Is this normal?

[Wolfie]

In my roach's tank, in the food dish, there is some carrot slivers, some parsnip slivers, some broccoli and some crushed dog biscuits.

I also bought her a little natural log thing with holes for hiding in, I thought it would be nice to have something a little more permanent than cardboard, anyway, she hasn't touched any of the food, and is chewing this log instead.

Is it that she prefers the bark, or that she just doesn't like the food and that's the better alternative, or is it totally normal for them to eat wood? It just seemed a little strange that she was eating that and ignoring the perfectly good food in her bowl.

[Keith]

I have wood chips as substrate and wood decor for my dubia and hissers. In the wild they live in rotting wood, so, its normal for them to want to eat it and it's perfectly normal ( and good) for them! I give mine rotting bark from outside too, they love birch, oak, and maple, but the wood needs to be so rotted it crumbles that's the best kind and kept moist with spraying it with water. You can also give romaine, lettuce, fresh spinach leaves, and live rose leaves so long as no pesticides are used, they love natural foods with the other foods you give, they will eat again this is like dessert I guess. Bananas apples and oranges and white bread also go quick.

[likebugs]

If you have just the one roach, you may only see her eating rarely. They do like to chew on rotten leaves and wood, from hardwood trees.

Like Keith stated, bananas, apples and oranges seem to get the roaches eating well.

I recently found out that they seem to like some royal jelly in honey. I had a couple of injured roaches and gave them the royal jelly as I give it to my mantids and other invertebrates when they are old, or just not well. I have had very shy roaches lick it from a chopstick, or my fingers,even while being handled.

Roaches that I thought would die from injuries have taken it and perked right up. I have now drizzled a bit of it on all the roaches food with good feeding responses.

I am curious to find out if the roaches of other hobbyists like it. But, especially for insects that may be under the weather or pregnant.

[Keith]

That jelly is good, for old roaches and all stages baby food is great too so long as its very shallow amount. Gerber has banana orange medley, chicken and apple, turkey gravy, and banana flavors, all are readily eaten.

[vfox]

I feel like I under feed my roaches when you guys talk about this stuff... Haha. I feed once a week at most, a few bits of dog food, loads of oak leaves, fruit every once in a while and mist twice weekly or when needed. My main feeders get better food and the ones I sell get pollen added to their diets. My pets though do well, really well on very little. After years of keeping I've come to the conclusion that most (not all, mind you) species do best when bothered and fed the least. But hey, that's what works for me.