Crickets vs Roaches

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Chivalry

Chivalry

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I've been buying crickets from a local pet store at 7 cents per, which seemed steep to me since the H. majuscula can eat a couple a day, so I got some from Grubco that averaged 3 cents each but I have had MASSIVE die-offs with them, so bad that I decided I don't even want to feed the nasty things to my mantids. And they stink so bad in quantity... yuck. (Rebecca, you had recommended a cricket person, can you repost that?)

I don't know, I think I may get the occasional cricket batch from the pet store but I'd rather an alternative as a mainstay for my larger species. How hard is it to keep up with dubias? Do they stink? Can I keep them in a rubbermaid container in my bedroom without losing sleep? What do you think are the pros and cons of each.

Thanks in advance for info :)

 
I have to admit even though I see people posting how roaches are easier to breed than crickets, I have a hard time seeing how much easier they can possibly be when crickets are so effortless. Petstores can be be hit or miss. In a well kept group you should only be experiencing deaths as adults die from old age.

I've heard Ghann's Cricket Farm is a good source to order from, they are also switching over to the new species.

 
The Dubia's don't smell, don't make noise and don't die all the time. They can't climb glass or plastic which makes them really easy to house. I use them for Reptiles and mantids. The only drawback is if you just throw a few in different insect cups they seem to hide for days (weeks). They don't jump around like crickets. I use them for the larger species of mantids that take down anything. I use a feeding cup with only 1 stick hot glued inside with no where to really hide. Or I feed them manually with my mantid tool. (bamboo skewer with a needle taped to the end, A very handy thing >=o)

 
Roaches are pretty effortless. Bin, heating pad, egg crates, roaches (of course), and food. Set it and forget it! It may take a while to really get a colony going depending on what you're starting with. They do not smell, except for what's in the bin. I provide fresh oranges for a water supply, so mostly my bin smells of oranges. I tried offering some kale, but that didn't smell so nice.

 
Davedood said:
Not sure who all uses Water Crystals (polymer crystals) but a 1 pound bag lasts me 2 years. http://www.watercrystals.com/

They sure come in handy with feeder insects.
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I use watercrystals for my crickets roaches and houseflies, they are super handy. As Much as people say crickets smell, which I agree, they don't smell that bad with proper care. I Just swap the breeding bin with a clean one every couple of months and wash the dirty one. Same for death rates, if you feed them properly and give them the water crystals, cannibalistic deaths will cut down to very minimal. Granted they still do die of old age much quicker than roaches.I have an adult colony of about 10000 crix, and three bins right now of younger crickets (which the young ones don't smell). I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment, I house my crickets, roaches, and mealworms in my small closet in the living room. It's literally a giant incubator heated by a red heat lamp. Everyone hangs next to the closet. You can definitely hear the crickets, but you don't smell it at all. the only way to smell them is if you have your face inside the breeding bin.

My closet has a gradient temp of 81F at the bottom, 85F in the middle, and 87F up top.

I do love my dubias, but they are much slower to breed for now since my colony is still starting up, and yes they are much lower maintenance. I have mine setup with a heat cable under the bin, connected to a dimmer, it's a constant 100-105F on the bin floor, and they looove it. They are growing pretty fast compared to what I hear about people saying they take forever to become adults. In a week of getting them I already had 2 adults. Now it's been 3 weeks and I have 9 adults and 4 females.

 
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i use lobster roaches primarily, nauphoeta cinerea

they grow fast and reproduce well, dont make noise, dont have high die offs, can go longer without food, dont suffer as many diseases or probs crix do, r healthier than crix

only disadvantages r they need higher heat, reproduce slower (a femme can carry eggs for 2 months before giving birth while crix lay eggs quickly and they hatch within 2 weeks), and a colony takes longer to get established, but once established your supply is fairly endless ;)

 
agent A said:
i use lobster roaches primarily, nauphoeta cinerea

they grow fast and reproduce well, dont make noise, dont have high die offs, can go longer without food, dont suffer as many diseases or probs crix do, r healthier than crix

only disadvantages r they need higher heat, reproduce slower (a femme can carry eggs for 2 months before giving birth while crix lay eggs quickly and they hatch within 2 weeks), and a colony takes longer to get established, but once established your supply is fairly endless ;)
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The only time roaches bother me is at night when they're running around like crazy in their tank and I can't sleep.

 
Another advantage to roaches is they won't try to destroy your mantis with their jaws LOL.

 
I keep all my critters in a separate room. I don't know if I'd want my roach bin in my room, especially anywhere near the bed. Those would make for some pretty big bed bugs! :lol:

 
I also use lobster roaches my colony only has around 15-25 adults right now and I am still waiting for my first batch of young. I have just been using crickets and wild caught stuff for all my mantids. Oh I bought house fly pupae yesterday for a treat. (almost 500 pupae! Didn't realize I would get so many)

 

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