Chicken incubator for roaches?

[StephDay]

I am trying to get everything set up to start breeding roaches. I just dont love the idea of heating pads, tape, or wire on a tub due to the fire hazard. I have tried keeping a bin by my floor heaters, but the temp fluctuates a ton and is pretty much never over 80.

Has anyone tried putting some adults in a large styrofoam chicken egg incubator with some egg crates etc.? The nicer ones maintain temps while circulating air. I have searched around and cant find anyone who has done this.

Thoughts?

 

[JacksJill]

Sounds doable but pricey.

 

[Reptofreak]

If it’s styrofoam they will be able to climb the sides also I would be concerned that they could probably chew a whole through it and escape.

 

[JoXie411]

I honesty don’t use heat on my roaches I do the closet method on all of them and they’ve been doing just fine. I also keep mine bio active so the thermal heat inside of the bins help

 

[StephDay]

Nice. What is the temp of your roach bins then? Our house is probably in the high 60s/low 70s during the winters despite our best heating attempts, so I imagine that is where our closets are sitting.

 

[cyberlocc]

They dont "Need" heat, beyond room temp. They will breed like JoXie said, without heat. They just wont breed as fast.

Onward to the concerns, you shouldn't be putting heat tape on the Tub. You put the heat tape on the surface the tub sits on, or in the cubby, shelf, whatever that the roachs enclosure goes on/into.

I personally prefer back heat, as if you want to bio your roaches the heat wont go through soil. Same with frass, as the frass builds, the heat is less. Also it doesn't lend to creating a good gradient.

If you have them in a closet or something, run the heat tape on the wall behind the bin (or bins). Its not a fire hazard, as you should have a Thermostat on the tape.

It will always be semi variable, and thats okay. My 12inch tape is thermostated to 100f thats good for about a 10-15f rise in the back half of my glass aquariums for the roaches. Sometimes the tape cant even reach 100f, if its really cold day, it will sit at 97-100f. Your never going to hold a constant 80 degrees in any tank, and you dont need to in the wild the temps vary too.

 

[StephDay]

Great, thanks!

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I use a undertank heat mat for my roaches. Think it was $14

 

[nightanole]

I keep my bins around 80f. Any higher and i tend to get infestations of fruitflies,grain flies, mites, etc.

 

[Ramrod]

I use a undertank heat mat for my roaches. Think it was $14

I do the same with my dubias. They breed fine. Superworms I use nothing/same results.

 

[The Wild One]

I just put them in the garage in the winter and outside in the summer

 

[Boygeorge27]

I dont use heat for mine I just keep their tub in a dark cupboard under our snakes viv so they must get some heat from the viv and they breed just right for us

 

[StephDay]

Thanks everyone