# Roaches as food



## texasgoldbuyer (Nov 20, 2008)

Hello everyone, simple question. I hate fruit flies and sources on pin head crickets are at best spotty. I need to find something to feed my tincs, and other thumbnails. I am sick of the flies hitting the water and the frogs won't lay eggs in there. It seems the water is like a magnet to the darn flies. I am looking for a replacement food that I can raise that don't stink, climb, or in general be a major pain in the backside to raise. Any input will be appreciated and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. And if I have insulted anyone by saying this pack up and get the hell out of my country.


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## frograck (May 1, 2005)

dwarf tropical woodlice and bean beetles.

is getting rid of the water an option cuz fruit flies are just so darn perfect of a culturable food.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

You'd have to find a small species and feed the nymphs, most species get bigger than the frogs.


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

texasgoldbuyer said:


> ...Happy New Year to all of you. And if I have insulted anyone by saying this pack up and get the hell out of my country.


[sarcasm]You are so insensitive! Neither the Mayans nor the Chinese recognize Jan. 1 as New Years Day! Go ahead, mod me down, but it needs to be said! [/Sarcasrm]


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## texasgoldbuyer (Nov 20, 2008)

Hello Does the statement When in Rome do as the Romans do, ring any bells? I don't mind anyone coming over here as the country actually belongs to the American Indians, but this crap you can't pray or say Merry Christmas in public because it offends people. Hell I don't remember asking them to come over here and bring their ways and try to push the crap off on me in the first place!


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## mkeBob (May 22, 2008)

Getting back to your original post about raising roaches as a food source. There was a rather long thread regarding raising roaches to feed DF's a year or two ago. Do a roach search and I'm sure you'll find it. I will soon be raising Dubia roaches, which are live bearers, and feed the young to my larger DF's and as the roaches grow larger I'll be supplying them to my son for for his geckos. We'll see in a few months if things work out the way I'm hoping. I believe Brian S. was raising another species of roach but don't know how that worked out for him.....Bob


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

The Turkistan roach (blatta lateralis) is a non-flying non-climbing species that is prolific and easy to culture. They lay eggs cases and the nymphs hatch out about this size of a hydei fruit fly. 

Pros: Excellent nutrition, easy to culture and very prolific, no stink (like with crickets) small size, easy to seperate since they hatch from egg cases which can be collected and incubated seperately from the main culture.

Cons: They are quick to hide and need to be bowl fed for best results. They can survive in the tank and grow to adult size and even begin breeding. They will nibble on your best plants.

Personally, I like them as a feeder but I am careful to only use them in simple tanks that are easily broken down so survivors can be cleaned out on occassion. I have yet to see a tank get overrun with them, but they do breed in the tanks and can scurry out and attack fruit flies when added to the tank. I have never seen an adult roach approach or attack a frog or froglet, but I suppose the potential is there.

Bottom line, they are certainly a viable feeder and an alternative to crickets and fruit flies. My advice would be to give them a shot but only on a limited basis and see how they work out for you personally.

Good luck!


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

for temporary tanks, they make a good feeder. The trick is to occasionally remove the frogs and flood the tank to kill stragglers.

Mantellas love them and so do E. anthonyi.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

Adult roaches used to eat baby frogs at the Cincy Zoo, Robin Saunders and I witnessed it when we were trying to figure out why the frogs were disappearing out of the grow out tanks, saw a roach actually eating a froglet....could have a been a science fiction movie.


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

markpulawski said:


> Adult roaches used to eat baby frogs at the Cincy Zoo, Robin Saunders and I witnessed it when we were trying to figure out why the frogs were disappearing out of the grow out tanks, saw a roach actually eating a froglet....could have a been a science fiction movie.



Were the roaches blatta lateralis? And were the froglets otherwise healthy or could they have been weak/sls etc.? Do you recall the species of frog (just for a size reference)?

Thanks Mark!


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

They were larger species froglets, no thumbnails and all were 100% healthy, the roaches were the common type in Cincinnati, maybe german roaches? but honestly no idea on the species. Mostly eaten at night when the frogs would bed down these adult roaches literally grabbed and ate them. I do remember there were several Basleri and Siverstonei froglets which are smaller when they morph and then some other more common species as well like Luecs.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Ive always wondered on the roaches as feeders idea. Id expect they'd grow fast and hide well. Not a good combo for a frog tank in my opinion.


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## jubjub47 (Sep 9, 2008)

Regular german roaches and such are bad enough. I have no interest in working with roaches for the darts. Although I have in the past bred hissing roaches for my chameleons.


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