Roach Colony Pics?

[PuffDragon]

Hey guys,
I know it's probably easy to do but I always like to see some pics before I start a project. I was hoping any of you could share some pics of you roach colony setups!!

 

[DaveDragon]

Here's my setup. We've been breeding Blaptica Dubia for over a year. They took 4 months before they started producing. We keep it in our kids closet behind a curtain! The tub is heated by a non-shut-off human heating pad on high. the 10 gallon tank is heated by a Zoo-Med 10-20 gallon heater. There's a piece of slate on top of the heater to spread it out. Pardon the dirty egg crates.

I actually caught one of the females hanging out her egg sack (Ootheca) to dry before pulling it back in to grow the babies. They have a 30 day gestation period. If they're disturbed they will drop it and the little ones will die.

 

[greentriple]

I just started my colony. I'm using a tub much like yours, do you find putting the egg crates on their sides is better than stacking? What size heating pad are you using, I'm also using one. Mine is in the garage under the tegu cage.

I'm going to start hissers as soon as the dubia get settled.

 

[Sammy]

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[VARNYARD]

Awesome pictures and info guys, I will try to get some pics of mine up in a few days.

 

[playlboi]

i was planning on raising a roach colony too, i'm just worried that they'll give off a smell or something. do any of you guys have that problem? do they give off any kind of foul smell?

 

[dorton]

i was planning on raising a roach colony too, i'm just worried that they'll give off a smell or something. do any of you guys have that problem? do they give off any kind of foul smell?

X2, I have thought about it too, but just worried about smell.

 

[Mike]

i was planning on raising a roach colony too, i'm just worried that they'll give off a smell or something. do any of you guys have that problem? do they give off any kind of foul smell?

I don't notice a smell with mine. If you pick them up and squeeze them, some let out a defensive odor. It's nothing major though. If there is a smell, it's certainly much better than crickets!

 

[dorton]

Is the flexwatt or heat pad basically the only heat needed if I keep the room around 80+?

 

[playlboi]

yeah, crickets do let off a bad odor. i was going to do crickets, but stayed away cause of the smell they put off. i might look into the roach colony if it doesn't smell too bad.

 

[DaveDragon]

i was planning on raising a roach colony too, i'm just worried that they'll give off a smell or something. do any of you guys have that problem? do they give off any kind of foul smell?

They barely have any smell, far less than crickets. Blaptica Dubia have no defensive odor (that I've noticed), but they breed slow.

 

[DaveDragon]

I just started my colony. I'm using a tub much like yours, do you find putting the egg crates on their sides is better than stacking? What size heating pad are you using, I'm also using one.

I read it's best to put the egg crates on their sides. Then the roaches can find a temperature they like. I'm using a standard (cheap!) heating pad with no auto shut-off from Walgreens.

 

[PuffDragon]

Thanks for the posts guys. Now I just gotta decide if I'm gonna do Dubia's or Hissers!!

 

[mdmtmm]

I am very in to reptiles, but the Roaches creep me out just seeing the pictures. I want to give my tegu some to try, but can't get myself to even by a couple. Its a great idea to save money with the colony though.

 

[DaveDragon]

I am very in to reptiles, but the Roaches creep me out just seeing the pictures. I want to give my tegu some to try, but can't get myself to even by a couple. Its a great idea to save money with the colony though.

They aren't bad. Research them thoroughly!! Some fly, some climb and some breed quickly. Blaptica Dubia don't fly or climb but breed slowly.

This guy Nomad85 knows his roaches. I bought some of his surplus last year and started my colony.

http://www.freewebs.com/nomad2685/

http://www.forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?s=ad6fadfe69377d571cd9e35c8e00c3f2&t=3750

http://www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/viewtopic.php?t=38632

 

[dorton]

So, will your adults make a meal off these, or they for juviniles and smaller species?
What I am curious about if I start a colony and have to feed my adults like 10 at a time to get full, the colony wont last long.

 

[DaveDragon]

I haven't fed any to the Tegus. Our Bearded Dragons will eat them but I fed out most of the adult males and had to stop. Our Blue Tongue Skink loves the nymphs!!! Our young B&W never was interested in bugs.

 

[PuffDragon]

Ok I scratched the Hissers idea. I narrowed it down to either Dubia or Discoids. What's everyone 2 cents?

 

[PuffDragon]

Well. I scored big today! One, the bakery across the street is going to give me their leftover egg crates for free and two, I found a guy on craiglist or is going to sell me 100 Adult Dubias for $25. He lives 5 mins away so I can just go and pick them up. I was too excited not to share!! Colony de Roach here I come.


Question: I have some ZooMed aquatic turtle pellets still fresh that I will not be using. Think this would make good gutloading food?

 

[DaveDragon]

Well. I scored big today! One, the bakery across the street is going to give me their leftover egg crates for free and two, I found a guy on craiglist or is going to sell me 100 Adult Dubias for $25. He lives 5 mins away so I can just go and pick them up. I was too excited not to share!! Colony de Roach here I come.


Question: I have some ZooMed aquatic turtle pellets still fresh that I will not be using. Think this would make good gutloading food?

That's a great deal!! It would be better if you could start out with more adults just to get the colony going faster.

They need a source of moisture. I feed ours the same salad our Bearded Dragons eat and grapes. I used to mix ground up kitten food and baby cereal flakes but they just seemed to eat the kitten food. I figured the greens were better for them.