File :-(, x, )
Hissing Cockroach Anonymous
Good day, /an/

I've been thinking about getting some Madagascar hissing cockroaches and wondered if anyone had any experience with them. How many can you keep in one tank at a time, comfortably, and where would I buy them?
>> Anonymous
Easy to aquire.
Lots of people use them as feeders for beardies aswell as many gecko species and other lizards.

Reproduce like fucking crazy. So be sure you have a way to get rid of the extra roaches.
>> Anonymous
Easy to care for, you can actually order them in bulk off most websites. Humidity and light is all i had problems with, if it's to humid, adults will die off but the chrysalis will florish. Sunlight and temperature is what got to mine...direct sunlight kills them fairly quickly...they are natural burrowers in austrailia...so sunliht is bad....uhh...other then that...specific questions?....whatch when u pick em up..they ot mean spikes on their feet that will break skin if you're not gentle
>> Anonymous
>>232777

Like a heavy boot?
>> Frankengun !.AU8RutcSA
EW EW EW EW
KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT
>> Anonymous
>>232775
How bad is it if these escape?
>> Anonymous
>>232804
ie. will it create a horrible horrible infestation if there is a pregnant female or a male & female?
>> Anonymous
Get a big tank and a fairly large number of them and they establish a sort of cockroach feudal system, it's absolutely facinating to watch.
>> Anonymous
>>232838
Build 2 cockroach castles and set up a mini village in between?
>> Anonymous
>>232835
No, read up on them, they can't in NA.
>> Anonymous
Are they territorial at all? Like, will males fight with each other often?

And would should I do if I suddenly get a million babies? Sell them?
>> Anonymous
The majority of the offspring are eaten right off bat. I had one case where my female escaped and i had a slight infestation. Generally..i live in florida...it was jsut plain to hot for them to survive in the house...just crank up the heat and they die off...
>> Anonymous
The very notion of these getting loose in my house and reproducing makes me need a shower and a dozen cans of Raid.
>> Anonymous
OP here, thanks guys.

There are now 20 roaches on their way to my house.
>> Anonymous
>>233202
oh jesus
what have we done
>> Anonymous
>>233202
Release them into your neighbors house.
>> Anonymous
I was talking to my friend about this.

Just mail the excess roaches to random people in the area.

Good clean fun.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
They have arrived! Say hello, /an/
>> Anonymous
Oh, let me tell you about these things.

I kept some for around 2 years. At first I was a very conscientious master, and when I changed their substrate I would pick out all the little babies and try to make sure I didn't throw any away (I cared for them) and I fed them plenty.

Eventually I stopped caring, when I realized they eat each other, and 90% of the biomass you put into their tank gets turned into more roaches. They pretty much sustain themselves through cannibalism if you feed them little enough, and this keeps their population from exploding... just my personal experience.

A good substrate for them is recycled newspaper balls; certain wood shavings (such as cedar) are a natural insecticide and will kill them, and other wood shavings allow the babies to hide inside the curled shavings (which might not matter to you).

For the first few weeks I kept the tank on my dresser, but then one of my idiot cats got behind it and kept shoving his face into the tank trying to get them and pushed the whole tank off. It landed upside down.

Some escaped but I never did have an infestation (I'm in central Indiana).
>> Anonymous
>>233815
oh....wonderful. If I find any of your cockroaches, I guess I'll know who to go after.
>> Anonymous
OP
>>233815
What a coincidence. I too live in central Indy. And thanks for the info.
>> Anonymous
>>233820
if they can't survive in my house with central heating, they're not going to survive the trek to your miserable abode. shove it.

on a related note, I facepalm and laugh at every movie that features hissing cockroaches in an American diner, dumpster, etc.

THEY DON'T FUCKING LIVE HERE

even men in black did this; i was so disappointed.
>> Anonymous
>>233815
>>233826
here.

incidentally, I got my cockroaches at my local church youth group. The youth pastor ordered them to do a 'fear factor' event (I was quite young at the time).