# Best place to get good feeder roaches?



## nasty bugger (Jan 24, 2009)

Cannot believe I'm asking where to get roaches, when I've spent lots of time trying not to have them...  

Orin suggests nauphoeta cinerea roaches for high nutrition for breeding females, so where is there a good, and especiall, inexpensive source for these?

I have a couple that are getting close to breeding age and want to have them in peak condition  

What other feeders do you consider very nutritious?


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## Rick (Jan 24, 2009)

A feeder insect in and of itself is only as nutritous as what it eats. Therefore if you feed your crickets, roaches, flies etc well they in turn will be nutritous for your mantids. No certain type of insect is going to be more nutritious over another if not fed well itself.  

Click here:

http://letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=feeder+roaches


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## Zephyr (Jan 24, 2009)

I can supply you with roaches if you need them.

They DEFINITELY have the potential to have more protein and more nutrients than crickets, however, you have to feed them well.

They do have a higher-meat-to-shell ratio off the bat though, which means more protein per gram of roach ingested as compared to crix.

My e-mail: [email protected]


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## Zephyr (Jan 24, 2009)

Feeder insect analysis (from Doubleds.org)

Sample Moisture Protein Fat Fiber Ash

B. Laterallis 63.63% 36.5% 5.31% 2.19% 1.95%

B. Dubia 61.18% 35.6% 6.75% 3.25% 2.01%

Meal worms 58.74% 21.0% 15.52% 2.01% 1.18%

Crickets 71.96% 18.5% 6.26% 2.09% 1.29%

G. Portentosa 64.09% 26.7% 5.05% 5.62% 1.37%


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## revmdn (Jan 24, 2009)

What is the best species to feed medium to large mantids?


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## Zephyr (Jan 24, 2009)

You can't go wrong with Blatta lateralis or Nauphoeta cinerea. Both produce rapidly, are easy to keep, and both are very soft.

However, both are escape artists, however the N. cinerea are easily stopped with a barrier. B. lateralis need a humid environment because they lay egg cases; N. cinerea are livebearers.

You could also use G portentosa or E posticus nymphs.


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## revmdn (Jan 24, 2009)

Thank you, they seem like a good thing to create a variety in feeding some of my larger mantids. Although most of my mantids are smaller and prefer flying things.


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## DeadInTheBasement (Jan 25, 2009)

i had a Blatta lateralis colony and few escaped and didnt see them for a VERY LOGN TIME until i fulled my fridge out and there wasa colony of them living in the motor of my fridge!!! but like any other good son a paniced and pushed the fridge back in place and smashed all of the roaches i saw out hahahahaha thing is i got rid of all of my Blatta lateralis about 4 months before i noticed the infestation. i havent saw any of those roaches since.  

my dubia are awesome though....


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## yen_saw (Jan 25, 2009)

Blatta lateralis (Turkish roach) and Nauphoeta cinerea (Lobster roach) are the only two roach species i fed my mantis. Turkish is softer and smaller when adult while lobster double th size and harder so i use lobster for the larger mantis species. Lobster also reproduce faster. If you are only feeding a few mantis, try to keep only few lobster roach or feed them the Turkish becuase the colony can grow out of control easily.


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## nasty bugger (Jan 26, 2009)

I see alot of internet advertising on dubia blaptica , or just plain dubia.

Why am I not seeing these listed on here, if so many seem to be sold over the internet?

Is there something inferior about the dubia, or is it just that everyone likes the others ?


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## PhilinYuma (Jan 26, 2009)

nasty bugger said:


> Cannot believe I'm asking where to get roaches, when I've spent lots of time trying not to have them...  Orin suggests nauphoeta cinerea roaches for high nutrition for breeding females, so where is there a good, and especiall, inexpensive source for these?
> 
> I have a couple that are getting close to breeding age and want to have them in peak condition


You're in luck, NB! Aaron Pauling not only lives in Arizona (Go Cardinals!) but has the best prices for lobster roaches (N. cinerea) that I have seen anywhere: http://www.aaronpauling.com/roaches/products.php?cat=7 I bought a batch from Ken the Bug Guy last year, as a clearance item, and was very happy with the transaction, but he appears not to have stocked them since.

They will breed if you just feed them sliced fruit (there's got to be a grapefruit tree near your house!) and green veggies, but I agree with Ron that the better the food, the better the nutrition for your mantises. I use dog food (everyone in AZ has a dog, right?) ground up in a food processor, though a bag and a mallet would work as well; mine has 27% protein and calcium to strengthen their tiny bones  

I keep mine in a large "sweater box" and for some reason, although they can climb glass, they can't climb the slippery plastic sides. I cut out most of the plastic top and installed heavy duty mesh screen.

I know that you don't have cable, but if it's available in your area, now would be a good time to consider getting it, unless you can pick up an old cable box cheap. Lobster roaches are from Madagascar and love warmth, but reptile heat pads are likely to melt the plastic. The heat from a cable box is just right, though; just stick the roach box on top. Isn't it great to live alone!

Finally, remember that new born lobster roaches are quite tiny and suitable for nymphs. It's easy to sieve them through a screen with holes just small enough to let the babies pass through.

Two words of caution, though.

Another advantage of roaches over crix IMHO is that they will readily breed with the right food and substrate, warmth and moisture, but it takes at least three months (depending on how many you start with, at least 100) and if you start using the breeders before the colony is self sustaining, you will quickly run out of roaches, so buy one batch for the colony and one to use up as feeders.

Secondly, if you are using a loose substrate (I never do), be aware that they will burrow under it and become inaccessible to your mantids.

Good luck, and let us know how your project succeeds.


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## Zephyr (Jan 26, 2009)

nasty bugger said:


> I see alot of internet advertising on dubia blaptica , or just plain dubia. Why am I not seeing these listed on here, if so many seem to be sold over the internet?
> 
> Is there something inferior about the dubia, or is it just that everyone likes the others ?


Dubias are better for mainstream herps like beardies.

The other species, like lobsters, are better for smaller species.


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## nasty bugger (Jan 27, 2009)

Thanks all, and Phil, there is a grapefruit tree in the front yard of the house I moved out of, my dad owns it so no problem there.

I bought a waterbed heater right after I moved in here, but I can't seem to locate it, i have a ton of tools and parts and other stuff and it all looks the same when it's in boxes.

I was thining about using a home depot bucket for raising them in, with a lid in case it gets toppled, like it would with my luck and grace.

With the economy and jobs coming in much slower, I have to do things differently and the crickets are starting to add up on expenses.

I spent $40 on fruit flies last month, till I started my own culture with the help of this forum  I know I've spent around $20 on crickets in the last month, and if I add my riding expense to the bill for the fly and fly pupae.. well that would be cheating  unless I start a pet supply of some kind...

I feed the crickets the fish food that I have for my fish, along with a slice of apple or carrot for moisture and variety.

Was thinking about a fly culture, but I know when it gets warmer, real soon, that they will be hanging out around the laundry room for moisture and such, and I can just plug in the ol' nosquito unit  I used to hang out and kill flies and pretend I was a wwII flying ace...  I can even put stencils of flies for every kill on my bike... B) 

I also saw something about indian moths, and figure I may start a culture of those also.

If I can get to this herp show in february here, I may learn a couple more things, or at least get the solid confidence to try a few other cultures as well. With my luck that will be the weekend all my jobs come in... gotta make hay while the sun shines.

I see a roach every once in a while, but not when I want to  

Thanks for the email address.


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