Terrarium diet: how to breed feed cockroaches?

The main expense item for keeping terrarium animals is food. An alternative to purchased feed will be the breeding of feed insects. Among the many options (flour worms, crickets, larvae of flies), cockroaches are most popular. Arthropods breed quickly, do not require care, and are a highly nutritious product. Feed cockroaches are universal food, they are suitable for all reptiles, birds, spiders.

Types of feed cockroaches

Growing cockroaches has become a profitable business. Financial investments are small, and demand is good. Whole arthropod farms are being created in China to grow pet food and fish. Insect colonies reach millions of individuals. Products are bought only by livestock owners, but also restaurateurs of various countries. The meat of cockroaches is popular, it is considered a healthy and delicious delicacy.

The popularity of arthropods as a feed object contributes to several characteristics:

• low cost of insects;
• unpretentiousness in nutrition;
• high fecundity;
• undemanding to the conditions of detention.

Complete information on feed consumers in the article “Underestimated food or who eats cockroaches?».

Marble (Nauphoeta cinerea)

One of the most common feed items. Homeland of Insects Northeast Africa. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in body sizes - females up to 30 mm, males 25 mm. Another feature in women is the abdomen is wider. Arthropods have wings, but do not fly. Type ovoviviparous. Females carry a capsule with eggs in their abdomen. Periodically, they put it out for ventilation. The incubation period is 30 days. Adults live 6 months. The population density of 5 individuals per 5 cm².

At the initial stage, 30-40 individuals are bought, the number of females and males is 3: 1. Larvae need 4-5 months to reach puberty. The species is non-aggressive, but when it enters the terrarium with spiders or reptiles, it quickly digs into the substrate. The main advantages: unpretentiousness and rapid dispersal of the colony.

Conditions of detention

Insects are populated in a glass or plastic terrarium. Its size depends on the planned number of colonies. Recommended temperature 25-32 °. Any substrate: wood or coconut sawdust, paper, egg trays. Marble cockroaches easily move on a vertical surface. The upper part of the walls with a width of 5-6 cm is lubricated with petroleum jelly. For ventilation, drill small holes (diameter 1 mm) or install a mesh. The litter is moistened 1 time in 2 days.

Information. Once a year, it is advisable to populate adults from another colony so that inbreeding does not occur.

Feed

The main part is dry food (oatmeal, milk formula, food for animals and fish). Their juicy foods are recommended apples, beets, carrots, lettuce, grass.

Turkmen (Shelfordella tartara)

A popular feed cockroach, it is easy to maintain, has a soft chitinous cover. In natural conditions, lives in the deserts of Asia and the Middle East. It is characterized by severe sexual dimorphism:

• Females are massive, brown with reddish spots on the sides, wings are reduced. Length 30 mm.
• Males are slender, have long wings, the color is orange. Size 25-30 mm.

To grow arthropods, you need a cage with good ventilation. As shelters, it is best to use cardboard egg trays. The optimum temperature is 27-30 °, humidity 60-80%. Insects need regular access to water. Vermiculite is poured into the drinker or cotton wool is placed to prevent the drowning of larvae.

Feed

The species needs a variety of foods: bran, vegetables and fruits, bread, oak leaves. To exclude cannibalism, protein is given in the form of gammarus, eggs, dog food.

Breeding

Adults live 3-4 months, females lay oekets with eggs every 2 weeks. For the development of offspring in a capsule, increased humidity is required. It is recommended to collect cocoons and place in moist moss. Larvae will need shelter from adults.

Representatives of the species do not run along the walls, lubrication is not required. Due to their small size, several reptiles are fed at once. The minus of Turkmen cockroaches is an unpleasant smell.

American (Periplaneta Americana)

This species takes the third place in the rating of feed objects. Insects along with a load of sugarcane settled around the world. The size of the imago is 27-44 mm. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the reduction of female wings. Representatives of the species have a reddish-brown color. Life expectancy is 8-10 months.

Insects are grown in cages with a lid. When fishing, exercise caution, adults quickly run. For ventilation, a metal mesh is installed. Temperature is from 22 to 32 °, humidity is moderate. For shelter use trays. Food should be varied: vegetables, dry cereal, meat, greens. The minuses include the aggressiveness of the species, they can attack weakened spiders.

Madagascar (Gromphadorrhina portentosa)

For lizards of the eublefara genus, more protein is required, they are fed large Madagascar cockroaches. The size of the female is 60 mm, the male is 55 mm. The adults are brown, wingless. The character is aggressive, with a threat they emit a hiss. Threatening sounds are produced by contraction of the abdomen. Larvae and adults coexist without problems in one terrarium. One individual is enough to feed a lizard or spider.

Information. Males are distinguished by characteristic protrusions on the pronotum.

Content

A feature of the species is a high life expectancy of 2-3 years and slow maturity - about 6 months. It is recommended to pour a layer of substrate with a thickness of 2-3 cm (peat, sawdust) in the storage container. Insects are slow, but they can move along vertical walls. They prefer plant foods, especially oranges. The diet should be fruits and vegetables. When using juicy products dispense with a drinker. If it is needed, take purified water without chlorine.

The starting number of insects is 5 females and 2-3 males. Type ovoviviparous. 20-50 larvae are born at a time. With improper maintenance, arthropods do not breed well, young animals die.

Green (Banana) (Panchlora nivea)

The species has not received much distribution, but has its advantages:

• soft cover;
• does not take root in an apartment;
• does not move along the walls of the cage;
• multiplies rapidly.

The size of insects is 22-25 mm. In the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 25-30 °. Water is sprayed daily, optimal humidity from 70%. A mixture of shavings and vermiculite is used as bedding. How to feed green cockroaches? They are omnivores, but the jaws are not suited for solid food. It is better to give apples, bananas, peaches, tomatoes, granola. Ovoviviparous species, larvae burrow into the ground after birth. Litter layer less than 5 cm desirable.

Tip. Carefully open the cage, insects are capable of flying.

Red or Prusak (Blatella germanica)

A synanthropic species can be kept in a terrarium and be beneficial. The size of the Prusaks is 10–13 mm; they are suitable for young reptile birds. Adults have an elongated, yellowish-coffee body. Larvae are small, able to squeeze through a minimum gap. When breeding, attention should be paid to the integrity of the cage. Insects breed rapidly and reach maturity. The optimum temperature is 30 °.The substrate is not used, instead of it I lay cardboard trays. The Prussians are omnivorous, they are given oatmeal, bread, vegetables and fruits. There should be a drinker in the cage.

Tip. Carefully select candidates for cultivation. The Prussians do not always die from the poison, but their body is poisoned. Such food will harm reptiles or spiders.

Black (Blatta orientalis)

The adults are large enough to 30 mm. Coloring is black or dark brown. Secret insects. The female leaves 20 eggs with her eggs in her life. 10-20 larvae emerge from each. In favorable conditions, they grow in 5 months. Black rams need nutrition with protein (dry animal feed, eggs, meat). With a shortage of food, they are prone to cannibalism.

Before you breed cockroaches, study all the information about their needs and habits. For beginners, insects often run away from their cage. In the warm season, they take root in the room, begin to multiply actively. For the implementation of live food use specialized forums, classifieds in groups, pet stores. The conditions for all tropical and synanthropic species are similar. But when growing Prussians, special care is required, otherwise instead of growing cockroaches, you will have to deal with their destruction.