Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[scarlettvegetable]

Right, I posted on a different forum and didnt get much help, and I noticed you guys are fans of roaches so I'll ask here

Basically I have just the one lizard, a Bosc monitor, and he eats too much to keep buying tubs of crickets, and not enough to buy bulk bags, plus crickets are smelly horrible things, and are too small. I dont want to keep buying locusts because they are really expensive for the amount you get, and have been thinking about roaches.

I wondered which would be the best? I have read through numerous threads on here and am now confused. Lobsters seem to be the roach of choice, but these guys seem small, and they can climb...So, what are the bigger roaches that are easy to keep and breed? How do I keep them, and where do I get them from?

I am looking around for my own info as well, I just need some direction as Im not sure what Im loooking at.

Thanks for any replies, your help would really be appreciated!

[Rickeezee]

How big a roach are you after?

Lobster roaches are extremely good feeder roaches as you state. They are very soft bodied, low chitin content and packed full of protein, dont, smell, dont bite, live bearers, breed prolifically and are very easy to keep.

Yes they do climb but this can be easily overcome, I keep mine in large plastic tubs with no lids on! Just a smear of Vaseline around the rim, they reach this and will not cross it they hate it! They can be let lose in a viv or fed from a heavy bowl with a smear of Vaseline round the rim. Being a tropical roach they will not colonise in your house.

I keep mine in large plastic tubs, cardboard egg cartons and no substrate. Feed on dry cat food, fresh salad, fruit etc. Leave tub on heat mat no stat required!
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[Scott W]

The BEST roach (in my opinion ) is B.dubia, it can't climb, it's large, it's not a fast mover (compared to other roaches) and die if they escape in the house.

The downside to b.dubia is that they take 6 months to mature and start to breed (once breeding they are as prolific as the others).

lobster roaches are great because they are prolific but for me that's the ONLY good thing about them compared to B.dubia.

Red Runners, keep away from those. They are very prolific, can't climb but are fast and can survive in your house
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Rickeezee]

You gave me red runners!
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[Rickeezee]

Lobster roaches are the number one feeder roach in Europe and the USA. Due mainly to their nutritional value, once the right info is aquired they can easily be controlled and easily contained. All that is needed is a smear of vaseline around their tub rims. Thye wont climb over this. I keep mine in open top tubs! They only get out if I knock them over!

Being a tropical roach that likes to huddle with its colony mates if they did escape they would not survive for long. They tend to panic if they cant find their mates! Due to the huddle instinct.
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[Scott W]

nutritional value of ANY feeder insect will only be as good as the diet they are fed on

Lobsters may well be used in the greatest quantity but that's purely as they are the cheapest & fastest to produce, not any other special reason.

You not working with the dubia then Rick?
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Scott W]

[Rickeezee]

I did yes.


I also have the B. Dubia, and find them no easier or harder to care for or feed off than the lobsters. I think even when feed the same way and gutloaded well the lobster's are good feeders; the lobsters are the most popular feeders in the USA and Europe I beleive. All down to personal preference at the end of the day. I have about 5 diff species now that I use so I can achieve more variety for the herps.
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[Rickeezee]

Lobster Roaches

(Nauphoeta cinerea)


Native to the Caribbean region. Lobster roaches climb glass. Very fast breeders.

Lobster roaches make exceptional feeder insects. They grow up to one and a quarter inches as adults, making them only slightly larger at maturity than adult crickets. Lobster roaches are soft bodied roaches, their exoskeleton is thinner than many other kinds of roaches, thus making them a high meat to shell ratio feeder. Lobster roaches have wings but can not fly. They do not smell. Even the most finicky of reptiles love them. Critters just can’t get enough of them.
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[Rickeezee]

Quote:

Roaches make both great feeders and interesting low maintenance pets. Children usually find them fascinating, plus they are very easy to keep and are easy to raise. Roaches are eagerly preyed upon by even the most finicky insectivores. Lizards, aquatic turtles, box turtles, frogs, toads, snakes, arachnids, and larger tropical fish all enjoy them. Baby roaches are about the size of a ladybug, so you easily have the appropriate size feeder readily available for herps of all sizes.

Feeder roaches are easy to keep since they accept a wide range of foods and thrive on high protein diets, making them lower in fat content. Once established, they breed readily, making them easily cultured at home. More nutritious than crickets or mealworms, feeder roaches have a higher meat to shell ratio than either crickets or mealworms, making them easier to digest.

Roaches are quiet, they don’t drive you insane with their constant chirping. Roaches don’t jump all over the place, making them easier to contain. Roaches are long lived with a lifespan of a year or more. Roaches don’t smell and don’t need their cages cleaned as often. Roaches don’t bite.

Our feeder roaches are not the pest species house roaches seen running for cover when the lights go on. Those pests are generally American (Periplaneta americana) or German (Blattella germanica) cockroaches. Instead, our feeder roaches are tropical roaches from warm faraway places. Tropical roaches will not infest your home, even if they accidentally escape. We offer Madagascar Hissing Roaches (Gromphradorhina portentosa), Lobster Roaches (Nauphoeta cinerea), Orange Headed Roaches (Eublaberus prosticus), Discoid Roaches (Blaberus discoidales), Guyana Orange Spotted Roaches (Blaptica dubia), Blaberus craniifer hybrid Roaches (Blaberus species), Six Spotted Roaches (Eublaberus distanti) and Turkistan Roaches (Blatta lateralis
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