I can't do it

[Spunky]

It's official. I can feed roaches but I can't raise them. I can't do the big ones and have been having nightmares. Roaches, leaches and ticks have invaded my sleep. I opened up a brand new heating pad box for my BSFL tonight and winced as I stuck my hand in as if I was going to pull a bug out too.
:bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick:

I'm going to keep at it for the next few months while I go through a pound of roaches.... :/ I think I am going to sort them into big roaches she will never eat into one box, the medium to slightly too big for now ones in another box and then the tiny ones in another.

We live 100 miles away from our local pet food place, but go at least monthly to that town. From now on we will get 200 some small roaches, and a big box of crickets. I think I might try raising BSFL this spring. I found a video on making a compost bin for them that intrigued me. Also, we had to cut down an apple tree this year and were talking about planting another one in the spring. Instead I'm thinking about getting a mulberry tree 8)

So many things to try. Hopefully something sticks.

 

[Skipper7]

Have you looked online for feeders? It could save you a few trips into town. Dubideli and Phoenix worms are pretty good. As well as this site http://www.symtonbsf.com/store/p7/Reptile_Feeding_Grade_Soldier_Grubs.html
Symton has free shipping!

Dubideli will also let you try a few free samples of different sizes
You can also set up recurring orders on a few sites (if you're as lazy as I am :lol: )

 

[Spunky]

Although we would be in town anyway, not needing to fit one more thing in might be a good thing. And auto ordering? That would be awesome! Hopefully it won't be long before I can start making use of this info. She better eat, eat, eat!

 

[Rankins]

Its too bad you cant do it, it will save you a fortune. How long have you had them? Most people have an aversion to roaches, but they get use to them over time. Remember they are just a bug, just like crickets and BSFL's. Personally I wouldnt like dealing with the maggots. But would get use to them if it was saving me money.

 

[Rankins]

Were these orange heads?
If it was possible to ship this time of year I would buy them from you. I don't need them...but hate thinking you feel like it wasn't money well spent.

 

[Rankins]

Just looked through my posts and confirmed you did buy the roaches I recommended. Did you save the ABdragons shipping box? Did they heat pack the roaches? Did they send them 2-3 day mail? I will help you recoup some of your money if you can ship them to me. Take as many of the smaller ones you want and I'll buy the remainder. I cant pay the full $50, but I'll pay enough for you to get some of what you spent on them.

 

[kingofnobbys]

It's official. I can feed roaches but I can't raise them. I can't do the big ones and have been having nightmares. Roaches, leaches and ticks have invaded my sleep. I opened up a brand new heating pad box for my BSFL tonight and winced as I stuck my hand in as if I was going to pull a bug out too.
:bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick: :bleick:

I'm going to keep at it for the next few months while I go through a pound of roaches.... :/ I think I am going to sort them into big roaches she will never eat into one box, the medium to slightly too big for now ones in another box and then the tiny ones in another.

We live 100 miles away from our local pet food place, but go at least monthly to that town. From now on we will get 200 some small roaches, and a big box of crickets. I think I might try raising BSFL this spring. I found a video on making a compost bin for them that intrigued me. Also, we had to cut down an apple tree this year and were talking about planting another one in the spring. Instead I'm thinking about getting a mulberry tree 8) <<< give yourself a big treat , and think of the fun your kids will have when the trees are in fruit (black mulberries are super tasty straight off the tree and great in pies and tarts and homemade jams) and get the hicks (black) mulberry tree , a shahoot mulberry and a while mulberry tree as large saplings , start them off in big pots and then when plant them in sport with the room for a medium sized tree - they can grow to become BIG trees

So many things to try. Hopefully something sticks.

I get my insects by mailorder, my crickets, superworms and mealworms come from Melbourne (I live in northern NSW), I get my silkworms sometimes from Cairns in far north Queensland (but mostly adhoc from more local hobbyists.
Beats paying through the nose for pet shop bugs (which haven't been fed, and are of dubious health and condition).

I don't have enough pet lizards to warrant breeding my own bugs with the exception of silkworms (which I've have a bit of success raizing over the last few years - current got moths laying egg and several thousand eggs chilling the fridge). I bother with silkworms because they are a super nutritious feeder insect and all my lizards love them and they are PRICEY to buy commercially and not always available (even in season).

 

[Taterbug]

BSFL are really easy to breed - just need to have a strong stomach. The active compost bin is.... really gross. I won't lie.

 

[Spunky]

Just looked through my posts and confirmed you did buy the roaches I recommended. Did you save the ABdragons shipping box? Did they heat pack the roaches? Did they send them 2-3 day mail? I will help you recoup some of your money if you can ship them to me. Take as many of the smaller ones you want and I'll buy the remainder. I cant pay the full $50, but I'll pay enough for you to get some of what you spent on them.

Thanks for the offer, but I think I can make it through the next few months and get my monies worth. I just can't see myself doing this for the next 10 years. I have not had them long, so there is a possibility I can get use to it, but really doubt it. I am at least glad I tired. Normally I am all about saving money. I just don't know about the big ones. Will a beardie ever be big enough to eat one of them? If not, I would totally send them your way in the end.

Remember they are just a bug

:lol: :lol: :lol: NO!
For real though, I get you. Growing up I was the spider killer. I killed all the bugs for my family and friends. Thought they were silly for not being able to squish a spider. I think it is the size that gets me. I can do them small. I can not do them big. Not only are they big, but they are strong! It is going to take forever to sort them just because I can't get them off their egg crate.

BSFL are really easy to breed - just need to have a strong stomach. The active compost bin is.... really gross. I won't lie.

We were planning on making an outdoor compost this summer but because of on going construction in our basement we never got around to it. If the bin I linked earlier ends up being a good choice, I can handle the smell outside. However, that does not help us during the winter months. Which leads me to silkworms....

<<< give yourself a big treat , and think of the fun your kids will have when the trees are in fruit (black mulberries are super tasty straight off the tree and great in pies and tarts and homemade jams) and get the hicks (black) mulberry tree , a shahoot mulberry and a while mulberry tree as large saplings , start them off in big pots and then when plant them in sport with the room for a medium sized tree - they can grow to become BIG trees

The fruit are one of the big reasons I think DH will go for the mulberry idea. Yum! We have a pretty big side yard that was a garden. Now that we have 4 kids we have zero time. We did DIY earth boxes this year with a few of our favorite items. The garden was just a giant dirt pile the boys played on. (serious fun was had and they stayed out of mom's hair!) It also has a giant raspberry bush. (or like the equivalent of 5+) Morning snack was taken care of because we just ate raspberries right off the bush.

I need to look up those varieties. Depending on what map I look at we are either zone 4 or zone 5. I am not sure if all mulberries thrive here. I think the black ones are a zone 5, so I'll have to be very careful about figuring this out. I know the white ones can do zone 4.

Is there a reason to get all 3 types? Do the silk worms thrive off all three together as meals? Or is a variety just fun baking? If all the types need to 25-30' planting space, we would have room for 2, but it would start shading plants that I'm not sure want shade. We can do one without an issue.

 

[Taterbug]

That's a fancy looking compost bin. Mine is really small -only one lizard and I don't make much food scrap waste on my own for a big culture. Still the production is pretty awesome all summer for me.

 

[Spunky]

That's a fancy looking compost bin. Mine is really small -only one lizard and I don't make much food scrap waste on my own for a big culture. Still the production is pretty awesome all summer for me.

Nice! With 6 people in the house we will have plenty of scraps. We also have a couple different friends who often gives us eggs, so if I end up with too many worms, I can send some their way for their chickens.