Nicer setup for hissing cockroaches

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
About 50 - 60, and can be once a year of a few times a year.

It's in between a life birth and laying eggs: The female pulls back in the ootheca and lets the eggs develop internally (I just looked: now the ootheca is pulled in almost completely, I only see approx. 0.5 cm sticking out, before it was really long, approx. 3 cm).
Once the eggs are ready for hatching, the ootheca is pushed out again from which the little ones then hatch immediately. I do not know an animal that does it similarly, only a few that lay the eggs right before hatching and sometimes in the moment they hatch (including some snakes).

If breeding works, I plan to keep a few and feed of the other very (!) young to my dragon.
(I know it's often advised to not feed hissing cockroaches to bearded dragons. This makes sense as they are very large and there is danger to suffocate for the dragon. I would never do that. The small ones however are not larger than an isopod or small dubia. I had already fed such to my dragon - as I initially got a large amount of hissers when I bought them - and it's not different from such as a dubia: soft, not aggressive, easy to be eaten.)
Thank you! It was interesting to read about reproduction.
It is very similar to dubias, both in quantity and in the process itself.
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
Agreed that is interesting 👍 🙂
I really hope this works as so far all attempts in breeding insects failed.
With the beetle larvae, I got pupae (worked quite well), beetles rarely, and no eggs/ larvae. Also with dubias, nothing so far. And found this quite frustrating as I have looked up all the instructions, followed them as good as possible, and I'm generally very much a "sow, grow and breed (your) food" person and still, for 1.5 years, I have bought each insect my dragon ate, as well as bought each plant my dragon ate so far.
The only species that reproduced so far are the platys (fish) :D
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
I really hope this works as so far all attempts in breeding insects failed.
With the beetle larvae, I got pupae (worked quite well), beetles rarely, and no eggs/ larvae. Also with dubias, nothing so far. And found this quite frustrating as I have looked up all the instructions, followed them as good as possible, and I'm generally very much a "sow, grow and breed (your) food" person and still, for 1.5 years, I have bought each insect my dragon ate, as well as bought each plant my dragon ate so far.
The only species that reproduced so far are the platys (fish) :D
Wow, I always thought that Dubias is the easiest food insect to breed. I have been keeping a colony for 3 years now, and I would even say that I have poor control over the colony and it grows so fast that I used to have to freeze them. Now I sell the surplus in my city, it turned out to be more convenient than freezing, because once I even had to throw away 10 kg of frozen roaches, they lay for too long and I was afraid to use them.
If you allow me, I can help with advice.
Can you describe your conditions for keeping the colony and its numbers (number of females and males)?
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
Wow, I always thought that Dubias is the easiest food insect to breed.
I had also thought growing basil is easy, growing oregano is easy, and such...
Can you describe your conditions for keeping the colony and its numbers (number of females and males)?
I do not have a colony anymore as I gave it up. I currently buy them in units of 200 and feed them off. I tried it before with letting those 200 grow and breed. I can only keep them at room temperature as heating equipment for pets is hard to come by, and I have to keep the spare lamps I have for my dragon for him (can't just "use a regular bulb" or such).
Beetle larvae, I got beetles but no new eggs.
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
I had also thought growing basil is easy, growing oregano is easy, and such...

I do not have a colony anymore as I gave it up. I currently buy them in units of 200 and feed them off. I tried it before with letting those 200 grow and breed. I can only keep them at room temperature as heating equipment for pets is hard to come by, and I have to keep the spare lamps I have for my dragon for him (can't just "use a regular bulb" or such).
Beetle larvae, I got beetles but no new eggs.
Cockroaches do not need lamps, they need darkness, otherwise they will not reproduce.
You should not even feed them every day, because this is a little stress for the colony, I usually feed them once every 3 days.
They need a heating mat and strict adherence to the temperature regime. The mat should lie under half the area of the bottom of the faunarium, while the temperature on the substrate should be 28-30 degrees Celsius. Deviation from these temperatures reduces the birth rate in the colony. At 26-27 degrees, the colony will not die, but the birth rate will drop to zero. At the same time, young individuals grow faster at a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, but nothing inside the faunarium should be hotter than 33 degrees. Usually, therefore, young individuals need to be raised separately, but I do not follow this rule, I do not need a high growth rate of young cockroaches.
 

xp29

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Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
Wow, I always thought that Dubias is the easiest food insect to breed. I have been keeping a colony for 3 years now, and I would even say that I have poor control over the colony and it grows so fast that I used to have to freeze them. Now I sell the surplus in my city, it turned out to be more convenient than freezing, because once I even had to throw away 10 kg of frozen roaches, they lay for too long and I was afraid to use them.
If you allow me, I can help with advice.
Can you describe your conditions for keeping the colony and its numbers (number of females and males)?
I had also thought growing basil is easy, growing oregano is easy, and such...

