# Roaches which can't climb plastic?



## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

Are there any which can't climb the sides of say a large storage tub? I have lobster roaches currently but despite a vaseline layer and a lid with net curtain a few(especially very small ones) seem to find their way out.

Something that can't climb would remove the process of having to renew the Vaseline (I am a bugger for forgetting) and also just makes things easier.

I was thinking of turkistan roaches but I'm not sure if they climb a bit or not?


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

I keep turkistan, dubia and discoid and none of them can climb smooth surfaces.

If you are worried about them escaping dubia and discoid are the least likely to escape : victory:


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

imginy said:


> I keep turkistan, dubia and discoid and none of them can climb smooth surfaces.
> 
> If you are worried about them escaping dubia and discoid are the least likely to escape : victory:


Ooh not heard of discoid roaches. What are they like for time to establish? I know Turkistan are meant to be the fastest and I might actually get overwhelmed, but then I don't want something too slow either. (10 tarantulas, but I will have three lizards and two frogs by the summer if all goes to plan.)

I'd probably buy around 200 dubia if I were to go with them as a start, or 100 Discoid since they're a bit pricier, or say 300 or so Turkistan.


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

joeyboy said:


> Ooh not heard of discoid roaches. What are they like for time to establish? I know Turkistan are meant to be the fastest and I might actually get overwhelmed, but then I don't want something too slow either. (10 tarantulas, but I will have three lizards and two frogs by the summer if all goes to plan.)
> 
> I'd probably buy around 200 dubia if I were to go with them as a start, or 100 Discoid since they're a bit pricier, or say 300 or so Turkistan.


Both dubia and discoid take around 10 months to get established I think turks are around 5 months...

Personally I would just go by what size live food you need with turks being quite small and dubia large and discoid extra large.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

imginy said:


> Both dubia and discoid take around 10 months to get established I think turks are around 5 months...
> 
> Personally I would just go by what size live food you need with turks being quite small and dubia large and discoid extra large.


what would you is the length of a turkistan roach then? Obviously for tarantulas adult cricket size is fine..for the arboreal lizard probably the same as they're both quite small and slender species, frogs..well they can just be bought locusts to mix things up..


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

I took a photo for size comparison, there is a adult male dubia an adult male turk and a adult male discoid


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## mooshu (Mar 24, 2010)

I was cleaning out my hisser colony last night I think I found a couple of turks in there!? I was going to post a pic now I dont have to cheers!


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

imginy said:


> I took a photo for size comparison, there is a adult male dubia an adult male turk and a adult male discoid
> 
> image


Oh thanks a lot! Sorry to be a pain but just so I can sort of estimate up, how big is that little turk then? (I assume the red one is turkistan hence red runners) Like 2.5cm?

Might go with Dubia roaches then as those Turks seem a little too lean. :lol2: So as long as my plastic tub has no textured corners dubia roaches shouldn't be climbing right up the sides?


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

joeyboy said:


> Oh thanks a lot! Sorry to be a pain but just so I can sort of estimate up, how big is that little turk then? (I assume the red one is turkistan hence red runners) Like 2.5cm?
> 
> Might go with Dubia roaches then as those Turks seem a little too lean. :lol2: So as long as my plastic tub has no textured corners dubia roaches shouldn't be climbing right up the sides?


There is no dubia are ever going to climb up the sides of a smooth tub and yes turks are about 2.5cm.

still best to a have a lid though to keep heat in and because also some dubia adult males flap there little wings and get a few inches off the ground.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

imginy said:


> There is no dubia are ever going to climb up the sides of a smooth tub and yes turks are about 2.5cm.
> 
> still best to a have a lid though to keep heat in and because also some dubia adult males flap there little wings and get a few inches off the ground.


Yeah I'd have a lid. My issue with my Lobsters is that obviously they climb anything and although I have a lid with net curtain under it the very small offspring are able to scale the sides and sometimes escape, this is if I forget to re-vaseline mainly..but I am forgetful, hence getting something less able to climb might be a good idea. I noticed a member is selling sets of 60 adults at a 50:50 split and then 75 4-5th instar and 150 1-2nd instar so I guess that would be a decent start to get a little colony going.


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

joeyboy said:


> Yeah I'd have a lid. My issue with my Lobsters is that obviously they climb anything and although I have a lid with net curtain under it the very small offspring are able to scale the sides and sometimes escape, this is if I forget to re-vaseline mainly..but I am forgetful, hence getting something less able to climb might be a good idea. I noticed a member is selling sets of 60 adults at a 50:50 split and then 75 4-5th instar and 150 1-2nd instar so I guess that would be a decent start to get a little colony going.


sounds like a really good amount to get a colony going.

Yes great thing about dubias is you can leave lid off the tub for an hour or so while you feed them or if you want the lid off for a bit to get humidity down there is no worries of any escaping.
Its only when you leave the lid off over night when its dark the males might try and fly out the top.


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