Turkistan Roaches

[Jerah Teoh Yong Qiang]

Just wondering, has anyone tried using these bugs as staples?

They're reportedly easier to care for than Dubias or Hissers, and far cheaper too!

[JeffreH]

They make excellent staples; and they make better cricket replacements in my opinion. Far less likely to hide and bunker down than B. dubia, cannot climb smooth surfaces, and they tend to move around a lot more to attract attention. Their smaller size and thinner exoskeleton makes them ideal for smaller herps as well.

There is one flaw to Turkstan roaches... and I would argue that they are not easier to care for as a result. While they are easy and can be more prolific than B. dubia and G. portentosa, they do not incubate oothecae internally and therefore do not yield live litters.

Oothecae (egg cases) are dropped into the external environment. These are highly susceptible to drying out, and successful breeding can sometimes be a more difficult than many beginner roach hobbyists plan for. I've had great success using a substrate for this species, and would highly recommend it. A small layer of coir (coconut fiber/eco-earth) or a similar potting soil/peat mix is ideal. This acts as a buffer from the heat source and helps to retain moisture inside of the colony's bin, which prevents the ooths from drying out and allows them to hatch properly. It is not uncommon for female Blatta (Shelfordella) lateralis to drop 1-2 ooths every month, with each one containing in excess of 20-30 offspring...incredibly prolific roach once you get the setup down.

Some people find them incredibly easy and can rear them without a substrate, but I know that desiccated ooths are a common problem. You can also play around with other ways to increase ambient humidity: maintain a good supply of water crystals in the bin at all times, reduce ventilation slightly, or even introduce a cup with soaked paper towels that cannot be accessed by the roaches to increase bin humidity. The substrate is still recommended and usually does a good enough job in its own right.

[Jerah Teoh Yong Qiang]

Oh that is good news then. I am personally tired of dealing with crickets, between the smell and the flightiness, the racket they make at night is getting on my nerves. Humidity shouldn't be a problem in Malaysia, my bedroom humidity itself is like 60%, so I think I'll actually give it a shot at rearing these roaches!

That was an amazing reply you gave. Thanks so much.

[JeffreH]

You're quite welcome = )

I should add that this species is a bit smellier than other roaches...not as bad as lobster roaches, but they tend to get a bit more foul than B. dubia. That being said, the odor of crickets is much worse on all levels. You can afford to change/clean a large roach colony once every few months while you're lucky to tolerate a similar sized cricket colony for a week ; )

Good luck! I'm sure you'll be successful... Breed and be freed from those annoying crickets!

[kueluck]

I use the turkish red runners as a staple and I put a small plastic container of New Zealand sphagnum moss moistend and put the egg cases in that. So far I see babies running around the bin. And yes, they can smell, but if you can find a oder control medium, (I get my from feedersource.com) you won't even know they are around.

[poison]

I love these roaches. I have now changed my dubia out for these.

[Treesniffer]

In addition to your recommended substrate, which works great, I have had success adding a fist full of dampened Sphagnum Moss to the roach bin. It's humidity seems to promote the ejection of healthy hydrated egg cases, many inside the moss. It is my understanding the Sphagnum Moss is antibacterial. I have not seen it mold, unlike some of the green mosses. The wide separation of tufted soft "leaves" makes moisture easy to get to for the newly hatched.