Favorite medium sized feeder roach?

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jseng

jseng

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Hey folks,

I've recently made the switch from blue bottles to Dubia roaches as the primary feeder for my large mantid species and I've loved the results so far, as Dubias are extremely low maintenance to keep and they've supercharged my mantids' growth. I've been thinking of switching to roaches for my smaller mantid species (e.g., Orchids, Ghosts) as well, but Dubias are clearly too big for them. For those of you with extensive experience with feeder roaches, could you recommend a good medium sized species that's both nutritious and easy to culture? Two I'm considering right now are Shelfordella lateralis (aka Turkestans or Red Runners) and Nauphoeta cinerea (aka Lobster or Speckled Roaches). Any input would be much appreciated + happy new year regardless!

Josh

 
Consider Panchlora nivea. The do fly and climb but these qualities make them even more attractive to mantids.

 
Lobster roaches smell and it is hard to contain them with vaseline, so a tight lid with screening for oxygen is good. Turkestan roaches need a little more maintenance, but they are really good for mantises. Pycnoscelus femapterus need little maintenance, but may not be the best feeder for mantises (not sure).

Panchlora nivea may need some ventilation from them dying off as adults, they breed fast though. :) It may have been a special disease I had that made my Panchlora nivea need ventilation to survive/thrive (only had mine for a short period of time).

 
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Thanks for the tips! I think I'll try Turkestans and Bananas. I know a good place to get the Turkestans, but if anyone could share any recommendations for a place to get reasonably priced banana roaches, that would be great--thanks!

 
I use lobsters, dubai, and Madagascar hissers.

Honestly I've never had any issues with my lobsters. I keep them in a locking top storage tote, with vasoline.

You can use the smaller nymphs to feed your smaller mantids or just cut a large on to little pieces.

 
Do Lobster roaches chew through fabric? I usually create vented areas in the plastic containers I use as enclosures by cutting holes into the tops/sides and hot-glueing organza over them, but I've been reading that some feeder roach species (e.g., Suriname roaches, which are supposedly very similar to Lobsters) will quickly munch through any barrier that isn't plastic or metal.

Also, do Lobsters, Green Bananas, or Red Runners burrow? The only thing I don't like about Dubias is that they'll shoot under my mantids' substrate in a flash and hide their forever if I let them

 
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Unsure.

I poke tiny holes in my totes with thumbtacks... Making them large enough for ventilation but small enough so the fresh nymphs can't get out.

....But I wouldn't put it passed them to do so.

Yeah they also burrow under anything they can get to. I usually hand feed with a needle to make things easier for the mantids. (Lobster.)

 
jseng said:
Also, do Lobsters, Green Bananas, or Red Runners burrow? The only thing I don't like about Dubias is that they'll shoot under my mantids' substrate in a flash and hide their forever if I let them
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P. nivea not only burrow but you really need substrate for their enclosure. The nymphs spend the majority of their time underground. The adults hang out a lot more above ground. They are a delightful species and breed like... well roaches. My 20 gallon tank is a withering mass of roach.

I wouldn't trust fabric with roaches.

 
Roaches definitely chew through fabric. Not just to escape- even if you put a loose piece of screen in their enclosure it seems they chew it up just for fun.

 
I use red runners and lobster roaches.

I love red runners because they can't climb smooth surfaces, although I still paint PTFE-30 (a.k.a fluon, insect-a-slip) at the top of the plastic bins because I'm paranoid. They don't really smell and don't have the defensive odor release like lobsters have, and they lay eggs. I like the eggs because every couple of weeks I can harvest a bunch from the bottom of the container and let them hatch in a separate one to have a constant supply of tiny feeders. Much easier than sorting through the main bin. They also don't burrow underneath things in the enclosure to hide.

What I don't like about them is the smaller size. When my mantids get bigger, it takes many roaches to fill them up. Not really a huge deal until you are dealing with dozens to 100+ adults and you need pick out the roaches one by one. Much easier for me to just dump a ton of flies in (and probably more fun for the mantids)

I like lobsters because they breed fast and are also a bit larger than the red runners. I only feed large juveniles though. I used to pick the plump adults until one day I noticed a bunch of tiny white roaches running around my non-baby roach proof mantid enclosure. I went to check on the other enclosures and realized the pregnant females eject their babies (lobsters give live birth) when faced with certain death. So... yeah, only juveniles and adult males from there on out.

 
If you want larger roaches you might want to try Blaberus discoidalis or another fast breeding Blaberus or Eublaberus (not sure if they are good feeders).

 
I know where I live there's always big Periplaneta americana aka American Cockroach are always outside during the summer... Has anyone fed these or a better question should I?!? lol

 
BigDazz said:
I know where I live there's always big Periplaneta americana aka American Cockroach are always outside during the summer... Has anyone fed these or a better question should I?!? lol
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I would avoid using them as feeders as they eat everything and will very likely get your mantis sick.

 

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