Roach Feeders

[Thor the chameleon]

So im thinking on breeding roaches because i dont want to have to keep going to the pet store to buy crickets, plus crickets are a pain in my opinion. They jump everywhere and they really smell. So i read that dubia roaches are easy to breed and thought I'd might give it a try. My pet store has "Spotted Roaches" which im pretty sure are another name for them, correct me if im wrong. Also i was hoping to get some peoples opinions on dubia roaches as feeders. Like are they good? Are they easy enough for him to eat?

 

[pgr7]

I like dubias over crickets they are easier to keep contained and require similar care as crickets. If you mean the spotted roaches at petco they are Indeed dubias I use them just fine. Rainbow mealworms is another great option online

 

[JGuinan007]

The only issue I have with dubia is they don't move for very long periods of time which makes them invisible to my chameleon I have to cup feed them or they would be lost in the cage eventually they move and my chameleon gets them in the cup

 

[pgr7]

Fair enough,you can always put some on the screen they tend to move good. And you can keep an eye on it. After a while they learn the preys movement and will usually hit out of a cup.

 

[pgr7]

*in my exp.that is.

 

[Titan65240]

How many roaches per day would you guys say is good for a 6 to 8 month old male panther?

 

[nick barta]

Start out with smaller roaches to get him used to them, then you can go a bit bigger. As far as how many, I would do as many as he has interest in in a feeding.

Start out with a small colony since you only have 1 chameleon, they will burst into larger numbers at around the 6 month mark, depending on the conditions you keep them in.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Titan65240]

Thanks for input. Will start off by buying enough for him to eat for a week and go from there.
Once I feel more comfortable and have a enter understanding on them I will consider getting a colony started.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Thanks for input. Will start off by buying enough for him to eat for a week and go from there.
Once I feel more comfortable and have a enter understanding on them I will consider getting a colony started.

You should listen to the Chameleon Breeders Podcast
Where Nick Barta (see above) gives some fantastic information about raising feeders including roaches in a 3 part series. He really knows his stuff!!
http://www.chameleonbreeder.com

 

[Titan65240]

Thank you for that. I actually reached out to him a moment ago for info and to purchase his products.

 

[mvad]

Dubias are great survivalists. Easy to breed and keep. As mentioned a small colony can grow extremely fast if conditions are optimum. I don't even use a heating pad under my dubia bin and they are still multiplying. I only have a single chameleon so I'm not insistent on having thousands. It's my way of "slowing down" my population. Check craiglist in your area to see if anyone is selling dubias. Most people are happy to sell some of their colonies for cheap. I got a starter colony and a bunch of feeders for $30

 

[NERVOUS]

So im thinking on breeding roaches because i dont want to have to keep going to the pet store to buy crickets, plus crickets are a pain in my opinion. They jump everywhere and they really smell. So i read that dubia roaches are easy to breed and thought I'd might give it a try. My pet store has "Spotted Roaches" which im pretty sure are another name for them, correct me if im wrong. Also i was hoping to get some peoples opinions on dubia roaches as feeders. Like are they good? Are they easy enough for him to eat?

Yes, B. Dubia (aka Dubias) is a great feeder... No smell... No noise... They're easy to keep, breed, gut load, etc.

I'm not sure if "Spotted Roaches" is another name for Dubias, but if you post a picture we'll be able to properly identify the roaches at your local pet store.

As long as you select appropriately sized feeders then Dubias are easy for a Cham to eat. That said, it's very likely the full-size Dubias will be too big to use as feeders. So, you'll have to be selective when harvesting feeders.

On that note, you should also consider N. cinerea (aka Lobster roaches or Speckled roaches) as a possible feeder. They have a lot of similar characteristics to Dubias (i.e. easy to keep, breed, gut load, etc). Plus, they have the added benefit of being perfectly sized to use the full-size adults as feeders.

Best of luck!

 

[Andee]

My cham is an adult and can easily take down adult male dubias. I wouldn't say their too big to use as feeders, it just depends on how much of a chewer your cham is and how old he is. I feed off my males when I have too many to make up a good a ratio of male to female.

 

[kiwilulu]

The downsides of lobster roaches are that they can climb glass and plastic (so a good chance you will have some escapees) and they smell much much more than dubia.
They reproduce a little faster and have smaller adults... Other than that, I prefer dubias.

 

[JGuinan007]

I have heard lobsters escape and infest quit often I wouldn't risk that

 

[NERVOUS]

N. cinerea has a scary reputation, but the truth of the matter (at least based on my personal experiences thus far) is they're a GREAT feeder roach for Chameleons. That said, I feel compelled to give my $0.02 regarding some of the more common complaints.

- Yes, N. cinerea can climb vertical glass and plastic surfaces... However, so can B. dubia nymphs. Ultimately, both species require the same preventative countermeasures (i.e. a secure enclosure with a climb-proof barrier).

- Yes, N. cinerea are fast movers... But it's not like B. dubia are 'slow' by comparison. Plus, N. cinerea have wings; which happen to be great for grabbing them securely with forceps. Anyone that's tried to grab a B. dubia can attest to the fact that they can be difficult to grab (without squishing).

- No, N. cinerea don't fly.

Now, in terms of a head-to-head comparison (B. dubia vs N. cinerea) these are just a few random points that came to mind:

Odor - I have large colonies of both B. dubia and N. cinerea and I honestly don't notice an odor from either enclosure.

Reproductive rates - This one isn't even close... B. dubia reproduce quickly, but N. cinerea reproduce at biblical plague proportions; which is actually a good thing because a comparatively smaller colony can effectively feed a Chameleon.

Harvesting feeders - In my opinion, it's much easier to feed off full-size N. cinerea adults than it is to look for appropriately sized B. dubia nymphs. Plus, N. cinerea have wings; which makes them so much easier to grab... Not to mention hand feed.

What I don't know is how N. cinerea stacks up to B. dubia in terms of nutritional value... If anyone else knows please chime in.

 

[Amydaveg]

My cham is an adult and can easily take down adult male dubias. I wouldn't say their too big to use as feeders, it just depends on how much of a chewer your cham is and how old he is. I feed off my males when I have too many to make up a good a ratio of male to female.

I know this is an old thread, but just a quick question.

I have started a colony and am not sure when to harvest.

Any clues as to when a good time to get out the buckets with drilled holes to seperate the small ones?

What size drill bit is recommended , and do I let them grow larger before feeding them to my adult panther ?

Cant seem to find these answers here or on YouTube.

Thanks