Does anyone else work with Discoids?

[Crested Lady]

OMG, I just got these roaches in the mail the other day... let me tell you that I'm absolutely terrified of them! Lol. I don't consider myself a wuss, but these things are freaky! They're HUGE!!! I'll post pics later on today.

[BadAssHerps]

Yeah I have a small colony of hissing roaches for my fims (giant leaftails). I brought them over to my moms house for kicks and she freaked out when I started making the male hiss at her LOL!!!!!! :lol:
-Eli

[Midwestherps]

having had a pretty good phobia where roaches were concerned in the past all I can say is they will definitely grow on you.. discoids are big and make alot of noise when they move, along with being pretty fast for their size. These days I generally find myself feeling a little sorry for mine at feeding time, especially the babies, which resemble tiny little pillbugs. They definitely have some interesting behaviors for a bug, if a big chicken like me can get used to them Im sure you'll do so pretty fast :wink:

[Crested Lady]

OMG! I HATE hissing roaches!!! Lol. Let me tell you a hissing roach story....

When I was 16, my parent's friends paid me to watch their son for a week while they were on vacation. I found out that I'd have the whole huge house to myself for a week... and like any 16 year old that's starving for freedom, I jumped at the chance.

The kid that I was babysitting was named, Matthew. Matthew was 12 years old and had a massive hissing roach colony that he introduce me to. I grew some balls and held one and ended up being very proud. Later that night, I hopped into the guest bed and went to sleep.

At about 2 a.m., I felt someone poking me... "Sarah, Sarah, SARAH!" I sat up and mumbled, "What Matthew...?" and that's when, through the fuzziness of a sleep-drugged brain, I felt something poke my face.

I reached up to brush it off and heard this nasty hissing noise and felt something moving across my face. Let me tell you, I shot out from under the covers and started screaming words that would have made a sailor proud. :shock: I ripped the cockroach from my face, crushed it in my hand, and proceeded to pull the others off my face as well. If it had been a war, there would have been two casualties and God knows how many purple hearts those roaches would have won! LMBO! Needless to say... I hate, HATE roaches. :lol: :twisted:

[DDReptiles]

I finally am gettind some Blaptica Dubia this Monday (100 of them) they were expensive but I am hoping will be worth it in the long run. I alredy am used to roaches including hissers and so I don't think there will be much of a yuck factor.

[Crested Lady]

I was thinking about getting some Dubia. You have to let me know if you end up liking them. :)

[Midwestherps]

The dubia are a way easier species to deal with than the discoids, along with being a little less mold prone. The males are winged and the females aren't, which helps with sexing them obviously. They are also probably the slowest of the non-climbers Ive worked along with being fairly timid and docile, I can pick mine up in a big metal tablespoon with no problems. If anyone needs some dubia, just let me know, I have alot of nymphs to get rid of.

[Crested Lady]

How fast do they reproduce? Also, do they lay eggs or are they live-bearers? These discoids are freaking me out! Lol.

[Midwestherps]

I think the dubia reproduce and grow a bit faster than the discoids, all the literature I have states the same on them as far as reproductive cycles go however, generally every 3-6 weeks an adult female will produce around 30 young. It seems to me that the discoids go a very long time as a tiny nymph then suddenly has several very large growth spurts in a short period, whereas the dubia grow more along a gradual linear scale.

[DDReptiles]

They reproduce I have read fairlly fast and are live bearers. I think I will enjoy them I will have to let you know.

But the non-climbing, no flying, and easy to sex just won me over. 8)

[nycherper]

I am still wating for my Dubia to drop a clutch of babies! I've had them since June! Eli, you keep fimbriatus? I got some sikorae and spears, I really want to expand my uro collection!

[Midwestherps]

I am still wating for my Dubia to drop a clutch of babies! I've had them since June! Eli, you keep fimbriatus? I got some sikorae and spears, I really want to expand my uro collection!

Did you get them as adults or are they starting to turn now? Fruit is an essential component of the dibias diets and without giving some form of fruit at least once or twice a week will cause all sorts of dropped egg cases and dead females.

[nycherper]

I have about 5 females when I got them and a few males. I have been giving fruits(mainly oranges and anpples) and greens.

[gcxbrian]

i really heard good things about dubia. but many peopel use lobsters because of their fast reproduction rate and even thoguth they can stick to walls, that can be stopped with some peteroleum gel at the top ends of a bowl or something.. hope this helps

[Midwestherps]

Well, if you want something that breeds faster than Lobster raoches and can't climb, get some Blatta lateralis, they also have the added bonus of not being a burrower. This species does pose a few problems however, the males do have a rudimentary ability to fly.. some are better than others with most just being able to slow a downward fall by fluttering their wings.. also, the jury is still out on whether they pose a threat as a pest species, I know some people in Europe have stated theya re a terrible pest in temperate climates.. Im keeping a close eye on mine and only recommend them to people who absolutley know what they could be getting into and are willing to take the necessary precautions.

On another note, Lobsters are also a pest species, I personally know 3 people who have had to hire exterminators to get rid of a population of lobsters in their houses resulting from some feral escapees.

[gcxbrian]

LOL! that sucks if a whole roach colony escapes.. shoudl jsut keep it in an outside enclosed area.. eww if your roach cricket mealworm colonies got opend up somehow and theya ll escaped?.. gross

[Crested Lady]

I've dropped a whole box of crickets before. Thankfully, I got most of them before they got too far... the rest, the cat ate. Mmm.. Mmm...

[gcxbrian]

i dont really feed my geckos any crickets .. i think i should.. but i think id stick with cgd and occasional pinkies to fatten them up

[PCherper]

can you feed them to crested?