# What is the fastest breeding cockroach?



## jake7917 (Jul 25, 2022)

I’m curious as to what the fastest breeding feeder roach is. I’ve heard lobsters are, along with dubia and Germans. Just curious to what roaches have bred the fastest for different people.


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## agent A (Jul 26, 2022)

definitely the lobsters


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## Introvertebrate (Jul 26, 2022)

agent A, do you prefer lobsters over lats? Some folks think lats elicit a better feeding reflex. They're also more potentially invasive I hear. I'm leaning more in the lobster direction at the moment.


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## agent A (Jul 26, 2022)

Introvertebrate said:


> agent A, do you prefer lobsters over lats? Some folks think lats elicit a better feeding reflex. They're also more potentially invasive I hear. I'm leaning more in the lobster direction at the moment.


I'm allergic to lats, so of course I like the lobsters better


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## Introvertebrate (Jul 26, 2022)

agent A said:


> I'm allergic to lats, so of course I like the lobsters better


Got it.


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## The Wolven (Jul 27, 2022)

Lobsters do climb plastic if you weren't aware. So, if you do start a colony, be prepared to create a proper setup. I personally like lats myself since they're soft and don't climb plastic. As long as they're contained, I do not think you would have a problem with starting a colony of them.


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## Introvertebrate (Jul 27, 2022)

The Wolven said:


> Lobsters do climb plastic if you weren't aware. So, if you do start a colony, be prepared to create a proper setup. I personally like lats myself since they're soft and don't climb plastic. As long as they're contained, I do not think you would have a problem with starting a colony of them.


Yup. I was aware of the lobster's climbing abilities. That might not be a bad thing since mantises often hang from the top of the enclosure. Lobster roaches might climb up to them. Either that or just play dead near the bottom. The tarantula folks seem to think highly of lats.


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## agent A (Jul 27, 2022)

Introvertebrate said:


> Yup. I was aware of the lobster's climbing abilities. That might not be a bad thing since mantises often hang from the top of the enclosure. Lobster roaches might climb up to them. Either that or just play dead near the bottom. The tarantula folks seem to think highly of lats.


my tarantulas eat lobster roaches like it's nobody's business!


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## Introvertebrate (Jul 27, 2022)

agent A said:


> my tarantulas eat lobster roaches like it's nobody's business!


Good to know. This might be a subjective reason to prefer lobster roaches, but lats just seem more "roachy", if you catch my drift. Lobsters seem more beetle-esque in my view.


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## The Wolven (Aug 3, 2022)

Introvertebrate said:


> Good to know. This might be a subjective reason to prefer lobster roaches, but lats just seem more "roachy", if you catch my drift. Lobsters seem more beetle-esque in my view.


Have you made a decision on your roach of choice?


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 3, 2022)

The Wolven said:


> Have you made a decision on your roach of choice?


No. Either way, feeder colonies are a long-term commitment. I'm just planning for the future at this point.


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## happy1892 (Aug 3, 2022)

I like the Red runners. I think they help in eliciting a better feeding reflex for some mantises. The Lobster roaches are flat to the ground and so I guess are not as eye catching to some species of mantises as the Red runners. Also, I like that the Red runners don't climb slick plastic or glass, so that I don't have to use petroleum jelly on the rim of their containers to keep them from climbing out. The Red runners might be somewhat cold hardy, too. They are from North Africa and Central Asia. And now they are invasive in the Southwest US. I need a roach that breeds well and is cold hardy because my mom won't let me keep roaches in the home.


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## agent A (Aug 7, 2022)

the ed sheeran roach (_Oxyhaloa duesta_) also breeds very rapidly


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 8, 2022)

Here are some descriptions from the Roach Crossing: 

_Nauphoeta cinerea_ (Lobster Roach):
This roach has made a name for itself due to itself incredibly fast, steady reproduction, softness, and palatability. Although this species can climb, it’s fairly bad at it and is easily stopped by a slick barrier. Females can give birth to over forty babies. This is probably the easiest roach to care for: all that’s needed is a container, something to hide under, and food! Heating will dramatically increase reproduction.

