Roaches in FL

G

GlassEyez

New Member
Seeing how i live in FL dubias are illegal. Since i dont want to end up like this guy
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/01/30/Florida-man-busted-over-roaches/UPI-33571296403938/

I've been looking at other species of roaches. Floridaroaches.com has discoid roaches and green banana roaches. What im asking is which is the better feeder for my carpet cham? He eats crickets and likes waxworms but i have to order those online and will become very costly over time. He wont eat superworms. Which would be a better feeder for my cham?
 
I would go for the discoids for a couple reasons.

I have both, and I find that the green banana roaches breed a little slowly, and only the adults are a decent meal for a carpet. And it's not very good to have to feed off the adults in a breeding colony when you need them to breed. With the discoids you have lots of nymph sizes to choose from. You can save the adults for breeding and then have lots of small to medium nymphs to feed off, which would make good meals.

I find the discoids easier to keep as well. I don't need substrate to keep moist, I don't need to sift through it to find the roaches, and they can't climb of fly out of the bin.

And if you ever get a larger chameleon you will have roaches breeding already that are a good size for something bigger.

Although I will say that chameleons really love the green color of the banana roaches. I like them for my baby or dwarf chameleons but for my panthers or carpets I find them really small. They only get the adults as treats here and there.
 
yeh that was one thing i read about the green bananas that i definitely did not like lol the thought of breeding roaches that can fly and/or climb is some what a nightmare. sounds like i will be getting some discoid roachies in the near future. thanks for the tip i appreciate it.

what do you think about flies? i've seen flies on tikitikireptiles.com for really cheap, i think like $6 for like 100? i know they arent very nutritcious but are they worth buying at all?
 
No problem! I am in your same boat, so I can appreciate needing opinions about what to get in Florida legally that are worth it.

I think flies make great enrichment food, because they take much more work to catch. Flies and butterflies/moths make a really fun food for chameleons to try to catch so if you want to give your guy a treat I think they're great. Plus it's very fun to let one or two go in the cage and watch your poor guy go all over the place trying to shoot them, big difference from when they go after the same old crickets they've been aiming at for months.
 
True true. My uncle used to have a place in Melbourne beach. Im on the other coast like 10 min south of downtown tampa. Sounds like im gonna have roaches and flies in my apartment soon. Thank God i dont live with my mom. Blood curdling screams is all im gonna say about her and roaches hahaha

Wish i woulda ordered some flies n roaches earlier coulda given my guy a nice thanksgiving meal lol. Thanks again for your time. I've seen a lot of your posts and you definitely seem to be a well respected member and very informative. You obviously know your stuff.
 
oh and also what size flies would be best for my lil guy? the large flies or just the regular size flies? hes only about 3-4 inches from nose to vent
 
Thank you!
Yes, I'm familiar with Brandon, I lived in Sarasota/Bradenton for a little while and will be moving over to Tampa in a month or so. I definitely like that coast more!

I'm horrible at comparing sizes without seeing something in person but he may be able to take the larges. Ask the supplier how they compare to a size of cricket. If your guy is eating 1/2" crickets and the flies are about that size, then you know you're ok.
 
you guys really should look up the "actual laws" of owning dubia roaches in florida. youd be surprised what can happen with a little bit of research

:D
 
It is technically legal to get dubias from another person as long as they are both within the state of Florida. But the person you get them from must have the proper licence to bring them in, which can be tricky since B. dubia is one of the species on the absolutely-no-importing list now. It's just so much easier and safer to stay out of trouble if you can get something like discoids instead.

You do still need a licence to import something like the green banana roaches but they are considered naturalized species and there is no problem getting them from someone in Florida.

Sure, you could find dubias anywhere here in Florida and the chances of you ever getting in trouble are probably very slim, but I rather not risk it. I don't want to pay even a $5 fine in the name of stupid roaches!
 
ill prolly never get a license to keep them here. but it sure was nice when i lived in california and the roaches were out producing my dragons and leopard geckos.
 
GlassEyez said:
Seeing how i live in FL dubias are illegal. Since i dont want to end up like this guy
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/01/30/Florida-man-busted-over-roaches/UPI-33571296403938/

I've been looking at other species of roaches. Floridaroaches.com has discoid roaches and green banana roaches. What im asking is which is the better feeder for my carpet cham? He eats crickets and likes waxworms but i have to order those online and will become very costly over time. He wont eat superworms. Which would be a better feeder for my cham?
Click to expand...

they made an example of this guy because he falsified permits and was an IDIOT! this guy is the reason everyone stopped shipping to florida.
 
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. And olimpia i agree with you no sense in taking legal risks for roaches lol. Hope you have a safe move to the bay area. I was born in miami and myself prefer the gulf to the atlantic lol. Plus tampa isnt overpopulated like miami lol. Green banana roaches and flies beware.
 
GlassEyez said:
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. And olimpia i agree with you no sense in taking legal risks for roaches lol. Hope you have a safe move to the bay area. I was born in miami and myself prefer the gulf to the atlantic lol. Plus tampa isnt overpopulated like miami lol. Green banana roaches and flies beware.
Click to expand...

I definitely agree! I lived in Miami about 10 years and was just dying to get out of there. Thanks!
 
GlassEyez said:
Olimpia just stay out of temple terrace and progress village and youll be fine ;)
Click to expand...

Nooo why? Temple terrace was an area very highly recommended by a friend who studied in Tampa. PM me and I'd love to pick your brain about the area, we're still looking for a place.
 
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