Do leaves have to be dead and brown?

[Nanchantress]

I've seen several posts mentioning that only dead brown tree leaves should be used in a roach enclosure. Does anyone know what makes fresh green tree leaves bad or unsafe for roaches?

[macbrush]

I think that would depends on what species you have. My peppered roaches eat pretty much any plant materials I throw at them, while rhino roaches will only touch dried, brown, and crispy stuff, hissers don't eat any of them, and giant cave roaches eat wood while leaving leaves alone, dried or fresh.

[recluse]

I think that would depends on what species you have. My peppered roaches eat pretty much any plant materials I throw at them, while rhino roaches will only touch dried, brown, and crispy stuff, hissers don't eat any of them, and giant cave roaches eat wood while leaving leaves alone, dried or fresh.

All of my roaches eat leaves. Most of them prefer dead and brown. If you bake them you also get ride of unwanted creepy crawlies. I have dropped a hand full of dried oak leaves into my G. portentosa bin and they have immediately started eating them, sounded like a person eating potatoe chips. Pretty cool.

[Nanchantress]

Thank you both. So it seems like it is not a question of safety, but just a preference for snacking. Good to know. Maybe I will bake them just to get rid of any creepy crawlies like Recluse said though.