New Feeders?

[etclement]

Hi! I've run in to a problem with my feeders. I had a GBR that was doing extremely well, wasn't fed off, but got overrun by the darkling beetles that I used for cleaner crews. Fed Clay the last GBR yesterday . Anyways, since I now have a free heat pad and bin. I want something that I can have a colony for (No crickets), does well in the 80-90 temp range (I use a sauna as my roach room, easy to heat up for better dubia colonies). I also don't want something that takes a lot of work, such as silkworms. I also want something pretty different from dubia (not orange head etc). My cham readily eats dubia, he loves them, but I don't want to feed him all the same thing for much longer. I fed him two baby mantis yesterday, maybe it will tie him over .

Here are the species I was thinking about
Lobster roach
Red Head
Pallid Roach
Wood Roach
Red Runner
Hornworms
BSFL

If anyone has any experience with these feeders or other recommendations, feel free. Thanks!

 

[jamest0o0]

Just curious, how'd the gbr get overrun? I use those beetles too.

Do you mean start a bsfl or hornworms colony? Idk anyone that breeds bsfl, but I love using them. Very nutritious and Chams love them, easy to gutload, can turn them to flies as well. I think red runners have infestation potential if that would worry you. Maybe some.halloween hisser? I have those as like a side project and they're some cool looking roaches imo.

 

[etclement]

Just curious, how'd the gbr get overrun? I use those beetles too.

Do you mean start a bsfl or hornworms colony? Idk anyone that breeds bsfl, but I love using them. Very nutritious and Chams love them, easy to gutload, can turn them to flies as well. I think red runners have infestation potential if that would worry you. Maybe some.halloween hisser? I have those as like a side project and they're some cool looking roaches imo.

Im worried hissers would be too big. Clay is only 4-5 months now. I honestly have no clue how the GBR got overrun. The darkling beetles just EXPLODED over the course of a few days. I still have the GBR colony intact, just without the gbr. If I put any sort of food in there, it gets eaten my darkling larvae in about 10 minutes. They ate about 10 peanuts in 5 minutes!

 

[jamest0o0]

That happened in my old orange head colony once. Everything inside it was covered with larvae. Never happened since. Now I have a few walking around(I tossed the huge amount of them). I was just curious if the beetles ate your roaches or just outcompeted them for food.

The Halloween hisser are smaller than the regular ones. their nymphs could be fed off.

 

[Andee]

BSFL would not be low maintenance as a feeder in the beginning and your rubbermaid bin etc would need a lot of changing to make a colony viable indoors and especially all year round. I am just in the beginning stages of figuring out how to do it successfully all year round without a collapse during colder months and so keeping them indoors. They need a day and night cycle, uvb, and the adults need a flight screen cage attached to the bin the babies would be laid in. It's no for someone who doesn't want to work. Plus they would need a drainage system of sorts or you would have to clean it regularly.

In my opinions hornworms are more work than silkworms, and I breed silkworms. I think all except maybe two species of roaches you mentioned are climbing species, just so you know.

 

[etclement]

Just curious, how'd the gbr get overrun? I use those beetles too.

Do you mean start a bsfl or hornworms colony? Idk anyone that breeds bsfl, but I love using them. Very nutritious and Chams love them, easy to gutload, can turn them to flies as well. I think red runners have infestation potential if that would worry you. Maybe some.halloween hisser? I have those as like a side project and they're some cool looking roaches imo.

BSFL would not be low maintenance as a feeder in the beginning and your rubbermaid bin etc would need a lot of changing to make a colony viable indoors and especially all year round. I am just in the beginning stages of figuring out how to do it successfully all year round without a collapse during colder months and so keeping them indoors. They need a day and night cycle, uvb, and the adults need a flight screen cage attached to the bin the babies would be laid in. It's no for someone who doesn't want to work. Plus they would need a drainage system of sorts or you would have to clean it regularly.

In my opinions hornworms are more work than silkworms, and I breed silkworms. I think all except maybe two species of roaches you mentioned are climbing species, just so you know.

