Axolotl

Lats are my go-to feeder for all my slings, plings and assassins. I'm currently feeding about 30 slings, 10 plings and 30 adult assassins. I would estimate that I have at least 100 producing female B. lateralis, and the colony holds steady in numbers. Hopefully that helps. I would err on the side of too many as you can always feed off the excess. Most of my 2" slings will take adults.

These are some of my favorites as well. I've only had my colony about a year and have dealt with some trial and error, so I'm definitely no expert. The adults do live much longer than Therea sp. I've had my adults close to a year now - or rather my initial nymphs became adults about a year ago. Since then they've produced 2 new generations. In my experience, they are incredibly sensitive to crowding, which has been my main issue. Their first batch of nymphs didn't fare well due to space issues. They also seem to eat quite a bit more than I had expected. Their appetites rival my hissers. As far as anecdotes, I will say they bite! I don't hold mine anymore as once they're done squeaking they start nipping, and man does it hurt. They're the only species I have that's bitten me. They are gorgeous, though, and so special because of their history so I don't mind too much.

So beautiful. About how big is the one in the photo?

Resurrecting this very old thread. What's the status on this? Was the name changed from T. petiveriana or is T. bernhardti actually a new species?

Of course it sounds insanely simple and why didn't I think of it sooner, but I'm going to start a detailed schedule with checklists and spread the work out across the week. That way I can power through quickly without a lot of thinking when needed. I hate to turn my hobby into a chore, but it might help me feel not so overwhelmed and ensure I don't overlook any care needs - especially now that I'm adding pricier and more demanding species. I've also seen a lot of tarantula keepers print out little care sheet cheat sheets and tape them to the enclosures. Another why didn't I think of that...

https://www.nbc26.com/news/national/cincinnati-zoo-is-the-first-on-record-to-breed-the-blue-feigning-death-beetle

I'm offering walnuts every few weeks as a treat. Each colony (housed comfortably in a 10 gallon) gets a small handful of walnut meat (no shells) about once a month. I offer it to add another layer of variety and stimulation to their scavenging behaviors. I've been doing this for about a year now with no problems in the colonies.... but a year might not be long enough to see any effects on the species that live several years. I suppose the quick answer is to err on the side of caution and remove the nuts from their diet. I do really love offering the biggest variety possible. I know they're "just bugs," but I notice the behavior changes when I'm just doling out the same old chow, carrots and apples combo vs. those weeks when I put 20 ingredients into the spread. They seem much more stimulated and active... dare I say happy? Watching them discover something new like dried seaweed or a drop of yogurt is truly the highlight of the hobby for me.

I also have a once a week schedule for roach feeding, misting and cleanup. I just make sure they have plenty of decomposing leaves and water crystals to last after the fresh stuff is gone. I do have a few species that I mist everyday or every other day. I've tried to time that with my arachnid feeding schedules so as not to get overwhelmed with hours of daily care. It's sometimes a balancing act though! Now that my invertebrate collection includes about 60 species I'm starting to have to manage my care schedule like a part time job... A crazy fun part time job, but still a job. If any of the more experienced keepers have any tips, I'm all ears.

Hmm. I wasn't aware that nuts were harmful to roaches so I've routinely offered walnut to all my hissers. They love it. Never seen any ill effects. They've also eaten acorn, though only once or twice. I don't have a great supply of those. Does anyone know of any journal articles on the topic? I certainly don't want to inadvertently poison my colonies, but it seems strange that they would be so voracious for the walnuts if the nuts were toxic to them. Thoughts?

This is awesome. Did it eat the whole thing? Is it possible it just considered the pumpkin an invader and webbed it up to dispatch of it neatly? If spiders are eating vegetables...

@Bmaines96 I've been meaning to thank you... The extra protein did the trick. I'm supplementing their fresh foods once a week with whole-ingredient dog treats that contain chicken and veggies. They love it, and they're growing quite fast now. Finally have some adults so I think the colony is off to a great start. ☺️☺️ Any experience feeding them dead roaches? Right now my B. giganteus and E. arcanum take care of any I find, but I'm always interested in adding more variety to my roaches' diets.

Thank you! This is the info I was looking for. I adjusted their enclosure about a month ago. I've seen quicker growth since then... Still looking out for ooths. Do you have any photos of ooths next to the adults - or can you give me a size. Are they really tiny?

I've been doing some tank maintenance and noticed that a few of my more moist enclosures have what look to be silver springtails. They're about half the size as the temperate Collembola sold in the hobby and sort of flicker from white to silver as they move around and catch the light. They also jump like springtails. I've not noticed any harm being done, so I'm not worried... Another strata in the mini ecosystem is more than welcome. Just wondering if I'm correct and if anyone else has seen these. Some extra info: I thoroughly wash and heat sanitize anything I bring in from the outdoors so I don't think they got in that way. I have been collecting wild A. vulgare, but they are in their own enclosure. I love in a berm house that's mostly underground, and we get an amazing assortment of wildlife in the house: Parcoblatta have shown up in my enclosures, we once had a mushroom growing in the bathroom, and most recently I caught a nightcrawler cruising down the hallway. TLDR: I think I have wild springtails in my tanks, but I'm not worried. I'm used to wildlife invading my home. Just want confirmation.