I do not have a colony anymore as I gave it up. I currently buy them in units of 200 and feed them off. I tried it before with letting those 200 grow and breed. I can only keep them at room temperature as heating equipment for pets is hard to come by, and I have to keep the spare lamps I have for my dragon for him (can't just "use a regular bulb" or such).
Beetle larvae, I got beetles but no new eggs.
My guess is your issue isn't temperature, it's going to he your humidity. Dubias are tropical and need higher humidity to encourage breeding, as you live in an arid environment you will probably have to find a way to keep the humidity levels higher to breed them. I haven't had much success here in Nevada either. The humidity here is as low as 3 or 4 percent in the summer. The only time I have been successful is during the winter months. I had to keep them in a warm room and I keep damp egg crate in the container.
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
Cockroaches do not need lamps, they need darkness, otherwise they will not reproduce.
You should not even feed them every day, because this is a little stress for the colony, I usually feed them once every 3 days.
They need a heating mat and strict adherence to the temperature regime. The mat should lie under half the area of the bottom of the faunarium, while the temperature on the substrate should be 28-30 degrees Celsius. Deviation from these temperatures reduces the birth rate in the colony. At 26-27 degrees, the colony will not die, but the birth rate will drop to zero. At the same time, young individuals grow faster at a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, but nothing inside the faunarium should be hotter than 33 degrees. Usually, therefore, young individuals need to be raised separately, but I do not follow this rule, I do not need a high growth rate of young cockroaches.
The few I managed to produce didn't last long enough to try to grow..... my beardies decimated them lol.
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
The few I managed to produce didn't last long enough to try to grow..... my beardies decimated them lol.
When I started the colony, everything was exactly like yours. And then everything got out of control and bam.... I have three boxes and 3,000 individuals. :LOL::LOL::LOL:
As a result, I am one of the few sellers of roaches in my city.
By the way, you said everything right about the humidity. My room humidity is 20-30 percent and I do nothing to humidify the colony.
If the humidity is low, then you need to spray the walls of the faunarium when feeding and be sure to keep the waterer inside. Usually this is a lid with cosmetic cotton pads soaked in water (so that newborn roaches do not drown in open water).
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
And one more piece of advice for those who are going to stimulate the reproduction of Dubia cockroaches. Put a couple of orange slices when feeding. This stimulates them VERY strongly.
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
Cockroaches do not need lamps, they need darkness, otherwise they will not reproduce.
There was always a non-transparent lid (dark blue) for that reason. Tried it a short time with a lamp above, then near a window and on the balcony to get the temperature up, but with that of course could get no precise temperatures.
If the humidity is low, then you need to spray the walls of the faunarium when feeding and be sure to keep the waterer inside. Usually this is a lid with cosmetic cotton pads soaked in water (so that newborn roaches do not drown in open water).
How big is the risk of mold? I'm sometimes away for 1 - 2 weeks (but my husband takes care, however doesn't want too close contact to insects).

You should not even feed them every day, because this is a little stress for the colony, I usually feed them once every 3 days.
I do so with mine (veggie scraps).
They need a heating mat and strict adherence to the temperature regime.
And here it gets complicated with the equipment I can get. I have used a kitchen container (similarly to Tupperware) into which I made small holes; with a non-transparent lid and had kept them "somewhat warm, near a window" (in summer); in winter, I basically can't get it over room temp. which is 19 - 20 °C approx depending on outside temperature.

