General Care and Breeding of Roaches of the genera Blaberus, Blaptica and Eublaberus

Michael Jacobi – www.SpiderShoppe.com – ©2004
INTRODUCTION
For those who maintain large collections of invertebrates [or insectivorous reptiles and amphibians] the
repeated purchase of crickets becomes extremely expensive and inconvenient. Crickets also attract and carry
pests, especially when they die within the vivarium. I’ll admit my bias right from the start – I hate crickets. One
reason is that over the years I have developed an allergy to them that causes itching, rashes, sneezing and
irritation of the eyes and nasal passages. If I make the mistake of touching my face after handling crickets my
eyes swell and turn very red and itchy. What makes crickets even less appealing to me is that they have a short
life span and tend to die quickly in the vivarium when deprived of food. They have a foul odor and attract tiny flies
and other nasties. Also, they may chew on the animals they were intended to be prey for and have caused
deaths, particularly in molting tarantulas.
Raising exotic roaches to provide a self-perpetuating food source for invertebrates is increasingly popular. A
successful roach colony will contain hundreds or even thousands of roaches ranging in size from tiny nymphs
to adults. Therefore, one roach colony can produce prey items for arachnids of all sizes. The newborn nymphs
of the three genera covered in this article can be offered to all but the smallest tarantula spiderlings or other
small arachnids. [I use Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs for tiny spiders and scorpions, but this small glass-climbing
roach will not be discussed here].
Another benefit of using roaches is the savings. Most roaches can subsist on table scraps, overripe produce,
and dog or cat kibble. After the initial investment in the colony and its housing and heat source the only cost
becomes a little time here and there for maintenance. If you’re ready to say goodbye to the cost of crickets and
their other undesirable aspects, please read on!
http://www.exoticfauna.com/arachnoculture/pdf/roaches.pdf

The newborn nymphs
of the three genera covered in this article can be offered to all but the smallest tarantula spiderlings or other
small arachnids. [I use Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs for tiny spiders and scorpions

На самом деле личинки траканов подходят в качестве корма даже для самых мелких паучат любых видов, но для них, конечно, нужно использовать не мраморника а другие виды. Более того, личинки первого возраста некоторых тараканов будут слишком малы для паучат любого вида птицеедов.