How to Keep and Breed Feeder Roaches

[JeffreH]

For ease of reading: Post #1 is general background info, Post #2 is a Care Guide, and Post #3 will be miscellaneous, FAQ, pictures, etc.

I've decided to make a little "how-to" guide for keeping and breeding species of feeder roaches effectively and for maximal production. With their gaining popularity as a species of feeder, I figure it will be nice to have a good resource to refer to for rearing these guys. Hopefully this will answer the most common questions people have about roaches. I want to emphasize that this is thread is going to be very thorough, and may seem overwhelming. Do not be discouraged by the length of this article: Roaches only need a bin, hides, warmth, food, and hydration to thrive.

The same strategies for rearing roaches can be used to effectively keep CRICKETS as well. However, crickets need a slightly more specialized setup to actually breed which I will not discuss in this thread. This thread is for the care and breeding of roaches.

Introduction to Roaches as Feeder Insects:

Feeder roaches have been dubbed the best feeder insects in the herp world by many, and with good reason too. They're becoming more readily available, and they have a variety of benefits over other feeders (from nutritional, cost, and maintenance aspects). I'll address some pros and cons of feeder roaches when compared to common feeders such as crickets.

First, I'd like to address that most of the species I will discuss will NOT infest your home. It's a fact that only a fraction of the cockroach species around the world are considered "pests." These guys are passive decomposers in nature, and those listed in the feeder industry hail from tropical climates (typically) that require heat and some other factors to encourage reproduction.

PROS:
-Very easy to keep and breed; low maintenance
-Do not jump
-Do not make noise/chirp
-Do not smell (50 crickets smell worse in a week's time than 5000 roaches in a year's time)
- Very high meat : shell ratio and very high Protein : Fat ratio
-Very Hardy, live substantially longer than crickets
-Variety of sizes in the colony, and a variety of species to choose from for individual needs
-When a colony is established, may never need to buy other feeders again
-Many more benefits I'm probably forgetting....

Check out this Nutritional Analysis of feeder roaches compared to other common feeders. Roaches are far superior on a nutritional aspect.

CONS:
-Expensive initial investment (compared to more common feeders)
-Takes some time to establish a colony
-Typically need to order online, or purchase from specialty shops and expos
-Some species are better suited to individual needs; most species are reclusive and will readily hide when in the herp's environment. Some "play dead" and refuse to move for long periods of time, some can burrow, and others may be too fast for some herps. [Species dependent]
-Some species can climb smooth surfaces such as glass (I'll elaborate on species soon)
-General fear in the human population (I was running out of cons)

I've kept and at least attempted to breed virtually every species of feeder insect available in the trade over the last decade and I can say with confidence that roaches are by far my favorite feeder. I purchased my first colony about 6yrs ago, and have not paid a penny for feeders in the last 4-5yrs once my colony became established. I've even made money back on the initial investment by selling off surplus roaches!

List of Common Feeder Roaches:

I'll now tend to the common species seen in the trade that are most readily available as feeders. There are many that make for ideal feeder species; but I'll go ahead and name a common few. None of these species can fly that I will list, even if the adults have wings. I will note in brackets and green font which species are capable of climbing smooth surfaces (such as glass). I will note in blue which species lay ootheca / egg cases. Again, ALL SPECIES LISTED ARE LIVE-BEARING AND DO NOT CLIMB OR FLY UNLESS STATED!

Medium/Large species. While nymphs can be fed to very small herps, these species grow large enough to feed larger reptiles. They also reproduce slower than the smaller species (typically).

• Blaptica dubia - Guyana Orange Spotted Roach
• Blaberus discoidalis - Discoid Roach / False Death Head Roach [ALLOWED IN FLORIDA]
• Blaberus fusca - Dwarf Cave Roach
• Blaberus fusca hybrids
• Eublaberus posticus - Orange Head Roach
• Gromphadorhina portentosa - Madagascar Hissing Roach [Climbing Species] [MALES ALLOWED IN FLORIDA]

Smaller/More Prolific Species

• Shelfordella (Blatta) lateralis - Turkistan Roach / Red Runners [Lay Egg Cases]
• Naophoeta cinerea - Lobster Roach [Climbing Species] *
• Blatta orientalis - Oriental Roach [Lay Egg Cases] [Climbing Species]
• Others less readily available.

