Lateralis (turkistan) Roaches

[badkelpie]

Does anyone use these?

I have 2 leopard geckos and 2 fire bellied toads. I started a dubia roach colony hoping to feed everyone from. The geckos love the dubias, the toads do not. Even if they catch them, they just spit them out. Same with my sisters tree frogs (green tree frogs), they don't spit them out, they just don't eat them. So we've been stuck buying crickets, which I hate. I came across a good deal on Lateralis ($10 for 1000, $10 for shipping), but they were out of everything but new hatch. I bought 1000, and have been raising them. They're not yet big enough to feed exclusively, but the frog and toad reactions have been favorable. They like them. They move around more than dubias and don't hide or burrow. They're much more cricket-like.

[Sublime]

Yeah the Lateralis are a much better alternative to crickets. That's a good deal you got on them too, I would of swooped on that. They're much more active, faster breeders, and favorable size for small frogs at adult size. Also to note, they have the same nutritional value if not better than dubias.

I don't use them; exclusively a dubia colony for me now. Hope all works out for you.

[JeffreH]

If you intend to breed them, I'd highly recommend a substrate. The ooths are notorious for drying out, having something that buffers them from the heat source and holds moisture better is the best remedy for this. I typically use some kind of coir blend.

I have a few stubborn animals that won't eat B. dubia as well, primarily my Rhacodactylus geckos. I generally use lats or E. posticus (Orange Heads) for the guys that needs a little more movement to be encouraged to feed. Dubia have a nasty habit of holding perfectly still and laying flat as possible at the worst times, I swear they have a sense for predation, lol. The lateralis are probably the best roaches for feeding in naturalistic vivaria IMO - don't generally burrow and are more inclined to move about in the open instead of hiding in a nook for hours on end.

Keep them warm, and spray them down a couple of times pet weeks. Not so excessivvely that its always moist in there, but enough to keep humidity up and lightly dampen the substrate. Ooths seem to take forever to hatch, but once they do its like an eruption of tiny nymphs - females lay 1-2 each month and they can have as high a capacity as 40 nymphs and as low as 20 a pop.

PS: Don't let them get into drain ; )

[badkelpie]

I hadn't decided whether to breed them or not, but after seeing how much the toads liked them, I think I might. I've got one local guy who buys the extra dubia from me, and bet I could find more buyers, since around here your choices are crickets and mealworms.

The guy is still selling the roaches for that price. I don't know if I am allowed to post a link or not, so I won't, but if anyone wants to PM me, I can give you the info. He has a website, money goes through paypal.

[MonsterPyxie]

try dipping a paint brush is suger water, and smearing the roaches with it. Maybe they just taste gross.

[BG]

I have a colony of turks. They are hardier then dubia. They also dont dive into the substrate. I feed these to my T's. I'm also going to feed them to my babie frogs.