I was SO excited to receive these guys in the mail. You've probably read me complain about how difficult it is for us Floridian keepers to find and purchase Florida-legal roach species in bulk, as we are limited essentially to just B. discoidalis (aka Discoids) and those who sell them seem to be incapable of supplying the demand, as it seems everyone is perpetually out of stock. And those who sell them sometimes ask astronomical prices! So I was thrilled when I contacted Kevin from Roach Crossing about buying 500 discoids and he offered me an alternative species since he was out of discoids.
Curiously enough, this species was apparently collected in the Wynwood Art District area here in Miami, not 20 minutes from my house. And here I had to order them from Michigan! This species is extremely similar to it's cousin species, B. dubia, B. discoidalis, and B. craniifer, but it is, in fact, it's own separate species although it shares a lot of the same traits. It is non-climbing, about the same size as a discoid or dubia, and breeds easily.
So I have high hopes that these guys will breed well and free me up from ordering crickets in bulk every month! I have two other Blaberus species currently but I suffered significant losses last year and they just haven't been able to recover yet. So I hope these guys do well and that between them and my other roaches I can have multiple self-sustaining food sources for my chameleons. Which frees me up to put more money towards more exciting feeders than crickets, like silkworms, hornworms, stick insects, katydids, etc.
So I have high hopes that these guys will breed well and free me up from ordering crickets in bulk every month! I have two other Blaberus species currently but I suffered significant losses last year and they just haven't been able to recover yet. So I hope these guys do well and that between them and my other roaches I can have multiple self-sustaining food sources for my chameleons. Which frees me up to put more money towards more exciting feeders than crickets, like silkworms, hornworms, stick insects, katydids, etc.
Here is my new colony in all its current (messy) glory:
I put their tub together in a hurry the other night, so it's not as neat as I usually keep my bins. Kevin sent them with this bark substrate and I decided to keep it. First, because I can't imagine removing the roaches from it, and second, because it will help me distinguish between my roach tubs so I don't confuse this new species with my discoids.
They really are SO similar to my discoids, I'm not sure I could tell them apart if they ended up in the same container. The nymphs are essentially identical but the adults are extremely close as well.
If you haven't looked into feeder roaches as an affordable and easy to breed feeder I highly encourage you to do so! They are so easy to care for, eat nearly anything, and breed very well at warm temperatures. And since they don't climb any smooth plastic container will keep them safely contained. And that annoying chirping and stench that eminates from cricket bins? Not present with roaches! Just the pitter-patter of little roach feet on their egg crates, which is much more livable.
Is it possible to eliminate Crickets all together? I can not stand the smell and them jumping everywhere. (i'm a horrible cricket catcher!!)
ReplyDeleteYes, you certainly could! As long as you can still provide a handful of other feeders to offer variety you can definitely get rid of crickets. I buy crickets very rarely now, just because I have a lot of other feeders at home so crickets are now just novelty food that I get now and then! But I also prefer not having a bin of them, it's much better now that I rely on roaches and a few worm species instead.
DeleteAwesome! I am so not a fan of crickets. I'd rather do roaches and worms.
DeleteWhat is your method in which you feed your chameleons the roaches? Because I have found that the roaches tend to just sit frozen in a enclosure and offer no movement, therefore the chameleon shows no interest in eating them...?
DeleteI will put the roaches in a container, like a tupperware or something like that, to keep them contained. Because you are right, they will just sit in a corner or bury down into a plant and you will never see them again! So by keeping them in a feeding cup/container they are much easier to spot for the chameleon.
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