# Feeding Roaches



## zeus7 (Jul 17, 2008)

Just about to take delivery of some dubia roaches (are they named after the last US president?) and was wondering about feeding them.
I have now seen conflicting views on the caresheets I have looked at for these - one says use dog food but not cat food and another says use the cat food (dried varieties of both)
Having checked both foods out, the cat food is higher in protein which is apparently what these roaches need - so can this be used?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Cat food can be used mixed with low protein foods but dog food can be fed exclusively and is much better!......and cheaper :whistling2:


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## zeus7 (Jul 17, 2008)

so i should ignore comments about them requiring 40% protein in their diet?


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Yeah basically, just go with a puppy food. If you think they are reproducing slow then add a bit of cat food here or there but you can get problems with too high protein aswell, either that or go with a low quality cat food that has low protein


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## zeus7 (Jul 17, 2008)

Sorted - puppy food it is - many thanks


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## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

I keep lobster roachs, thousands of them, and I give them a diet of fresh vegetables, bagged dried fruit, dried dog biscuits, mixed nuts, dried mouse mix and they get their water from orange flavor jelly (I used to use bug gel, but 1 500ml tub used to last me under a week, jelly costs much less and is nutritious)!
EDIT:- I forgot to ass, they have crushed oats and weetabix mixed with sugar as a substrate.


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## pedro (Nov 3, 2008)

zeus7 said:


> Just about to take delivery of some dubia roaches (are they named after the last US president?) and was wondering about feeding them.
> I have now seen conflicting views on the caresheets I have looked at for these - one says use dog food but not cat food and another says use the cat food (dried varieties of both)
> Having checked both foods out, the cat food is higher in protein which is apparently what these roaches need - so can this be used?
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.


I feed mine anything thats going in scraps as well as dog and cat food.theres nothing a cockroach won't eat, he will eat the grease from a washing machine motor to stay alive if he has to. seen them doing it in an apartment in Tenerife. Don't go down Halfords and buy a tub of grease though.:lol2:


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## Stuart C (Jun 12, 2008)

Oliver Dodds said:


> they get their water from orange flavor jelly (I used to use bug gel, but 1 500ml tub used to last me under a week, jelly costs much less and is nutritious)!.


haha I think I would eat it before the roaches got a chance to!


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## The Roach Hut (Mar 29, 2008)

i use dog food as it is a staple diet and doesnt need anything else... my colony going mad 300 adult and about 2500 babies
now


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Mine go mad for fish flakes. i tried them on ground dog biscuits but they arent eating it as well. any ideas why? do i need to bother grinding them in the blender or can they go in whole?


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

mrhoyo said:


> Mine go mad for fish flakes. i tried them on ground dog biscuits but they arent eating it as well. any ideas why? do i need to bother grinding them in the blender or can they go in whole?


Dog biscuits are quite filling for them so they dont eat alot anyway. They can be fed whole.


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## arm2010 (Jun 2, 2005)

When talking about dog or cat food is that dry food or the tinned wet stuff...?


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## pedro (Nov 3, 2008)

arm2010 said:


> When talking about dog or cat food is that dry food or the tinned wet stuff...?


Dry stuff thats what i feed mine anyway. they would eat the tinned wet stuff but you don.t want any uneaten going mouldy or stinking. If it starts stinking the missus would no i was keeping them in the spare bedroom.:whistling2::lol2:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

arm2010 said:


> When talking about dog or cat food is that dry food or the tinned wet stuff...?


Definitly dry kibble.



pedro said:


> If it starts stinking the missus would no i was keeping them in the spare bedroom.:whistling2::lol2:


:rotfl:


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## arm2010 (Jun 2, 2005)

Great , Thanks for the info , was not quite sure there for a bit ...! Felt like a tit asking :blush:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

arm2010 said:


> Great , Thanks for the info , was not quite sure there for a bit ...! Felt like a tit asking :blush:


The only stupid questions are the ones you that arent asked : victory:


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

I give mine dry dog biscuits, weetabix (they dont last long!) and Butternut squash


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## The Roach Hut (Mar 29, 2008)

mrhoyo said:


> Mine go mad for fish flakes. i tried them on ground dog biscuits but they arent eating it as well. any ideas why? do i need to bother grinding them in the blender or can they go in whole?


 i bash mine in a pillow case with the hammer but grinding them will work too lol


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## arm2010 (Jun 2, 2005)

FireDragon said:


> i bash mine in a pillow case with the hammer but grinding them will work too lol


 Conjures up a wonderful mental image ...! :lol2:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

FireDragon said:


> i bash mine in a pillow case with the hammer but grinding them will work too lol


And the neighbours well........they wonder :lol2::Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## xsmithx2 (Oct 24, 2007)

i just give my tirkistan roaches anything reali srcaps of dinner eg veg, etc.. and dog bis.


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

I feed mine dry dog food and their breeding well, I tried a wet diet and found it difficult to balance feeding them enough and too much which soon became mouldy.


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