I will however keep in mind trying it again; I will be traveling next year to Santiago (de Chile) where I will have access to better pet stores (with more stuff for whatever is kept in a terrarium/faunarium - so might be able to buy a heat mat, maybe a faunarium is better than that kitchen container). I might try it then again plus put the orange slices in (easy, we always have some). As I had really hoped to breed my dragon's food; it would be so (so!) natural to me doing so and I had hoped for buying these packages of insects only a few time and can then produce my own.
My guess is your issue isn't temperature, it's going to he your humidity.
I could also imagine that. Plus, was not able to control the temperature so far as that equipment is hard to get at my place.
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
There was always a non-transparent lid (dark blue) for that reason.
The walls of the faunarium should also be opaque.
How big is the risk of mold?
There should be no mold, if it appears, it means it has become too humid and you need to spray less.
in winter, I basically can't get it over room temp. which is 19 - 20 °C approx depending on outside temperature.
At first I didn't have a rug either. I found a way out. I put the box with cockroaches on the refrigerator, as far away as possible. Where the warm air rises from the radiator on the back wall of the refrigerator. There was the most stable and free heat all year round.
maybe a faunarium is better than that kitchen container
A kitchen container is a good option, but it needs some work. The container should not be transparent (both the lid and the walls). It should not smell of chemicals, it is better if it is intended for food products. Oatmeal should be poured on the bottom - this is the substrate. Holes should be drilled in the container or pierced with a hot nail 2-3 cm above the substrate level, along the entire perimeter. Holes should also be made in the lid. As a result, air gets into the holes near the bottom and comes out through the lid. Everything is the same as in terrariums.
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
It's night here now, I can't take a photo of the container.
But I found a photo of one of my colonies, which I made a long time ago for my customer. You can also see the foam "fur coat" for the container. It allows you to even out and slightly maintain the temperature inside when heated by the mat from below.
IMG_20241221_015516_369.jpg


IMG_20241221_015529_846.jpg


IMG_20241221_015539_535.jpg


IMG_20241221_015524_686.jpg


IMG_20241221_015535_030.jpg
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
A kitchen container is a good option, but it needs some work. The container should not be transparent (both the lid and the walls). It should not smell of chemicals, it is better if it is intended for food products. Oatmeal should be poured on the bottom - this is the substrate. Holes should be drilled in the container or pierced with a hot nail 2-3 cm above the substrate level, along the entire perimeter. Holes should also be made in the lid. As a result, air gets into the holes near the bottom and comes out through the lid. Everything is the same as in terrariums.


The walls of the faunarium should also be opaque.
Then I guess I better keep a kitchen container as these faunariums are transparent from what I have seen online (they have an online store but don't ship to here).

There should be no mold, if it appears, it means it has become too humid and you need to spray less.
Normally there should be no mold, that's clear ;)
I of course keep care of this (I'm extremely clean with all stuff animals and also won't forget - taking care of feeders and pets is first thing in the morning). The question I have is more how prone is it to mold, so i.e. how much is this a problem if somebody despite instructed forgets for a few days. Or nobody can check in for 1 - 3 days at all. Oatmeal and keeping the humidity up looks to me like mold is likely. If stopping the spraying, changing out the oatmeal and keeping them "dry", how much will it reduce breeding even after returning to keeping the humidity higher?

At first I didn't have a rug either. I found a way out. I put the box with cockroaches on the refrigerator, as far away as possible. Where the warm air rises from the radiator on the back wall of the refrigerator. There was the most stable and free heat all year round.
This is a good idea, thanks! :)

Regarding no smells, oatmeal and such:
- Container was never used for something else. No smell.
- I always use oatmeal. Also for mealworms and superworms. (All feeders grow and keep nicely, no problem with them dying, but there is just nothing reproducing.)
- Other food has always been vegetables/greens and fruits. (Never animal products, never anything that's processed like cereals or so.)
- Holes: yes, they have always been there, around and on the lid. (I used a nail scissor instead of the hot nail, but otherwise the same.)
My dubias never died - always grow nicely when purchased, also the tiny ones in the mix get big -, they "just" did not reproduce when I tried.

Problem might have been, so:
Temperature, humidity.
 

NickAVD

Gray-bearded Member
Beardie name(s)
Foxy
The question I have is more how prone is it to mold, so i.e. how much is this a problem if somebody despite instructed forgets for a few days. Or nobody can check in for 1 - 3 days at all. Oatmeal and keeping the humidity up looks to me like mold is likely. If stopping the spraying, changing out the oatmeal and keeping them "dry", how much will it reduce breeding even after returning to keeping the humidity higher?
Of course, there shouldn't be humidity like in the jungle - 80 percent.
30 percent will be enough, my oatmeal is never damp and of course it shouldn't swell from moisture. I only had mold once. When I poured too much water into the lid-drinker and the water leaked under the lid and was absorbed into the oatmeal. A wet lump of oatmeal formed under the lid and mold appeared on it. I simply washed the lid from below and did nothing else.
For me, 20-30 percent humidity has never been a problem during breeding, and this is the usual humidity in our area. And I do not spray the walls of the containers (although at the very beginning I moistened the walls, but then I realized that it is not so important), but I always have a drinking bowl, this is important. Young individuals will die without access to water, and adults love to drink from it, I often see this
 

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