I do have a spare CFL 5.0, but it seems like too much for me for just an occasional snack. Im ok with climbers, the GBR bin has a lid. If you ever find a way to get BSFL year round though, I would be very interested! I will check out silkworms, I just don't like having to buy a lot of pre made food for some reason.

 

[etclement]

That happened in my old orange head colony once. Everything inside it was covered with larvae. Never happened since. Now I have a few walking around(I tossed the huge amount of them). I was just curious if the beetles ate your roaches or just outcompeted them for food.

The Halloween hisser are smaller than the regular ones. their nymphs could be fed off.

I didn't see any remains, the production just slowed down until all there were was nypmhs, then nothing.

 

[etclement]

I didn't see any remains, the production just slowed down until all there were was nypmhs, then nothing.

They ate out the dermestid and peanut beetles too.

 

[Andee]

You can grow your own mulberry tree? It's super easy, I keep mine in a large half barrel and will transfer my smaller one over once it's ready to one too (just don't put it directly on the ground they will easily grow through the pot bottom). They sell mulberry tree saplings on ebay, I started my small one from it and it's around 3 years old now, almost ready for it's third repot. Just remember to hack it back once-twice a year once it's in it's half barrel... it's really hard to hurt them (unless they get a fungus or something) because they grow like weeds. At least in Cali

And if you get a fruit-bearing one, put a tarp under it around the beginning of spring, you can use the fruit in pies, better the blackberry pie in my opinion, waaaay sweeter <3

 

[jamest0o0]

I just received my little mulberry tree yesterday. Is there a reason you shouldn't just plant them in a large pot right away?

 

[etclement]

You can grow your own mulberry tree? It's super easy, I keep mine in a large half barrel and will transfer my smaller one over once it's ready to one too (just don't put it directly on the ground they will easily grow through the pot bottom). They sell mulberry tree saplings on ebay, I started my small one from it and it's around 3 years old now, almost ready for it's third repot. Just remember to hack it back once-twice a year once it's in it's half barrel... it's really hard to hurt them (unless they get a fungus or something) because they grow like weeds. At least in Cali

And if you get a fruit-bearing one, put a tarp under it around the beginning of spring, you can use the fruit in pies, better the blackberry pie in my opinion, waaaay sweeter <3

I wish I wouldn't have moved. My previous house had like 10 mulberry trees outside

 

[Andee]

I just received my little mulberry tree yesterday. Is there a reason you shouldn't just plant them in a large pot right away?

How big is it?They generally shouldn't be potted in a huge pot immediately because they need to be kept inside if they are tiny saplings because they easily get sunburnt when babies. And overly large pots shock their systems sometimes.... it's usually like that with most plants.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hmmm I never knew that! It's about 6 inches high or so, not big. I have it under my jungle dawn on my cham range.

 

[Andee]

yeah it will need to be babied for a bit

 

[laurie]

BSFL would not be low maintenance as a feeder in the beginning and your rubbermaid bin etc would need a lot of changing to make a colony viable indoors and especially all year round. I am just in the beginning stages of figuring out how to do it successfully all year round without a collapse during colder months and so keeping them indoors. They need a day and night cycle, uvb, and the adults need a flight screen cage attached to the bin the babies would be laid in. It's no for someone who doesn't want to work. Plus they would need a drainage system of sorts or you would have to clean it regularly.

In my opinions hornworms are more work than silkworms, and I breed silkworms. I think all except maybe two species of roaches you mentioned are climbing species, just so you know.

You are such a helpful fountain of information!! Thanks for sharing

 

[Andee]

You are such a helpful fountain of information!! Thanks for sharing

Thanks so much laurie but I just research like crazy. I have been researching the BSFL care for a while, and if I can't keep them outdoors all year round, which I am not sure I couldn't or could (I haven't checked their low temps (though I think they can't go below 60)) I have figured out several possibilities to keep them indoors.. it just depends on which works best.

 

[ampharosy]

What is GBR? Also BSFL? I'm new to this and I'm looking into other things besides my crickets because they're loud and smelly.

 

[etclement]

What is GBR? Also BSFL? I'm new to this and I'm looking into other things besides my crickets because they're loud and smelly.

Green Banana Roach, Black Soldier Fly Larvae