Bug boy Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I'm very excited! I'm getting a bunch of new roaches in the mail. Of coarse i have experience with roaches and i think i can handle them, but I'm wondering, for anyone who has experience with these species, do you have any tips? For feeding? Substrate? Breeding? (which i intend to do for all.) Or even which ones make good feeder Roahces and which ones don't. Anything at all that could help me care for them, would be much appreciated Here are the species and number of each: Blaberus giganteus (Giant Cave Roach): 20 Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Surinam Roach): 20 Eurycotis decipiens (Zebra Roach): 5-10 Blaberidae sp. "Kenya" (Little Kenyan Roach): 100 Blaberus discoidalis (Discoid Roach): 50 Blattidae sp. "African Bullet" (African Bullet Roach): 20 Lucihormetica verrucosa (Warty Glowspot Roach): 10 Gromphadorhina grandidieri "Black" (Black Tiger Hisser): 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I rarely if ever hear of glowspot or hissers as feeders they are more like pets, so can giganteus. I'm not familiar with the other species. I kept giganteus on repti bark substrate you can buy in the reptile section in bags. I also have natural wood decor and added dead oak leaves and rotting bark they munch on. They need a lot of space due to how long they get and when they shed need a place to climb and expand their wings. Males tend to fight eachother but if you have a large setup and multiple males they should not cause any harm to eachother. They come out to eat in the dark. They will eat cat/dog kibble, romaine lettuce, apples, oranges, bananas, moist white bread, cooked beef (plain, nymphs especially crave it), iguana fruit pellets, exotic fruit like mango/papaya, and for smaller/old individuals certain flavors of baby food. (Banana, turkey, beef ( no lemon juice), orange medley seem to be favorites) I misted my colony with water from a spray bottle once a day, it aides in shedding and provides water to drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug boy Posted December 24, 2012 Author Share Posted December 24, 2012 Awesome! thank you so much! I live in the city, where should i get dead bark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Any parks with small wooded areas, that's where I find mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug boy Posted December 25, 2012 Author Share Posted December 25, 2012 Awesome thank you! I've done many things to clean my outside furniture from bacteria and parasites, but what do you recommend—bleach, boiling water, sunlight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.hartzog Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 I usually boil my wood for a couple hours and bake leaves in the oven in a disposable turkey pan at about 200° for about 2hrs. Make sure to keep a close eye on it if you are baking anything flammable also it makes my whole house smell like oak for some time. A lot of people microwave or freeze thing to clean them also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug boy Posted December 25, 2012 Author Share Posted December 25, 2012 That really helps, thank you!! and what kind of wood should i look for. I'm getting rotten wood for my zebra roaches to eat. What exactly should i look for? what would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.hartzog Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 I always use oak because there is a lot of it around where i live i believe you should be fine with any hardwood though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 That's a list of very different species. My favorite on your list is the E. decipiens. I had heard about them for a few years before I acquired stock and at first was a little surprised (at the time we didn't have internet photos so it was all up to my imaganation and I was expecting something more like a blaberid for some reason). Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug boy Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 Yea, im so excited!! thank you. do you have any tips for taking care of them? Cage size, food, substrate, etc. I mean i have an idea of what I'm gonna do, but any reinforcement would really help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'm very excited! I'm getting a bunch of new roaches in the mail. Of coarse i have experience with roaches and i think i can handle them, but I'm wondering, for anyone who has experience with these species, do you have any tips? For feeding? Substrate? Breeding? (which i intend to do for all.) Or even which ones make good feeder Roahces and which ones don't. Anything at all that could help me care for them, would be much appreciated Here are the species and number of each: Blaberus giganteus (Giant Cave Roach): 20 Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Surinam Roach): 20 Eurycotis decipiens (Zebra Roach): 5-10 Blaberidae sp. "Kenya" (Little Kenyan Roach): 100 Blaberus discoidalis (Discoid Roach): 50 Blattidae sp. "African Bullet" (African Bullet Roach): 20 Lucihormetica verrucosa (Warty Glowspot Roach): 10 Gromphadorhina grandidieri "Black" (Black Tiger Hisser): 10 I had blaberus discoid years ago. They need the room above 70 degrees or they'll stop eating. They give live birth. Mine did fairly good with cat food and tropical fish flakes. Fluker's Cricket Quencher gell for water. Giving them fresh fruit attracted fruit flies and ants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamboo Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Good luck on the big purchase , those are all fascinating roaches ! I currently keep a few that you mentioned, I'll throw my two cents in.... Blaberus giganteus are by far my favorite species !! They are big , impressive display animals and very charming. They LOVE rotting wood ( keep it moist ) ... The bigger your colony of B. giganteus the more impressive it becomes!!!! Pycnoscelus surinamensis I have in my yard and flower bed , I've collected quiet a few , they stay hidden almost always, not sure if they are enjoying rotten wood and leaves but they have it in their cages , easy species , I have no mortalities. Blaberidae sp Kenya ? These are my second favorite roach , they are cute , they are tiny and they just make you smile every time you see them... Another shy species, mostly burrowing and staying under rotten wood and mulch.. Blaberus discoidalis , beautiful roach , it's the " mini me " of B. giganteus , pretty much the same temps , food and husbandry. Very charming but somewhat shy, I'm just a BIG HUGE fan of Blaberus species !!! Blattidae sp African Bullet ? An attractive and hardy species but babies are very small and climb with great speed so don't take your eyes off your containers with these !!! I actually use papertowel over the micro screen on the lids of these guys. Don't under estimate their sneakiness! All my roaches eat pond sticks , dried cat and dog food , fish flakes , spirulina flakes , any left over greens and lettuce I have , fruits and veggies , and Bug Burger... Unfort. these guys eat a lot healthier than I do ... You might also wanna check out Red Goblin Roaches .... they are ALOT of fun !!!! They are a beautiful red , don't hide , very fast and energetic , they are always doing roachy things ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamboo Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Oops , as far as " feeder roaches " although you COULD use any of those roaches species as feeders but I believe B. discoidalis is the most common feeder on that list you have. Even with 100+ discoidalis , I can't bring myself to feeding them off to my herps and arachnids !!! I end up using Turkistans and Dubia ... I do see that Blaberidae sp Kenya as a feeder but since it quickly burrows, perhaps it makes a good feeder for specialized burrowing predators ? ie. Sand Skinks , legless lizards , sand burrowing spider species , centipedes , etc ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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