcarton pieces and that that's it, each container is sealed off with plastic wrap so they never open it to feed or water the dubias, and I assume they just dessicate to death. :confused: Whenever I look at the feeder section at the pet store and find the little dubia containers, there are usually a ton of dead ones, with hardly any remaining living individuals.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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my experience with B.dubia and arboreals isn't 100% positive. I saw more than once during all of those decades certain arboreals a bit picky with them, unlike for crickets.
Agreed but sometimes wild caught arboreals prefer them..

I have a WC A.avic that begrudgingly eats crix here and there and is prone to long fasts.. Guess how I got her to feed for the first time in 3 months last night..
I split a discoid down the middle and placed it on her web.. I found a bolus in her water dish this morning:)
I have tried the same thing with crix and even tong feeding crix with no luck..

This is also the same avic that wont web vertical unless she has palm fronds to make her web on.. She's a true bush baby! Lol

My adult captive bred versi on the other hand wants nothing to do with the discoids but this was the first time one was offered and she is fat as mud from frequent heavy feeding after this last molt about 2 months ago..
I think if I don't offer crix for a week or two the next time I offer a dubia she will crush it like a proper little monster:vamp:..
 
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