Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Housing info, plus any info on them at all. I'm concerned about keeping them due to their speed and the fact that they are considered a pest out west. Is this true or false? Anyone having any problems keeping them contained? I keep Dubia and discoids without any problems.

Thanks, mike

I keep 4 bins of this species and growing. I use a 50/50 mixture of peat and sand with egg crates. I mist them every other day and provide food. This roach breeds as fast as lobsters without the climbing. All my bins are set-up in my rack system with pegboard tops. I would recommend a vented lid system like I keep my climbers in for most keepers. I also use bug boundary in three of the four containers, but never find any climbing but an inch or two anyway. These are non-climbers, but small nymphs always can grip a little a climb a couple of inches before falling (this is usually do to water spots or substrate dust). The males of this species are winged and like most non-climbers males can flutter. Do to the light weight of the males they flutter decent (not fly). This means if you drop one instead of dropping straight down it will glide down, and they can jump and glide a little. Roaches jump very little, but a container with no lid or big cracks is subject to a lost male here and there. Females have no wings and are very heavy so they are stuck. Almost a year with this species in a pretty warm state and in an 80F roach room with zero problems. Arizona and New Mexico are the only states I know of with problems because females and nymphs are coming over in military air cargo and the weather suits them. They do die down pretty well in the winters but some survive. You can post if you have more questions or email me.
James
www.blaberus.com