vfox

Yeah, I'm ganna grab some wood to place in the bin for something to sit on.

That's Jsun's tank, mine is simply the eggcrate rubbermade container. :\

I'll have to stand some egg cartons sideways, thanks for the advice guys. I'll update when/if the others molt properly.

I make jewelry out of cockroaches, and they certainly die in the process, but I dispatch them by freezing before I cast them in molten hot silver, meh. Honestly though, I prefer to use ones that die naturally, but I don't really have a problem killing them either. Jared Gold is the one who started to use the hisser as a fashion design method, from what I've read he didn't plan on it being so popular, but now they sell them fairly regularly at jacked up prices.....something like $60-$80 per roach but because it has fake gems glued to it. Then again, I charge $45 for my casted roach pins, so I guess I can't complain about a little mark-up right?

Yargh, it didn't live more than a day. It never fully expanded its wings, or even hardened its exoskeleton and it died. Very frustrating when you're working with such a small(3 left) colony of them.

One of my B. giganteus finally molted into adulthood! It's a tad larger than my fusca hybrids, and it's head is pretty large compared to theirs, almost bulbous in fact. Anyway, I just need one other to molt and I can start to get giganteus youngins!

My oldest ones are several months.....fusca hybrids anyway....and I do notice the slowing, and generally lethargic way they move. I also noted that most of them seem to get attacked by younger roaches, and many are missing sections of legs, and ends of wings, they live fine after the attacks, it just makes it harder for them to get around.

Bummer, still a neat looking species though.

They have a great shape when they are adults as well. Are these glass climbers?

I wish, lol. I have 4 sub-adult giganteus in the tank, but not up to breeding age just yet. These guys are also smaller than a giganteus, but they are said to be 4 different ones within the hybrid mix. I was told they are discoid, fusca, craniifer, and giganteus, but because of their size I didn't know if giganteus was really mixed in or just hersay. Here is a size comparison to a B.dubia male in the tank. The giganteus purebreds are already the size of an adult hybrids.

I think the hybrids are really nice roaches honestly. Many people just happen to dislike them because they are hybrids I guess. One thing I have noticed is they have very spiny legs compared to my other roaches, it's almost like their entire leg is surrounded with spines. Here is one of mine with a double smiley, the one on the hood, and somewhat of a smiley in the actual wings, heh.

Depending on how much time you have on your hands, it's better to start small for money sake, but I got some great deals on a large number of roaches in the last few months, so I went for the "more is better" realm. I keep around 200 or so B.dubia, and around 500 B.fusca hybrids, but they breed very slow at 78-80ºF. I see many more dubia nymphs compared to fusca nymphs however. I started with 100 dubia around two or so months ago, and 400 fusca not quite a month ago. But, once more adults mature I'm sure I'll have a heap of roaches on my hands. Then again, I don't mind the slow reproduction, I only have 8 scorpions currently and I like having the colony as "pet-like" until they go wild breeding. Last week I got 3 subadult giganteus and several nymphs, so I will let you know how they go in a few months.

I have a colony of fusca hybrids, and this one looks like one of the males. My females are darker, a bit larger as well, and the males are that pale, almost yellow color. All of them, except one oddball has the vampire face as well, so unless purebred fusca can have the face as well, those are hybrids my friend. But, they are still great roaches, so no worries.

Hello everyone, My name is Blanton, some may know me from Arachnoboards, but this site was recommended to me by Peter from BugsInCyberspace. I really hope to learn a good bit from all of you roach experts, I'm still somewhat of a newbian to it. I have a starter colony of B. dubia, a semi-sustained B. fusca hybrids colony, and several full blood B. giganteus so far. Anyway, I like what I've seen so far, and hope to be a useful member here.