Roach feeding problems

[JeffG]

Hey everyone,


I did a few searches but really couldnt find an answer to my problem. A few months ago i started a discoid colony in hopes of phasing out crickets. Finally produced enough to offer them to my leopards and was shocked with the results.

Maybe a quarter of my geckos showed any interest in them. Either the roaches froze and the geckos didnt know what to do with them, or they sped under the substrate and hid until i fished them back out.

Needless to say im dissapointed. Any ideas on how to get more of my geckos switched over from crickets?

 

[got spots?]

well I hear that problem alot. I personally wouldn't use roaches. I hear that some people have success while others dont. Maybe you can tear off the legs of the roach so it doesnt run away. But personally you should start up a mealwarm colony =]
lol sorry..
but yea, some leos are just very picky.

 

[JeffG]

Im not a big fan of mealworms to be honest. I tried out silkworms last week and had alot of success. I spent alot of money on the roaches and would love for them to work out.

 

[T-ReXx]

You might try putting the roaches in the fridge for 20 min or so to slow them down before feeding them. Thats what I do with lateralis, sometimes leos are a bit slow to switch to them.

 

[JeffG]

Thanks for that idea. I was also thinking of putting them in small dishes like you would do with mealworms. Ill be happy when i can stop buying 1000 crickets at a time.

 

[jamncristian]

you can put your leos and the roaches in a rubbermaid container for feedings so the roaches has no substrate to hide under and the roaches cant climb out

 

[JeffG]

Yeah that was suggested to me at a show, was just hoping for something a little less time consuming. Is something to try though.

 

[jamncristian]

I personally hate crickets but if discoid don't work out try dubia because they are less skitish

 

[JeffG]

Yeah im in Florida so i didnt have many options when it came to choosing roaches. The discoids are producing very well... maybe i need to throw some ketchup and mustard on them.

 

[Chewbecca]

Will your leos eat from dishes?

If so, Superior enterprises sells "worm" dishes (I think they're called), they're white plastic. They sell half lids for them (the lid just goes over the lip of the dish to prevent escape). Get some. They're SOOO inexpensive.
We put our roaches in those for our geckos.

You could try grabbing a roach with tong feeders, too, and see if your leos will snatch them off the tongs.:main_yes:

 

[Digby Rigby]

Something is very wrong

Something is very wrong with the geckos if roaches move to fast for them to catch. If its a matter of the roaches getting under the substrate, then put them in a dish or pan so the geckos can get to them. We have fed lateralis to healthy geckos physiologically ready to eat, and have not had problems. lateralis do not dig or burrow but move much faster than Blaberus species.

Digby Rigby [email protected]

 

[JeffG]

Problem is they see them and before they decide to go after them the roaches have vanished. Its as if they arent recognizing them as prey.

 

[Redleg]

It took all of my leos some time to switch over. Some took to the dubais immediately while others ignored it.

I place my leos in a tub with the dubias and feed them that way, works great and I don't have to worry about left over dubias annoying the leos in their own enclosure.

Eventually the last hold outs (leos) finally ate the dubias after not eating for about 10 days. Eventually the hunger sets in and a LIVE moving bug is very tasty I am sure :main_laugh:

If your leo still refuses.......hey, that's what the fat reserves are for on their tail. They will eventually get hungry and eat. Their natural instinct of a live moving bug will win :main_thumbsup: over their hunger

 

[Tanga]

I know this sounds like a daunting task, but to stop the roaches from freezing I usually squash their heads before dropping them into the tank, they can't find their way around so basically they run around like a chicken with it's head cut off , it really catches the geckos attention and they get eaten up fairly quickly. Hope this helps.