Marble cockroaches - how to breed correctly

Marble cockroaches are distinguished by their extraordinary vitality and unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention. They are not afraid of low humidity and poor quality food, many obsolete insecticides do not affect them. Marbled mustaches, unlike their other counterparts, easily overcome plastic, glass and other types of smooth surfaces - they are not afraid of such traps as bathtubs or banks. In the apartment they will take root perfectly and will always find something to treat themselves to.

Marble cockroaches are bred mainly by terrariums as food for toads, frogs, lizards, etc. Such food is not only eaten with pleasure, but also is a very valuable and nutritious food for aquarium inhabitants. Also, this species of mustachioed differs from its brethren in that part of it does not die in cockroach feuds caused by the struggle for power over the territory and eating of their fellow tribesmen.

Breeding Marble Cockroaches

Let's see what is necessary for the maintenance of marbles.

Insectarium

As a "house" for the mustachioed, you can choose a plastic box or a glass aquarium. Its top is smeared with petroleum jelly so that the inhabitants do not flee when the lid is open. The lid (which should close tightly) should have many ventilation openings. If you decide to cut a hole and insert a grid, then keep in mind that then you need to pay special attention to covering the top of the aquarium with petroleum jelly, since the grid can be easily bitten by marbles. Try to choose a box that meets the following conditions:

• Height is more than 20 cm.
• The walls are opaque.
• 1/3 cover consists of a mesh.
• The presence of cracks or cracks is unacceptable (unless, of course, you also want to start growing marbles somewhere in the kitchen under the cabinets).

The bottom of the insectarium is lined with vermiculite about 1.5 cm thick. The egg cells are cut into four equal parts and vertically aligned along the walls.

Tip: the volume of "home" is calculated depending on the size of the colony - 1 liter per 1 individual.

Food and water

For feed and water, put in a bowl. Vermiculite must be filled in a bowl for water, leaving only half a centimeter to the edge. If you simply pour water into the bowl, then the cockroaches can drown in it. Also at the bottom of a bowl for water, you can put a regular kitchen sponge. Although marbles are quite unpretentious in food, they also need nutrients - a lot of fiber and protein supplements (egg white, gammarus, dried shrimp).

Please note: if you feed with fruits and vegetables that contain enough juice, you can pour water less often.

As already mentioned, marble creatures are not capricious, and when there is not enough food, and their quantity increases, they can go to wood and cardboard, if they are in the insectarium. Given that you cook them for other pets, then when the colony grows (and the mustachioed breed very quickly), you will need to carefully monitor that there is plenty of food.

Place for insectaria

Before you start a colony to develop their new home, you need to determine the best place for an aquarium or boxing. It is said that the homeland of the marmorosa is North Africa.However, now it is so widespread around the world that it is already difficult to assert unequivocally. But this species of mustachioed still prefers warm temperatures - it is best that in the insectarium it kept from 20 to 30 degrees with an air humidity of about 60%. To achieve this, the angle of the insectarium itself must be warm (near the battery), or a special lamp must be installed above the box.

Attention: if the cockroach escapes from its house, then it will perfectly take root in the conditions of the apartment, so be careful!

Care

Marble cockroaches, the contents of which are quite uncomplicated, still require minimal care. As soon as the soil is contaminated, it must be replaced to prevent the appearance of ticks and bacteria. If there is no vermiculite to replace the soil, then it can be replaced with coconut flakes, sawdust (only non-coniferous), dry cat food. To maintain the necessary humidity, it is enough to spray warm water from the spray bottle several times a week there.

Breeding

During the development of the embryos, the bag of eggs is in the female; the female can expose them to ventilate. After the hatching of the offspring, the female shows a short-term manifestation of the maternal instinct - she protects her cubs and does not allow other representatives of the colony to approach them. Pregnancy lasts 2-4 weeks. At one time, the female gives birth to 10 to 30 larvae of a dark brown color. For the larva to become an adult cockroach, it will take 4-8 months, this period can be shorter if the temperature in the "house" is higher.

In the video below you can see what life looks like in the cockroach realm of marbles. And if you want to learn about other types of these insects, including very exotic ones, read the article: Appearance, photo and structure of cockroaches.