Also this may of been answered, but how long does it normally take adults to mate, and babies to come!?[/quote]
I cut a 2" x 8" slot in the top and glued a metal screen. The babies are light enough that they can climb out of the bin, I've also read a thread about adult males escaping.
HuberNS92":33eho8dw said:
Also this may of been answered, but how long does it normally take adults to mate, and babies to come!?
I've heard the average time to mate is around 5 minutes. after mating, the male falls asleep while the female wants to snuggle. Babies come in about 40 weeks (9 months) .... OH WAIT, you're talking about roaches .... never mind, I don't know, I just started my colony. :twisted:
I've heard the average time to mate is around 5 minutes. after mating, the male falls asleep while the female wants to snuggle. Babies come in about 40 weeks (9 months) .... OH WAIT, you're talking about roaches .... never mind, I don't know, I just started my colony. :twisted:
I cut a 2" x 8" slot in the top and glued a metal screen. The babies are light enough that they can climb out of the bin, I've also read a thread about adult males escaping.
HuberNS92":3ply9n2f said:
Also this may of been answered, but how long does it normally take adults to mate, and babies to come!?
I've heard the average time to mate is around 5 minutes. after mating, the male falls asleep while the female wants to snuggle. Babies come in about 40 weeks (9 months) .... OH WAIT, you're talking about roaches .... never mind, I don't know, I just started my colony. :twisted:[/quote]
Not very tool oriented. How should I cut it, and can I just get a screen at say...home depot?
All I did was use a razor utility knife. I cut my screen to be about 1" larger than the whole size(if the hole is 2x8, the screen will be 3x9), marked the 2x8 opening on the top with a permanent marker, and cut along the marker line with the knife. I used liquid nails, I put a bead of liguid nails all the way around the 2x8 opening on the bottom side of the cover and pressed the screen into the bead of glue. I then placed a little weight on the screen while the glue set up. I hope that makes sense :wink:
All I did was use a razor utility knife. I cut my screen to be about 1" larger than the whole size(if the hole is 2x8, the screen will be 3x9), marked the 2x8 opening on the top with a permanent marker, and cut along the marker line with the knife. I used liquid nails, I put a bead of liguid nails all the way around the 2x8 opening on the bottom side of the cover and pressed the screen into the bead of glue. I then placed a little weight on the screen while the glue set up. I hope that makes sense :wink:
Okay for now I just poked holes in the top, is that okay till I can get the screen and all?
Also while the female roach is pregnant, or mating, or whatever, you can still move around their habitat if its necessary right? They won't drop the sac with occasional disruption?
All I did was use a razor utility knife. I cut my screen to be about 1" larger than the whole size(if the hole is 2x8, the screen will be 3x9), marked the 2x8 opening on the top with a permanent marker, and cut along the marker line with the knife. I used liquid nails, I put a bead of liguid nails all the way around the 2x8 opening on the bottom side of the cover and pressed the screen into the bead of glue. I then placed a little weight on the screen while the glue set up. I hope that makes sense :wink:
Okay for now I just poked holes in the top, is that okay till I can get the screen and all?
Also while the female roach is pregnant, or mating, or whatever, you can still move around their habitat if its necessary right? They won't drop the sac with occasional disruption?
Well if they did not creep me out before now Im REALLY creeped out. I feel like they are walking on me right now guess thats why I got married. Who knew when I said yes to getting married the real, hidden even to me, reason was for this to take care of bugs so I could enjoy a bearded dragon. *pats husband softly*
So let me see if I have all this info right since even though he will be doing the work with them Im the one who has to make sure everything is understood.
10:1 female to males
Tote with holes in top (larger the better, 18 gal plus)
Egg thingys
Heat source, between 80-90
Humidity around 65% (is higher better? Is there a such thing as to high?)
Feeding oranges, apples, dog food? (There was a post asking about the effect of dog food on beardies that no one answered. What about bread? Other food? Does the food need to have calcium added to it?)
Water crystals. (Are the ones they sell for crickets ok?)
Questions along with the above ones,
Should males and females be in sep totes till breeding is wanted and then move males into tote or is leaving them all together better?
How long should babies stay in tote to feed off poo (EWWWWW) before being moved into a feeder bin?
How long should we wait before feeding the babies to our beardies? (We dont have them yet, learning)
Was thinking of giving the bugs a 3 month head start before getting the beardie, that ok?
Are these creepy bugs a good starter/staple for young dragons?
How well would beardies move from crickets to these bugs?
