I started out with 25 roaches and now have hundreds. Its crazy how fast they multipy.
The size of one adult here, unfortunately this one passed away. None of my animals can eat a roach that size but that was definitely a breeding adult.
I feed my colony very healthy homemade chow. I posted my recipe under does anyone else make their own roach chow. Just as food is important as well as heat and humidity water is equally important. It is important to have fresh water spring or RO water NEVER use tap water this will kill your roaches. Additionally its important that you have shallow water dishes that are accessible to the babies and you want to put some pebbles and some climbs in the water dish so that the babies don’t drown getting water. Having a way out for them is important if they fall in. Adults don’t really have problems with water, they are large enough to not drown.
Here is some of my roaches crowding around to get water. It’s interesting they know when i have fresh cool ( room temp) water, they come running.
Tons of babies
Healthy chow may not look like much but they devour this. Put just enough out so that the food gets eaten within a day or 2 id say 3 max! You don’t want mold to grow on the food, the mold is toxic to the roaches.
In my roach colony i place 1 table spoon of roach chow.
How i keep my roaches, in a black ( can use any opaque color ) Iris tote 40 qt. With snap handles ( more to keep Sasha from maybe getting into it.) I put some aspen bedding in the bottom. I put toilet paper tubes ( they like to hide) as well as egg crate ( paper pulp ) for climbing and for hides. This helps spread out the colony too so they aren’t crammed together. I leave enough room to the top that they can’t reach to escape. I only have Turkish Red Runners and Dubias so i cannot say for other roaches, but these roaches are unable to climb the very smooth tote sides. ( id recommend the glossy totes over matte, they are more slick)