_Shelfordella lateralis_ (Red Runner, Turkistan, etc.):
One of the best feeders out there, the Turkistan roach is easy to care for and just the right size. The adults and nymphs cannot climb glass, but the adult males can fly. Adult females are dark purple with small wings, and produce dozens of ootheca over their lifetime. A good substrate and high temperatures will ensure a nearly endless supply of nymphs.

_Oxyhaloa deusta_ (Red-Head Roach):
A quick breeder, this species compensates for its lack of size with its breeding speed and colors; adults and older nymphs are a mysterious dark plum color with reddish-orange heads. The elytra are covered in long, arching hairs (visible with good magnification from the side). When pestered, the adults release a defensive odor highly reminiscent of garlic bread. High humidity with good ventilation, plenty of hiding places, and crowded hiding places will keep this species breeding at optimal levels.


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 12, 2022)

You won't believe this, but here it goes. ANY THAT GETS LOOSE IN YOUR HOUSE! LOL


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 12, 2022)

hibiscusmile said:


> You won't believe this, but here it goes. ANY THAT GETS LOOSE IN YOUR HOUSE! LOL


Rebecca,

This is what Kyle at the Roach Crossing says about German Roaches (_Blattella germanica_):

"Yes, this is the infamous German roach. After years of propagating and accidentally crashing my colony of this species, I can offer the insight that a pest is only as bad as the conditions that led to its enumeration. In a typical, cleanly house, there is little chance of this species becoming strongly established. However, this species can easily infest the favorable micro climates created for raising other roaches as well as vivarium and aquarium equipment. Keep at your own risk, but sleep soundly knowing the risk of drowning in a sea of German roaches is incredibly low. These roaches do breed like roaches!"

Apparently, Kyle was never in our kitchen back in New Jersey.


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## Orin (Aug 13, 2022)

hibiscusmile said:


> You won't believe this, but here it goes. ANY THAT GETS LOOSE IN YOUR HOUSE! LOL


That is a patently false statement that is only funny to ignorant insect haters.


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 13, 2022)

Orin said:


> That is a patently false statement that is only funny to ignorant insect haters.


I've heard conflicting reports about _Shelfordella lateralis_ Orin. Some say that it's only potentially invasive if you happen to live in Florida. However, I think it was Kyle who once said that some escaped _lats_ managed to establish a foothold around his hot water pipes. I believe Kyle's up in Michigan which is obviously a very temperate region. What's been your experience?


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## Orin (Aug 13, 2022)

I'm not overly upset by the joke, but I was pointing out not everybody finds ignorant cockroach jokes hilarious. Very few cockroaches can survive in human dwellings. As to your question I've not let go anything on purpose or accident so I would not know. I imagine tropical species of various things might survive a temperate climate by sheltering on human-produced heat, but only if they had a mechanism to search it out for winter.


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 14, 2022)

No harm done Orin. Thanks for your insights.


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 14, 2022)

That was a joke Orin, you know me better than that and that I have raised many myself & have been over to see yours and asked about getting some from you... Lighten up!


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 15, 2022)

Introvertebrate said:


> Rebecca,
> 
> This is what Kyle at the Roach Crossing says about German Roaches (_Blattella germanica_):
> 
> ...


I had 8 species and that one worried me the most. I ended up getting rid of them. The mantis liked them, but I was too worried they would get loose.


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## Introvertebrate (Aug 15, 2022)

hibiscusmile said:


> I had 8 species and that one worried me the most. I ended up getting rid of them. The mantis liked them, but I was too worried they would get loose.


As I had touched on earlier, the only place I've experienced an out-of-control situation was central New Jersey. Our house (or more specifically my parents house) was about 30 minutes from Midtown Manhattan. Maybe it was the proximity to a large urban center, but if you went down to the kitchen in the middle of the night, and turned on the lights, they would scatter like .......... well ........... roaches. Anything you didn't want crawled on had to be put in the fridge. Granted we weren't the most OCD cleaning people in the world.


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