Questions about roaches

[GECKOMAN]

Hi, got some questions about roaches for leos.
1 what roach species is the best to feed to leopard geckos
and the easiest to breed?
2 How to you breed them what kind of setup do you use?
3 What do you think is the best place to buy them from?
Do you think that roaches make good feeders?
Thanks

 

[luxxman]

I'm not sure on which are best for leo's as I am just starting to learn about them. I have been working with Lobster roaches for my bearded dragon and they breed fairly quick without much work. I am also about to start working on breeding turkistan roaches so it will take some time before I know how well that goes.

Lobster roaches can climb glass and just about any surface so you need to put a light strip of about 3 inches or vaseline at the top of the container so they cannot get out. I just use a 66 qt sterilite container for the lobsters with egg crates inside for them to hide in. A little food and gel cubes rather than water is about all you need. You'll want to keep temps in low to mid 80's for quicker breeding so and UTH or light is enough for that. They really are pretty easy to raise. They can grow to about 2 inches or so I believe.

The Turkistan ones don't climb but still breed really fast so a little less work in keeping them. Basically the same set up as the lobsters minus the vaseline. they also don't get as big I don't think which might make them better for babies.

I just put in an order from crunchy-critters and they seem to have good prices. I haven't gotten them yet as I only ordered them a few days ago and things take longer with the holiday season just coming to an end. There are lots of sellers out there with detailed care sheets for breeding them so you won't have trouble finding a lot of info out there.

You can also check: http://www.feederfinder.net

 

[LadyGecko]

I have a colony of Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia) and I like them because they don't climb
When you have your own colony-you have access to every size/stage of them for any sized Leo
Here is a link to a care sheet for them

Sandy

 

[trizzypballr]

just picked up a bunch of lobster roaches, wish i would have read into it alittle more i would have probley went with a non climbing species

 

[luxxman]

As long as you use the strip of vaseline at the top of the bin you shouldn't have any trouble. I have had mine for months and haven't had any problems so far. The only time I even see them trying to climb the sides is when I reach in and try to take some out for feeding time lol. Then they will scatter and run up the sides but as soon as they touch the vaseline they just turn and go back down or fall off.

 

[gothra]

I'll vote for dubia roaches; mainly because they can't climb glass and have a very soft body. I also have discoids too, but between the 2, I personally (and my geckos too) prefer the dubias.

 

[GECKOMAN]

Thanks for the replies,
I think I am going to try the dubias,
does anybody have pictures of their setup for breeding them?
What place has the best prices?
Thanks

 

[luxxman]

This is from http://www.blaberus.com

They have several other caresheets in the Help and Support section to get an idea on other kinds of roaches. I haven't ordered many online so I can't give you much of an idea on who has the best prices. You just kinda have to watch different sites for sales and catch them at the right time. It will also depend on where you live as to what the shipping will be and whether or not they can ship to you. I know Florida has strict laws on shipping roaches and not sure on any other states.

ROACH CARE SHEET
Guyana Orange Spotted Roach
Blaptica Dubia
General Information
Distribution: Central & South America including French Guyana
Adult Size: Adults range from 1.65” – 2.0”.
Babies: Babies are around 3/16”.
Sexing: Blaptica dubia are very easy to sex. Males will have fully developed wings, and
females only have wing stubs.
Active Period: Nocturnal, most roaches will scamper away when they see light. I recommend a dark
container kept in a dark environment.
Life Span: Typically this species will live from 12-24 months after reaching adulthood, but males
will die earlier than females.
Speed: Blaptica dubia are a pretty slow roach. Dubia are easy to handle and not to difficult for
your pets to catch.
Housing
Cage: My general care sheet talks about different types of cages. I prefer a dark Rubbermaid
container with a vented lid.
Substrate: I prefer to use no substrate with my dubia for easy cleaning. Some people like to use
shredding aspen, bran, newspaper, or other substrates, but it can be difficult to get all the
nymphs out.
Hiding: Roaches need places to hide, room to breed, and space to molt. Most people use egg
crates, which work well and can be changed out as needed. Some build little roach motels
with corkboard that last longer, but cost more.
Heat: These roaches can be kept between 78F-95F. For faster growth and breeding the higher
temps work better, but always offer a cool and hot side for temperature variance.
Humidity: Mild humidity is fine with this species. A staple supply of water (see our water crystals
under the product section) and fruits/veggies provides enough moisture for dubia.

Cleaning: All non-climbers are very easy to clean. My standard method is to take the eggs crates
and knock all the roaches off into an empty container. Then I will separate out the adults
back into the breeding bin with new egg crates and put the nymphs in their own bin. I do
this so I don’t have to disturb the breeding adult’s everyday when I need to get feeder
nymphs. Usually I will have to dump all the frass (poop) into a bowl and pick out the
remaining baby nymphs with a spoon or by hand. This whole process takes me about 15
minutes. Usually you can go 1-6 month between cleanings based on the size of your
colony.
Food & Water
Food: Fruits & veggies should be given 2-3 times per week. A staple dry food like roach buffet
(under are products section) should also be offered 2-3 times per week. Typically I
alternate my food every day between dry and wet. I also only give small portions so all is
eaten to prevent mold. You will quickly learn how much your roaches will eat.
Water: Because these roaches cannot climb they will drown in a water dish. Using sponges is
also a bad ideal because they can grow bacteria. I think the best method for moisture is
water crystals (look under our product section) with the occasional misting.
Breeding
Age: B .dubia usually takes 3-5 month to mature into adults. Most roaches will go through
seven molts. When you see a white roach it is not “albino”, but a freshly molted one that
will regain its color usually within 24 hours. Sometime you will find there dried
exoskeleton, which most people think, is a dead dried up roach, but it’s just the leftovers
from the molt.
Breeding: Not much to tell here. Just keep them warm, fed, dark, and they are going to breed.
Females will start to get larger and sometimes you can even see their segments stretching
out. Once the egg sack is extracted it is then retracted back inside into a special cavity.
From here the babies hatch and the female gives birth.
Other Notes
Production: Although non-climbers aren’t as prolific like lobsters they can provide a stable food
source. I always recommend starting with 50-100 and building from there. I started out
producing hundreds, then a thousand or so, and now I’ll be producing several thousands
each month.
Meat-to-shell: Roaches have much higher meat to shell ratio than other feeders. This means it takes less
of them to fill up your pets, and they’re getting more out of bugs.
Wings: Only male dubia are winged, but the do not fly. Occasionally a male will jump and try to
fly. This is very rare, but sometime they can jump 12-24 inches. A simple vented lid on
their container will prevent one from ever getting out.

Climbing: This species cannot climb smooth surfaces, which makes them very easy to contain. It is
so easy to go in and grab a roach compared to crickets, which jump out of everything and
end up everywhere.
Smell: Blaptica dubia have little to no smell.
Advantages of roaches over crickets and mealworms!!!
1. No smelly containers.
2. Very easy to care for and clean.
3. Easy to breed and use as feeders.
4. Don’t make any noise.
5. Don’t jump.
6. Higher meat to shell ratio.
7. You know the source of your feeders. I’ve kept them at the highest quality, and so are
you. You are not getting the crickets that survived and are poorly fed and
malnutrition.
8. MOST IMPORTANT – They are a good natural feeder for your pet, and they will go
crazy for them.
Email me if you have any questions.
[email protected]