WTF diet and breeding Dubia roaches

[deranged chipmunk]

Jeff, first off, allow me to thank you for the excellent reply. I had not thought about secondary metabolites. I'm planning on picking up a small starter colony at my next local reptile show in jan, but would rather be well prepared in advance. When i saw you mention decomposition and leaf litter, it got me thinking about feeding what i would normally throw in my compost bin. I guess i assumed that since most roaches are scavengers, that they would have some immunity towards alkaloids and such. That is why we ask questions, right?

As you said, i do err on the side of caution when it comes to my critters, so i will stick with tried and true methods for my roachie friends. no need to push the envelope on this one....lol

Btw, awesome quote in your sig.....i've been a huge D.M.B. fan since day one.

[JeffreH]

No problem Bill, happy to help! Sending you a friend request by the way - gotta share the love with fellow DMB fans = )

I'm sure roaches have some unique adaptations being decomposers that allow them to handle a wide variety of food types, but I'm simply too unfamiliar with the effects of compounds in certain plants on them to give a clearcut answer. Its a great question and one that would require some independent research in order to determine what, if anything, each species is more sensitive too. For example, the rare and beautiful giant burrowing "rhino" cockroach of Australia (Macropanesthia rhinocerus) is very delicate in captivity and requires specialized care. They feed on Eucalyptus leaves in their natural range primarily and act as important decomposers, but in captivity species of Eucalyptus in the states used for ornamental purposes can be toxic to them. I've not well enough versed on my rhino roach care to be 100% certain about this, but I recall reading something (perhaps by Orin McMonigle?) that suggested they fared much better in captivity when Oak leaves were given instead on Eucalyptus. Interesting that even plant species in the same genus can vary enough to be hazardous to those that feed on them. For these reasons: I'm sure many cockroaches, even individual species, can handle certain compounds in certain plants better than others... but I am too unfamiliar the vast majority that may contain toxic chemicals to know for sure... so my roaches get all scrap salad items that are starting to turn in the house and some supplemental diet options to benefit the herps = )

Heck, some cockroaches, including termites (a social cockroach) have found a way to metabolize cellulose by utilizing symbiotic bacteria and protozoans in the gut. The world is an amazing place! I could geek out about this stuff all day.

[deranged chipmunk]

yeah man, i remember hearing Ants Marching on the radio, went out and bought the cd, got home, heard Jimi Thing and i was hooked!!!LOL

i'll be honest with you, if you did know all that info, i would have been astonished. LOL you are right, it amazes me how within the same species, plants can be so diverse. the more i research for builds, the more i find fascinating. i think i read somewhere the same issue with eucalyptus affects koala bears as well. but that was very, very long ago....lol

i am going to have do so some research into **** roaches, yeah, there's a fun subject my wife would say...lol she already gives me nasty looks when i talk about breeding roaches...lol

if you ever want to geek out about stuff, i'm always a pm away. i hate clogging threads as well. besides, i have a thirst for knowledge that just can't seem to be quenched....LOL

p.s. i did not know that termites were in the cockroach family. i always assumed that because they tunneled and were social, that they were a distant relative of ants. see? i learned another new thing today!! LOL