Anything else I should know?
Thank you to whoever takes the time to answer theses questions, I am learning so I really do thank you!
10:1 female to males If you have a large colony. If your colony size is smaller, you might want to go with a smaller ratio, like 5:1 just in case you get some die offs.
Tote with holes in top (larger the better, 18 gal plus) yes
Egg thingys yes
Heat source, between 80-90 yes
Humidity around 65% (is higher better? Is there a such thing as to high?)you don't need to worry about humidity unless you are out in an arid desert. The water gels will also help raise the humidity.
Feeding oranges, apples, dog food? (There was a post asking about the effect of dog food on beardies that no one answered. What about bread? Other food? Does the food need to have calcium added to it?)You can basically feed anything you want. I wouldn't feed anything that is toxic to dragons though. Dog food is an important part of roach chow (or cat food) because it provides the protein in the diet. You don't need to add calcium. I dont.
Water crystals. (Are the ones they sell for crickets ok?)I'm not sure which ones for crickets your talking about, but basically any water gel will work. I would be weary of those "fortified" water gels, the kinds with calcium and stuff in them.
Questions along with the above ones,
Should males and females be in sep totes till breeding is wanted and then move males into tote or is leaving them all together better? Leaving them together is better. They are colony bugs.
How long should babies stay in tote to feed off poo (EWWWWW) before being moved into a feeder bin? You can seperate them whenever you want. You don't have to wait for them to eat poo, they can eat normal stuff.
How long should we wait before feeding the babies to our beardies? (We dont have them yet, learning) I would wait until the colony is up and running, or else you might overfeed and your colony won't be able to keep up.
Was thinking of giving the bugs a 3 month head start before getting the beardie, that ok? yes, that is best!
Are these creepy bugs a good starter/staple for young dragons? Absolutly. They can be a forever staple if you choose. You are breeding them so you have all the sizes.
How well would beardies move from crickets to these bugs? Fine.
Anything else I should know? Uh... I don't think so lol.
What are your temps?
Are you disturbing the colony, eg opening the lid, moving around the crates?
Are they getting enough ventilation.
Do you remove fruits before they get mold? Mold is a big killer in the colony.
10:1 female to males If you have a large colony. If your colony size is smaller, you might want to go with a smaller ratio, like 5:1 just in case you get some die offs.
Tote with holes in top (larger the better, 18 gal plus) yes
Egg thingys yes
Heat source, between 80-90 yes
Humidity around 65% (is higher better? Is there a such thing as to high?)you don't need to worry about humidity unless you are out in an arid desert. The water gels will also help raise the humidity.
Feeding oranges, apples, dog food? (There was a post asking about the effect of dog food on beardies that no one answered. What about bread? Other food? Does the food need to have calcium added to it?)You can basically feed anything you want. I wouldn't feed anything that is toxic to dragons though. Dog food is an important part of roach chow (or cat food) because it provides the protein in the diet. You don't need to add calcium. I dont.
Water crystals. (Are the ones they sell for crickets ok?)I'm not sure which ones for crickets your talking about, but basically any water gel will work. I would be weary of those "fortified" water gels, the kinds with calcium and stuff in them.
Questions along with the above ones,
Should males and females be in sep totes till breeding is wanted and then move males into tote or is leaving them all together better? Leaving them together is better. They are colony bugs.
How long should babies stay in tote to feed off poo (EWWWWW) before being moved into a feeder bin? You can seperate them whenever you want. You don't have to wait for them to eat poo, they can eat normal stuff.
How long should we wait before feeding the babies to our beardies? (We dont have them yet, learning) I would wait until the colony is up and running, or else you might overfeed and your colony won't be able to keep up.
Was thinking of giving the bugs a 3 month head start before getting the beardie, that ok? yes, that is best!
Are these creepy bugs a good starter/staple for young dragons? Absolutly. They can be a forever staple if you choose. You are breeding them so you have all the sizes.
How well would beardies move from crickets to these bugs? Fine.
Anything else I should know? Uh... I don't think so lol.
Hey guys can you help me prevent mold? I'm worried about mold developing in my colony. Haven't had any problems yet but still cautious. I have a little screen on my rubbermaid container for venthilation. I feed them some dog food and cereal occasionally, and an orange slice every once in a while. I also lightly mist my colony about once a day. I don't really take the dog food and cereal out since I don't put much in. Is that okay? I take the oranges out in about a days time. Are there any tips or advice that anyone can share on mold?