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The_Asa

The_Asa

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I'm getting ready to start my roach colony. This is my first time trying to breed or use roaches so any advice would be appreciated, especially suggestions in regards to the species I should use. I'd like ones that would climb and that can't breed in the home. Thanks in advance.

 
lobster, dubia are good. turkish roaches are wuite big.

even with minimum care those thing breeds like heck.

 
What size do these roaches grow to? how big are they when they should be fed to the mantids? i have mostly chinese mantids. Thanks.

also where can i pick some of these roaches up in ohio?

 
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Dubia are the biggest, females are about 4cm.

Lobsters next at about 3 cm.

Turkistans are about the 2.5 to 3 cm but a lot lighter built.

Feed them as you would a cricket, a sensible size for your mantis to dispatch and eat safely.

An adult female T sinensis could manage an adult dubia roach if v hungry but safer to give more smaller ones :)

 
Birdfly,

If an adult female Tenodera sinensis can't easily handle an adult Blaptica dubia, there is something wrong with the adult female T. sinensis.

S-

 
I breed dubia's and deathshead for my lizards. I think dubia's would be best for mantids. My adult D.desiccata can eat adult male dubia's.

I didn't get lobster roaches because I heard they can infest houses and they do climb glass (so more likely to escape). Not sure what people mean by turkish roaches? Blatta lateralis? I haven't had those. I'd first like to be sure they cannot infest the house. There is another roach, Shelfordella tartara, that has become very popular, but has by now been shown to be able to infest houses and could become a serious pest species.

I would stick to dubia's, breed like mad in a very simple setup and I have never heard of them reproducing in the house.

 
Rob Byatt said:
I think he just likes to nit pick mate :D
Click to expand...
This has nothing to do with nit picking.

Birdfly wrote:

"An adult female T sinensis could manage an adult dubia roach if v hungry but safer to give more smaller ones."

That implies that an adult female Tenodera sinensis might not be able to safely manage an adult Blaptica dubia. Is that not what you meant to imply?

Years ago I used to feed adult B. dubia to sub adult T. sinensis with no issues. What is the safety factor?

S-

 
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If full/ half full it might not want it or it might waste 2/3 of it ??

Decades ago, when i was a kid i used to feed adultB craniferer to adult D dessicata females, although the dead leaf can kill & eat it, if it hasnt got a good perch the cockroach can and did drag it all around the viv, This could cause the mantid damage so i erred on the safe side. If it saves some ones mantis unnessasary damage then all well and good.

You dont have to feed your mantids one huge bulky food item, even though we all know mantids can deal with prey larger than them selves. Predators will look for the largest food items with the least energy expendature but more often than not come across many smaller items in the hunt.

Lions eat buffalo but buffalo can still kill/injure lions.

 
Birdfly,

There is a bigger risk feeding an adult female Tenodera sinensis grasshopers and locust than adult Blaptica dubia. I don't get it. B. dubia are 1.5" long and are relatively docile, even when being eaten alive. I'd rather feed adult B. dubia than house crickets.

S-

 
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I've made my reasons clear enough, i'm not going to be drawn into it any more.

Edit: you have small ###### roaches as mine are much bigger..

 
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Rob,

This is silly. Adult Blaptica dubia are a perfectly safe food for an adult female Tenodera sinensis.

Suggesting otherwise is silly.

S-

 
My personel preferances may seem silly to you, and i dont expect you to understand even though i have made it clear, you seem more interested in seeing how big an insect a mantid can capture and kill (not to mention small discrepancies in members posts and playing on them) where as i mostly prefer to just keep mantids cause i like them, this is why i feed and recommend feeding them smaller food items and because of what i mentioned in post no 11.

Why feed them a large roach, risking potential eye damage or what ever, when 3 smaller ones will do. Does that seem silly to you ? I expect it still does but when you have as many years mantid keeping as i have you might have a different perspective on it.

Keep up the high school studies, you'll get there in the end :)

 
Birdfly,

No, what is silly is arguing that Blaptica dubia are not good feeder insects for larger mantids and that feeding adult B. dubia to adult female Tenodera sinensis is fraught with danger for the mantid. I don't care one bit what your feed your mantids. That's up to you. If you wanted to feed only Calliphora sp., that would be no skin off my nose.

I have no interest in seeing how big an insect a mantid can capture and kill. You Brits seem to think that is all we care about over here in the Colonies. The only reason I commented on your post is because what you said made little sense to me. As much sense to me as saying a 5th instar Hierodula membranacea couldn't safely handle a Calliphora sp..

S-

 
Birdfly, don't bother, this guy prefers to argue in stead of just to listen and learn :rolleyes: . Extremely tiring, so best just ignored. I see your point, despite just having started with mantids ;) Even from my limited experience I prefer smaller prey that is eaten completely to large prey that is often discarded half eaten.

 
No, what is silly is arguing that Blaptica dubia are not good feeder insects for larger mantids and that feeding adult B. dubia to adult female Tenodera sinensis is fraught with danger for the mantid.

Who said they are not good feeders for larger mantids ? i use them loads, but there is a time and a place when larger prey items are not acceptable (some thing some one new to mantids might not understand)

Like i said before with some years mantid breeding and husbandry experience you might come to understand this :lol: your just looking for an argument were there is none, again, like you do.

Fraught with danger.

Now you are trying to put words in my mouth :lol: Those are your words, not mine.

I don't care one bit what your feed your mantids. That's up to you.

Well you obviously do care or why would you be arguing with me? and yes it is up to me just the same as my opinion is.

If you wanted to feed only Calliphora sp., that would be no skin off my nose.

Irrelavent! try to stick to the point

I have no interest in seeing how big an insect a mantid can capture and kill. You Brits seem to think that is all we care about over here in the Colonies.

Paranoia :blink:

I said "you" get your facts right and you do make it seem that way to me and a few others it seems on other threads.

The only reason I commented on your post is because what you said made little sense to me.

I understand that now, i'll try to explain in greater detail for you from now on.

As much sense to me as saying a 5th instar Hierodula membranacea couldn't safely handle a Calliphora sp..

Now why would you say that? flies are absolutely no threat what so ever to a mantis, oh unless one knocked a moulting mantis to the floor, so even a fly can be a threat to a mantis in the wrong circumstances wouldn't you agree?

:p

 
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