Starting a roach colony?

[Eavlynn]

I'm definitely contemplating starting up a roach colony. Roaches seem to be the best insect feeder of choice, but can be hard to find, so to provide the best for my kiddos, I'm thinking about trying to breed them myself. Of course I'm totally freaked out by the idea, even though I'm well aware that they can't escape a tub, require very little in the way of maintenance, and don't make annoying cricket noises or smell.

I'm thinking of 2 black tubs, one for the breeder colony, and one for the feeders that get removed from the colony, so I can disrupt my breeders as little as possible. Do the tubs need a screen or holes for ventilation? What is the best diet and water source for these guys? And do they need anything besides some large paper egg containers to be happy? What is the optimal temperature to keep them at? I know they are just feeders, but if I'm bringing anything into my home, regardless of the creep factor, I want them happy, healthy and properly cared for until they can be loving eaten by my beardies

Also, who should I speak with to get a colony started?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hdrydr31]

I'm definitely contemplating starting up a roach colony. Roaches seem to be the best insect feeder of choice, but can be hard to find, so to provide the best for my kiddos, I'm thinking about trying to breed them myself. Of course I'm totally freaked out by the idea, even though I'm well aware that they can't escape a tub, require very little in the way of maintenance, and don't make annoying cricket noises or smell.

I'm thinking of 2 black tubs, one for the breeder colony, and one for the feeders that get removed from the colony, so I can disrupt my breeders as little as possible. Do the tubs need a screen or holes for ventilation? What is the best diet and water source for these guys? And do they need anything besides some large paper egg containers to be happy? What is the optimal temperature to keep them at? I know they are just feeders, but if I'm bringing anything into my home, regardless of the creep factor, I want them happy, healthy and properly cared for until they can be loving eaten by my beardies

Also, who should I speak with to get a colony started?

Thanks in advance!

Yeah!! Have you read what I wrote in the link below my comments? that's how I do my colony..I have a breeder tub, feeder tub, and what I've done to slow mine down I have an all female tub and a all male tub.

 

[Eavlynn]

I think your link is only visible in Web view, since I've seen you mention it but haven't seen a link. I'll hop on my laptop and check it out tomorrow. Purchasing feeders is killer, and roaches are so much better, and cleaner, and quiet. Ruth is improving daily on crickets and veggies, I can only imagine what roaches could do for her!

 

[Hdrydr31]

I think your link is only visible in Web view, since I've seen you mention it but haven't seen a link. I'll hop on my laptop and check it out tomorrow. Purchasing feeders is killer, and roaches are so much better, and cleaner, and quiet. Ruth is improving daily on crickets and veggies, I can only imagine what roaches could do for her!

http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/threads/general-info-set-up-1st-timers.13863/ try that I forget not everyone gets on their desktops.. lol

 

[Eavlynn]

I didn't know they reproduced so quickly. Since I'm only feeding two beardies, one adult and one baby, what should I start off with for my colony?

 

[Hdrydr31]

I didn't know they reproduced so quickly. Since I'm only feeding two beardies, one adult and one baby, what should I start off with for my colony?

I also am feeding 2 dragons. For your breeder colony do a ratio of 3:1 female to male 1 female can have 20-30+/- nymphs each time. Not really sure how many females I have 50 ish and 15 or so males. You need to figure out how many your kiddos eat per day and go off that keeping in mind dubia are more nutritious and meaty requiring less quantity per feeding. Then keeping in mind you need to leave your breeders alone 6-8 weeks to get their grove on then add in letting the nymphs time to be of feeding size...I know that's alot of I don't knows lol I would likely get 300-400 small to mediums and see how many you need to feed then you can go from there...It takes a bit to figure all that out..

My problem that I ran into is right as my colony was up and going really well and producing and they were of feeding size my gal decided to partially brummate! sigh so she really wasn't eating hardly anything!! go figure!! So I became overwhelmed with roaches to the point I actually sold off some.. Then I decided to get another beardie and that took care of my excess I am oddly enough just catching up on growing out some nymphs as Simon is going thru my feeders at a fast pace...growing boy!! So what I feed off first are my adult males, then my males then I go into my extra adult females (keeping plenty to replenish my females as I need)

 

[Eavlynn]

I'm not sure if I'll start with quite that many, maybe 10 males and 30 females. I'm not sure where to buy them from, but I hope to get things started within the next couple weeks. If I do have extra, I wonder who I could sell them to? I'm not sure if my beardies will brumate, or for how long. Do babies pick up on seasonal cues for brumation, or is that more of an adult phenomenon?

 

[Hdrydr31]

I'm not sure if I'll start with quite that many, maybe 10 males and 30 females. I'm not sure where to buy them from, but I hope to get things started within the next couple weeks. If I do have extra, I wonder who I could sell them to? I'm not sure if my beardies will brumate, or for how long. Do babies pick up on seasonal cues for brumation, or is that more of an adult phenomenon?

Get your breeders all adults, then you need to get what your going to feed off of until you can start taking from your colony..
I would get them from the member here on the forum Brandon sixofwandstatoo or his FB Arizona Roach farm. You can slow them down during times when they don't eat as much. There is always ways of slowing them before you have to sell off or cull off any. Typically the adults around a year will brummate, but not always some don't some do, typically it's during fall it's hardwired in them just never know when or if they will .