Discoids anyone?

[Honda99300ex]

I have 3 colonies of Dubia, and recently started a new colony of Discoids and Discoid hybrids. anyone else here have discoid colonies? i've read pretty much to keep them just like the dubia's, so hopefully they do well.

 

[BadCon]

You'll find blaberus discoidalis are more high strung then dubia's, and they aren't as hardy. Breeding rate is similar...maybe a touch faster. Lifespan is a bit shorter, and they aren't as easily sexed as dubia's...though with some practice you can do it with a quick glance. Overall they are a touch bigger then dubia's, but lots of that is wings. Overall not a bad feeder roach.
If you are interested in playing around with different roach species, then Blaberus Fusca are cool because they are huge (they look just like discoids but are bigger). Blaberus Giganteus are also cool, but expensive and breed SLOWLY...but a roach with a 5" wingspan is a site to behold!
Eublaberus Posticus are another cool species of roach, though they have a pungent defense odor and are notorious carnivores...and cannibals. The nymphs are a cool shady of red, and are FAT TANKS....great lizard food, very heavy.

 

[Honda99300ex]

The discoid hybrids I have right now are discoids and b. cranifer crosses. they are a decent amount larger than the normal discoids. I'm mainly planning on using these for my monitor.

 

[Paradon]

I love roahces! Am I weird or what? Eventually, I want to collect those species, too. Aren't they great pets? And they double as lizards' food. Right now I'm keeping the Madacascar hissing roaches, dubias and Turkestan roaches. I'm looking forward to acquire some domino roaches pretty soon and some of the larger species. Domino should be fed to reptiles, though. I hear they're poisonous. :wink:

 

[Honda99300ex]

I once hated them, and now I don't know what I would do without them... my pets would make me broke!!

 

[Gail]

I had a large colony of Discoid for awhile but they creeped me out something terrible. I ended up putting them on the porch this winter after many failed attempts at giving them away.
I've developed bad roach allergies but I'd love to find a species that doesn't bother me. I might try hissers next and I though about green banana roaches but I don't know if I want fliers.

 

[kolt91]

I have discoids because I live in Florida. They're very similar to dubia's they just get a little bigger and don't like to my messed with (every time I open the lid they scatter). I've heard they breed a bit slower too, not so sure yet i've only had them for about 3 weeks. I'm hoping they breed steadily though, I guess time will tell.

 

[Honda99300ex]

I have discoids because I live in Florida. They're very similar to dubia's they just get a little bigger and don't like to my messed with (every time I open the lid they scatter). I've heard they breed a bit slower too, not so sure yet i've only had them for about 3 weeks. I'm hoping they breed steadily though, I guess time will tell.

I am hoping the same, my dubia's are doing great, so I will be keeping them the same, same food and heat also. I've noticed they are a lot more active, and quick moving than the dubia lol.

 

[BadCon]

I had a large colony of Discoid for awhile but they creeped me out something terrible. I ended up putting them on the porch this winter after many failed attempts at giving them away.
I've developed bad roach allergies but I'd love to find a species that doesn't bother me. I might try hissers next and I though about green banana roaches but I don't know if I want fliers.

Its the frass. It gets disturbed and becomes airborn...and it can bring on allergy attacks like something vicious. When I raised roaches on a large scale, I couldn't go anywhere near them without a full respirator. It eventually got to the point where it simply wasn't worth the hassle. I did have hissers, and they weren't as bad. Their frass is much larger then normal, and isn't prone to dusting like other species. They are slower breeding however, and only the small nymphs are suitable food for a dragon. Adults are simply too big and too well armored to be fed. They are really neat insects however...and make a descent pet themselves .
As for allergies, my suggestion is to wear a mask whenever you open the roach bin, and to keep it as clean as possible. Keeping the colony on the smaller side can also help, so take out the excess and freeze them (quick kill and they can be used later).
As for banana roaches...they are on the smaller side, making them not really suitable as feeders for an adult dragon. They also are pretty fast, and can fly. The adults CAN climb....so you'll need to use a roach barrier to keep them in the bin. They are native to southern states, and do pose a pest risk if they escape and you live in a warm climate.
If you are really considering banana roaches, I'd look into lobster roaches instead. Very similar, except they get a bit bigger and breed like gangbusters. Excellent feeder roach. Biggest drawback is that they can climb...so a barrier is necessary. They technically can fly, but its very rare and they can't get far. These too can live and breed in most southern US states, so they pose a mild pest risk if they escape. Lizards seem to love these guys though.

 

[Gail]

I actually started with lobster roaches years ago but developed allergies to them after a couple years, then I switched to dubia. Seems to take 1-2 years for allergies to develop to each new species. The dubia and discoids were the worse, they just about put me in the hospital and I was wearing a respirator.
I have red runners now but Jupiter doesn't really like them and they don't breed well for me. If I didn't need them for the tarantulas then I wouldn't have them at all.
I had hissers years ago, kept them mainly for pets on a small scale. Would like them again but not sure its worth the risk.

 

[Trogdorpheus]

I had allergic reactions to Discoids after about 9 months, I'm guessing its really dependent on how many you have. I managed to sell mine though. Also, they are significantly larger than Dubia, and I never had problems with them being less hardy.