*Lobster Roaches are a noted infestation species due to their ability to reproduce at room temperature. Very rare and highly unlikely, but worth noting.

It's my experience that those species that lay egg cases are more prolific than those who are live bearing, but conditions have to be just right in order to ensure the ootheca hatch out and do not dry out. The live-bearing species tend to be effortless to breed, as they incubate within the mother's body.

Specific Species Profiles - B. dubia , Turkistan Roaches, Orange Heads, and Lobster Roaches

If you would like more information about any of the other species listed ( or not listed) feel free to ask away! I can provide my own experience with a number of these roaches, and will gladly point you in the direction of where to obtain more information about the species as well as suppliers. We also have a variety of members in the forums who keep roaches that would be more than willing to help!

• Blaptica dubia AKA Guyana Orange Spotted Roach (dubia's)

B. dubia roaches are the most popular species in the feeder world. They range in size from about 1/8" when born to approximately 2.5" as adults. Depending on their care, they can reach sexual maturity within about 5 months and females can live anywhere from 12-24 months, producing approximately 20-30 live babies every month. Males have wings but cannot fly (only flutter fall) and females lack obvious wings. I will address the care for this species in in the specific CARE section of the thread due to their overwhelming popularity.

• Shelfordella (Blatta) lateralis - Turkistan Roach / Red Runners

Turkistan roaches are great cricket replacements; they attain approx. the same size as the domestic cricket both when born and into adulthood. This species lays egg cases (ootheca), and reproduce very quickly compared to many other species; laying 1-2 cases per month, each containing 20-30 babies. Males have wings (but cannot fly, only flutter-fall) and females lack them. This species is relished by any herp that feeds by movement, they are an excellent cricket replacement: Fast moving, and have a tendency not to hide as readily as other species. I've found that this species does better with a substrate of soil, coir (coconut fiber/eco-earth), and/or leaf litter for best results in hatching ooths.

• Eublaberus posticus - Orange Head Roach

An awesome and often overlooked feeder roach species. These guys are even meatier than dubia, much more active, and still reproduce at just about the same rate! Nymphs are a beautiful red/maroon color and look like fat little tanks. They do have a mild defensive odor, but to me it only smells like overripe fruit. These are a favorite for the majority of my herps, and care for them is identical to that of B. dubia. That being said, do NOT keep this species with dubia or any other insect for that matter, as they will readily kill and consume others that are not their kind. They are known wing biters, and even cannibals in overcrowded/improper housing situations; but this can be remedied by lots of moisture in their diet and debatably slightly higher protein content. The key to keeping these guys is having a dish of water crystals or some moisture available at all times...one of my favorite roaches! Both males and females have wings, but neither can fly nor climb.

• Nauphoeta cinerea - Lobster Roach

If you are looking for a cheap and prolific cricket replacement, look no further! Lobster roaches (sometimes refered to as 'Woodies' or 'speckled roaches' in some parts of the world) are one of the fastest reproducing roaches money can buy. They attain an adult size of about 1.5" in length, and both adult males and females have wings but cannot fly. These guys easily crank out upwards to 30 nymphs monthly in ideal conditions, and are live-bearers. Lobster roaches are capable of reproducing at much lower temperatures than the other species listed, and it is worth noting that there have been documented infestations with them (although this is rare). This is a smellier roach than others and will need cleaning more frequently to control odor, and they are also capable of climbing glass and smooth surfaces. Be sure to apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly/vaseline across the upper rim of your bin in ~1" band to ensure they cannot escape.

--A note on growth: Roaches grow in size by molting and shedding their skin. During this time, the roach will appear white in color and is very soft bodied and vulnerable. If you happen across a molting roach, leave it alone to allow it to finish hardening its exoskeleton...Or you can feed it off to your herp as a soft, tasty treat!