# Best cockroaches for my lizards?



## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I'd like to try setting up a cockroach colony to feed my green anoles both babies and adults. What's the best type to go for and what's a fool proof way of keeping them so that they don't escape?


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

For anoles I would say Turkestan Roaches( red runners ) would be the best, but there is so much choice now. It really just depends how much you want to pay. I would avoid Dubia if you are planning to let them free roam in the vivarium as they will say pretty low down and jam themselves into small holes making whereas I find the Turks and Lobster Roaches to be a tad more active.

I use very fine mesh to keep the roaches contained. I have, what is basically, a worktop with holes around a foot square cut out every so often with the mesh covering the holes. Underneath the work top I have my RUBs which only just fit so there is no chance in hell for escapees.



Gavin.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Cheers, someone else has also recommended turkestans. Any suggestions on what sort of colony to start with?


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## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi, I would also recommended Turkestan roaches. I started with a group of 250 a month ago and they have already bred enough for me to start feeding them off if I wanted to. I keep mine in one of the plastic fish tanks from wilkinsons at the moment. I have found that they really aren't as bad as people say they are and I have also found that they can't climb smooth surfaces. Hope this helps


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

_simon_ said:


> Cheers, someone else has also recommended turkestans. Any suggestions on what sort of colony to start with?


That depends on how many mouths you have to feed and how soon you want to start feeding them.

I have just noticed you have noted that you have both adults and young so Turks are perfect as the newly hatched are pretty small and you can 'harvest' them to make sure you can always find as small a roach as possible, if needed.





Beardy Boy97 said:


> Hi, I would also recommended Turkestan roaches. I started with a group of 250 a month ago and they have already bred enough for me to start feeding them off if I wanted to. I keep mine in one of the plastic fish tanks from wilkinsons at the moment. I have found that they really aren't as bad as people say they are and I have also found that they can't climb smooth surfaces. Hope this helps


Any moisture on the surfaces and they will be up and, if there is no lid( sometimes even if there is one ), out.



Gavin.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Bought an 80L box today, ordered a load of egg boxes and a turkistan colony. I bought 100 small turkistans earlier this week just to be sure they'd eat them and the answer is yes. Mrs says she'll kill me if she finds any loose. There's always food running around the floor but I guess Cockroaches have a bad name.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

My Turkistan colony arrived today! If anyone is after one then I can recommend Zoo Centre http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...an-roaches-shelfordella-blatta-lateralis.html

Unfortunately I hadn't noticed that the tub I'd bought had matt finish corners and the roaches found them immediately. I whipped out the trusty vaseline (as you do) and watched as the buggers climbed over it! Thankfully parcel tape seems to be doing the job and just to be sure I've cut a big access/ventilation hole in the lid and siliconed it on so if they do manage to climb the tape they'd have to climb upside down on shiny plastic to get out which I believe isn't possible with this species?


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## ZOO CENTRE (Apr 1, 2010)

_simon_ said:


> My Turkistan colony arrived today! If anyone is after one then I can recommend Zoo Centre http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...an-roaches-shelfordella-blatta-lateralis.html
> 
> Unfortunately I hadn't noticed that the tub I'd bought had matt finish corners and the roaches found them immediately. I whipped out the trusty vaseline (as you do) and watched as the buggers climbed over it! Thankfully parcel tape seems to be doing the job and just to be sure I've cut a big access/ventilation hole in the lid and siliconed it on so if they do manage to climb the tape they'd have to climb upside down on shiny plastic to get out which I believe isn't possible with this species?


Don't worry, they do not climb throught shiny plastic... :2thumb:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Hope you're right or my Mrs may kill me whilst I sleep


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## warrensark (Aug 23, 2012)

I also took delivery of some Turkistan roaches, thankfully I had them delivered to work, they had sent them in a plastic container with lots of vent holes punched in, unfortunately the babies were able to crawl through and some had escaped - oops! Have sort of told my hubby, but then he is used to find the odd dubia roach or mealworm/beetle scuttling past at some point. It doesn't help that the Turkistan roaches are faster than anything we have atm - a learning curve I think!!


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

When I opened one of the boxes I was greeted by loose cockroaches, my mrs was not impressed! No escapees so far, just bloody weevils everywhere. We had a police officer around the other week and she was proper freaking out over the weevils :lol2:


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