For those who feed their Ts roaches. . .

[Joanna Pendleton]

Please could someone tell me if I should be looking for a specific species of roach? Thinking of starting a colony off. Thanks guys!

J x

[Colin D Wilson]

Dubias ( Blaptica dubia) seem to be the most common.
Easy to keep, in a tub, ventilated lid, bran flakes as a substrate and veggies and salad stuff to eat, egg cartons or toilet tubes for hiding in.
Thay're not supposed to be able to climb smooth surfaces but sometimes they can get up a tub that has scratches (footholds to them).
Smear petroleum jelly (2-3inch) around the top of the tub and they won't get by that.

We have Giant cave roaches (Blaberus giganteus ) and these (together with our hissing roaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa)) are kept on compost with corkbark, the food is just thrown in and water is poured in weekly for moisture.
The "caves" are feeders for some of the larger spiders, we dont feed the adults but any of the instars up to that are fair game

[Andrea Bais]

I have also B. lateralis... smaller than B. dubia but are very good for slings and small spiders.

[Christopher Smallman]

I have to say I am in no way conected to the people below as this is the 2nd time I have put a link to their site

http://www.roachcolony.co.uk/roach_guide.html

I think the idea is to not feed the adult roaches at the begining or the colony will be short lived best to feed crickets and some of the baby roaches until the colony is up and running.

I must invest in roaches as this morning I had a male cricket chirpping his head off at 4 in the morning Grrrrrrrrrrr lol.

Chris.

P.S said male cricket was breakfast for my Acanthoscurria geniculata

[Mrs Linda Street]

Dubias give a good meat ratio, breed easily, grow to a good size and satisfy all T's including the largest. We've found it better to keep the colony in smooth plastic tubs, as the nymphs can and do, climb glass tanks in the corners up the sealant. Keep them on the dry side on egg boxes, and we use a thin layer of eco-earth, keep the temps up and get ready for a population explosion.

[Colin D Wilson]

I omitted to mention the Lobster roach (nauphoeta cinerea) of which i had an "explosive" breeding colony back in England.
These should be kept about the same as Dubia, you'll definitly need the layer of petroleum jelly around the top of the tub as these are excellent climbers. They breed very well at higher temps (85+)

[JensFalk]

I keep my Blaptica dubia colony in a big hammer box without and types of substrates. A box with eggcartons, a low bowl with high quality chicken food and a low bowl with "wet" fruit, like oranges is all you need. Substrates are not necessary and keep them in a dark place.

[Mark Harrison]

Like Colin mentioned Lobster roaches or possibly Maderia Roaches (Phypharobia Maderae) both are very similar in that they can climb smooth surfaces and are quite quick. However i know people who say they are excellent for their arboreal reptiles so they could work for your arboreal T's. You could also look at Turkestan Roaches (Blatta lateralis = Shelfordella tartara) these cannot climb smooth surfaces or fly but are very quick. The species that i have mentioned though have one potential flaw, they are all capable of surviving and breeding in a warm spider room. I would avoid The harlequin roach (Neostylopyga rhombifolia) as they are the Usain Bolt of the roach world and will at sometime escape

[John chambers]

I breed dubia roaches and they are easy..
I paid £25. for 15 adult males + 15 adult females + 100 mixed sizes.
To stop the young climing I used elephant tape ( what the guy said when he showed me his set up )
my t's love em and my lizards.
The roaches love orange and are breeding very well.