I would support a fundraising drive. I'm on here so often... I hate the idea that one or two people may be footing the bill for the whole thing. Maybe a t-shirt sale with a roach forum logo? I'm a graphic designer by trade and would be happy to help design something.

I wonder if boiling them removed the dry brown cuticle to expose a not yet decayed layer underneath? If I need dry leaves, I just microwave them dry. If I need moist or wet, I usually just add enough water to get them damp. Basically, I try to get the leaves close to the moisture level I need. I've found that adding the water before heating saturates better.

I've been offering fresh hibiscus flowers to all of my roaches this fall. Some love it, some don't seem to care, but the one's who love it can't get enough of it. I think my hissers would strip the bush bare if I let them. I've also had good success with dandelion flowers and clover flowers... just make sure you get the dandelions at first bloom. If you get an older flower and they don't eat all of it, it will go to seed and cover the bin with white fuzzies.

I usually microwave mine with some water for 2 minutes. I've never experienced that... Were they dried green leaves to begin with? Mine are usually brown and slightly decayed when I grab them. They will hydrate slightly, but they've never become rubbery. More like just wet versions of what they were. How much I dry them depends on the roach species. If they can handle some humidity or moisture, I use them wet. Things dry out pretty quick in my roach room. What kind of leaves are they?

@Matttoadman My A. seemani is my favorite, too -- after the PPs. My slings are out all the time, but my female "small" is definitely a pet hole. My female "large" is much more out and about, but only at night. I really am looking forward to getting more dwarfs. I'm picking up a D. diamantinensis on Saturday and could not be more excited. And 409? Geez. Don't you know that's how B-horror movies start!?

I'm just getting into dwarf species. I never knew how much fun the little ones could be, and I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to Hapalopus, as they keep finding their way home with me - but I do have others on my wishlist, esp. the Cyriocosmus elegans. So pretty. Something about those mirror patches. ? Something like that! I usually just put the interlopers outside or give them to one of the loose house spiders. I have a "live and let live" policy on arachnids in the house; there's a few in each room, which has really turned out to be a benefit. When my pallid nymphs recently decided that freedom sounded better than the box, the half dozen false widows in the bug room did a really nice job of wrangling the escapees. LOL. It must sound like my house is a nightmare, but like I said, it's mostly underground so we get a lot of visitors, including blue spotted salamanders when it rains. Probably would horrify most people, but I don't mind - it's the price you pay benefit you get from living in a hobbit house. ? I hand-pick the F. auricularia I keep from the visitors and the gardens. I'm trying to breed for really long forceps, so I keep my eye out for the standouts. Right now I'm mostly toying around with setups, seeing what works best/is the easiest. I'll be sure to share my insights down the road.

I'm really falling in love with them quite quickly... Though I have had some time for them to grow on me. I live in a berm house that's half underground, so Forficula auricularia are a common sight in the house (along with frequent Parcoblatta ?).This was an especially good year for the 'wigs so I've been waking up to them in my bed, on the counters, in my clothes, you name it. I'm trying my hand at those as well... The trick will be the winter. I think I'll put one group in diapause and let one stay at temp to see which fares better. I guess we also get Doru aculeatum so I'm keeping my eye out for those. I could see earwigs catching on, especially as feeders. My beardie hunts them vigorously when he's outside and I uncover a nest. They must be close enough to the termites they eat in the wild that it triggers a crazy frenzy. I've never seen him go that nuts for any other food, even mantids. If you ever want to trade /sell some of the maritimes, I would be thrilled to death. I've had my eye on those. I like that they're coastal... Something different!

Just got some of these. Any advice/tips on food preferences or housing? I currently have them in a 32 oz food jug with basic roach substrate and loose dry sphagnum to climb on. They're at a constant 80-82F. I've been misting on a weekly basis, but now I see they prefer dry. Any insight is appreciated.

Updates? Have you had any success with establishing a decent size colony?

If you need to rehome, send me a msg. I'll happily add them to my colony! I can even send some males if you want.

Try food grade silicone. You'll need a tall layer, I would say at least 4" inches from the top down, but it does a great job of foiling their escape attempts. You have to re-up it every once in awhile. Personally, though, I'd go with a lid. I keep mine in 10 gallons with the metal screen lids. I add a layer of foam weather stripping to the underside where it sits on the top of the tank. That keeps even the smallest nymphs in.

Hissers love fresh maple leaves. All my hisser species live on fresh sugar maple in the summer, and it makes the tanks very pretty and naturalistic before the feeding frenzy. They even enjoy the occasional clump of green "helicopters." My Gromphadorhina species will even eat through stems and thin branches. Makes for a cheap summer!