Crickets vs. Roaches

[tjtreefrog]

I am wanting to breed feeders for my Phyllomedusa sauvagii. I am looking at either crickets or roaches. My main question is which provides more nutrition? I would also like to know which one is easier to breed? Also, for the roaches, which species would be the best for my frogs?

Thanks,
Thomas

[badkelpie]

From what I've read (I feed crickets because it's easy to get them from the store, and I don't need many) roaches are superior in nutrition. They're easer to breed too because they have live babies, don't need substrate, and don't stink. Dubias are the ones I heard the most about. They were recommended because they don't climb, and if they escape, will die.

[Kevin1]

Some species produce egg cases and breed better with substrate.

I would recommend dubias. They're a very hassle free species.

[tjtreefrog]

Thanks for the information guys. I'll definitely go with the Dubias. Any suppliers you'd recommend?

[Greg M]

I've had good luck with Aaron Pauling (Aaron Pauling.com) for roaches...

[Greg M]

One more thing in favor of roaches - they really don't die on you - much tougher than crickets. The only downside I've noticed is that they are not really active (they freeze when alarmed) and don't stimulate feeding responses in some frogs/toads as effectively as crickets...

[Kevin1]

I'd like to second Aaron Pauling. Very good customer service and is willing to work with you.

[Wantrootbeer]

My friend just gave me some roaches (i cant think of what type they are) to breed and all i am doing is throwing in a slice of cucumber for water and i threw down some guinea pig food for them to eat. That is all i did. Pretty simple and far less annoying then crickets.

[Animalnstinct]

I've been considering breeding some dubias because i have heard nothing good about them. My only issue is I have a huge phobia of cockroaches, but I've been trying to work on it for the last few years. I think I've gotten myself to a point where I can handle them being in a bin, but the idea of them getting out really freaks me out.

I know it's all mental and I just need to remind myself they are no different then any other living creature and they too are beautiful. There is just something about them that causes an immediate anxiety attack.

Has anyone had any problems with them getting out and causing like an infestation or anything? I think if I get some I'll be putting them in a large glass aquarium and I don't think they can walk up glass?

[Animalnstinct]

The other thing I wanted to actually ask is do they cause a problem with digestion for frogs? I know my tarantulas can handle them but they don't swallow them. Is there any problems with the hardness of there exo skeleton for frogs?

[Wantrootbeer]

I know my type can walk up walls and what i did to solve this was to put a layer of Vaseline on the top of the container. they will just fall down once they hit that part.

[Greg M]

I keep my Dubia in a large rubbermaid container and they can't climb up the side at all. They are actually fairly slow and clumsy. In addition, they do not breed at typical indoor (house) temperatures. Mine do not breed at all at 72F, although they live and molt just fine at that temp. In my experience, bumping the temperature into the 80's is necessary to get them breeding. Absolutely minimal infestation potential IMHO. Obviously, my experience/opinions apply specifically to Dubia.

The frogs and toads digest Dubia just fine. In addition, I would also point out that they can subsist on [at least some] cricket gut-loading mixes supplemented with some fresh fruit or vegetables. I use the Repashy gut-load for my Dubia (and as an aside, isopods like it too)..

[Greg M]

Had to dash so my last post was rushed, but my point was that you can raise the roaches on commercial products such as the Repashy Insect Gutload and not only do the roaches thrive and reproduce, but you get the benefit of gut-loading...

And as noted, isopods also really do well with the Repashy gut-load as their primary food...

[Bruce]

I have a small dubia flag colony for my female pyxie, and I think they're great! You can really control the population with heat and all I do is feed them fruit/vegetable scraps. Sometimes I gut-load but I usually dust with vitamins and calcium before I feed. I seems a bit pricy to buy gut-load to feed them, as mine will just devour anything I throw in there within a few hours or less!

[Greg M]

Bruce is quite right - Dubia can thrive on leftover veg/fruit quite nicely.

I just like to maintain them on Repashy gutload + sweet potatoes (or whatever) because I get the benefits of gutloading without having to think about it. The roaches like it and do well on it. My roach colony takes quite a while (months) to eat a small bag of gut-load, so its fairly economical. In contrast, crickets don't seem to maintain all that well on gut-loads, so you have to switch them to gut-load for 24 hours or whatever. I'm just too busy or lazy!

[woppa]

I've been considering breeding some dubias because i have heard nothing good about them. My only issue is I have a huge phobia of cockroaches, but I've been trying to work on it for the last few years. I think I've gotten myself to a point where I can handle them being in a bin, but the idea of them getting out really freaks me out.

I know it's all mental and I just need to remind myself they are no different then any other living creature and they too are beautiful. There is just something about them that causes an immediate anxiety attack.

Has anyone had any problems with them getting out and causing like an infestation or anything? I think if I get some I'll be putting them in a large glass aquarium and I don't think they can walk up glass?

I have the same problem. A roach crawled in my ear when I was younger.