On 8/12/2017 at 1:24 AM, Centipede Uncivil said:

Another GA member!

Yes, awesome, I'll reiterate what Centipede Uncivil said 'cause all us Georgians have got to stick together!

Welcome! I, too, found crickets unsatisfactory for many reasons and thus started the roach "madness" I'm in, ha ha. Good luck with your new colony, though I'm sure they'll grow quite fast!

Welcome, hope things go well for you and your collection!

I keep egg crate pieces, too, but I also have a bunch of toilet paper rolls in there. I'll grab one of the rolls and shake it into a container. I'll feed my insectivores from the roaches in that container (tongs usually).

Hey, welcome! Yes, very addictive like tarantulas, yet I've found that I enjoy my roaches so much more. Hope you also find pleasure in the "madness!" 

Oh, man, those are my craziest roaches! They're active just about all the time and do a lot of crazy stuff. Tons of personality for sure!

Ok, so for the reptile gout and other uric acid buildup concerns article, this is the link. Don't know if that's the one you were thinking of...

Great news! It's always exciting when your colony starts growing! Sometimes, you wonder if they'll ever reproduce, but then you discover done babies one day. Dubias are great because they're easy to keep and can fulfill a lot of tasks, like feeders and pets. They're tough as nails and don't ask for much (no special needs). Keep up the good work!

Awesome write-up! I'll be doing some containers like this soon, so it really helps! 

Yeah, your roaches really aren't going to eat moldy food. Some mold poses health risks for them, too. It's best to give only as much as they'll eat in a day or so. That way, they'll eat it before it "goes off." 

Yep...pet dirt.  They'll stay buried nearly all the time so make sure they've got plenty of substrate. I've tried doing the whole "feeding dish" thing, but they keep sucking them underneath the surface so I usually put food on one of the dried leaves on the surface and let them do their thing 

Good luck and let me know how things turn out with them... definitely near the top of my list currently!

Hello there! Hope things work out for you and your bugs. It's funny how roaches and isopods are similar interests (usually). I think most people like isopods (not as much creepiness as other bugs). It's neat that you've got some interesting isopods near you.

Bug hunt!

I think that the more people get interested in their environment, the more they see things to be interested in.

Welcome!

Welcome! Dubias are one of my favorites... Just a nice all around (all purpose) roach. Do you have specific roaches you'd like to get eventually? It's easy to get a long wishlist and a large collection!

Ah yes, them's some sexy legs! Yessir! They kind of remind me of a blacker, "sexier" Eurycotis. Enlarging your colony, or your first time keeping?

Congrats!

Yep, the Gynas are really interesting (adults & juvies). Congrats, keep us updated!

The one I mentioned is usually at stores like Home Depot. Here's the link for Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SPNHDQS/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_JNBizbT0T44D1

And Home Depot: 

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DR-EARTH-24-oz-Ready-to-Use-Yard-and-Garden-Insect-Killer-8003/205825639

It's probably best to run to the store to grab one...shipping may be expensive for what it is.

"Natural" or "Pet safe" or "Pesticide free" insect killers only have essential oils in them (rosemary, thyme, peppermint, etc) which do a good job of repelling insects without the "Raid" insect poisons with pyrethrins in them.

I've got one called Dr. Earth Pure & Natural, but there are many to choose from with similar pesticide-free ingredients.

Just make sure your other "pet" insects aren't in the same room, or they may get upset or worse 

Wikipedia says, "The adults can often be found in shrubbery, trees, and plants. The young can be found under logs and other debris," so yeah, both trees and leaves & stuff.

One note: they fly really well, so they aren't guaranteed live really close to your house

Don't know about Texas, but here in GA near Tennessee I see them occasionally at night in the summer. They're not *supposed* to come up this far, but looks like a few individuals have made it and their colony comes back alive each year.

I haven't seen more than one at a time, so my chances of starting my own colony aren't real high right now

0 replies? Oh man, no hisser love! 

Well, that's exciting to see the "journey" from beginning to adulthood! Hissers are pretty big, so each step is quite noticeable, too. Sounds like the "big man" will be nice and happy to have the whole place to himself!  Congrats!

Well, there's likely many "pest" species (german, American, Oriental).

A quick web search brings up:

Periplaneta fuliginosa (smoky brown)

Parcoblatta americana (Western wood roach)

There's probably more, but so far the most "native" roach looks like Parcoblatta americana (not to be confused with Periplaneta americana).

Welcome back! Wow, you still have quite a collection; it must've been quite large! Since you have such a well-rounded collection, do you plan on specializing in something or adding something difficult or very rare? If so, what would that be? I hope your interest continues to be strong and you enjoy continual positive experiences!

This is so interesting! I wonder what happened with the common ancestor and how the different species "found" their respective zones. Wow, deep stuff!

Two weeks isn't too long to wait for something like that! Congrats, there's nothing like it!

More neat stuff! It's like Christmas for you!

I guess sand is too abrasive for the sand roaches, so you're using coco fiber or something similar?