# how do you breed madagascar roaches?



## cristal redfoot (Jan 12, 2013)

Can anybody tell me what you need and how? Thanks in advance!


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## Tom (Jan 12, 2013)

Get an 18 gallon plastic bin. The clear ones are the smoothest and work the best. Cut some vent holes in the lid and use metal window screen and hot glue to cover the holes. A couple of 3x6" holes is enough for my roach room. Get some Vaseline and smear a thin 2" wide strip around the top. and Get 5 or 6 egg flats and put cardboard dividers in between each of them. Then throw some dog kibble in one of the front corners and some produce in the other. I use carrot, orange, banana, pumpkin, table scraps, whatever. Something wet. They need it for hydration. Then add some breeding stock and wait. They are slow breeders. It will likely take months to see any babies. You will have better results if you start with subadults and let them molt into maturity in your enclosure, instead of starting with adults.


What do you want to breed them for? Food or pets? I ask because there are lots of other species available for both purposes.


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## cristal redfoot (Jan 13, 2013)

Thank you for your awesome response and food for Chinese water dragons. They really seem to like them but are really expensive to buy some everyday.


I could try something you recommend just as long as they aren't worms. I can handle a bag of them but not a bin of worms.


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## bholmes88 (Jan 13, 2013)

Females will only breed once, all babies she has will come from that original male. Hissers are one of the easiest roaches to keep, Tom wrote of a great basic setup for them.


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## Tom (Jan 13, 2013)

Cristal, look into dubia roaches. Blaptica dubia. They are a much better food source than the madagascars and they can't cling smooth surfaces. Better because the adults are better sized and no so hard for them to eat. The are also much easier to keep and breed MUCH faster. Hissers are very slow to mature and very slow to reproduce. Dubia are easier, faster, softer to eat, can't climb smooth surfaces, etc. also the males are very easy to see at a distance. Feed out surplus males and leave your females behind to make more babies. 

Just a suggestion...


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## cristal redfoot (Jan 13, 2013)

I think that is a great suggestion and I will make sure to look into them. Thank you Tom. Ill update so you could see how I did. Oh and about how many roaches should I start off with?


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## Tom (Jan 13, 2013)

It takes months to get them going and it also depends on how many you need to feed out on a daily basis. If you do it right, you will never have to buy feeders again after about 4-6 moths. I'd get at least 100-200 juveniles. This will allow you to feed out most of the males as they mature, but still leave enough females behind. For the first few months it feels like it just isn't going to happen and then when generation two and three really get going, your population explodes. You'll have more than you know what to do with.


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## cristal redfoot (Jan 13, 2013)

I hope I get it right. I'm actually a little terrified but my boyfriend will be doing all the work.


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## Momof4 (Jan 13, 2013)

I agree with Tom. When you set up the contaner add a heating pad under half of it. The breed better when it's warm a a bit humid. I also kept babyfood cereal on the bottom for them to eat. They don't hiss or smell. Soon you will have hundreds and hundreds if not thousands. I cut a square in the lid and addded screen for ventilation. They were fun to have around. I also used water crystals in a small bowl for them. 
Good luck!


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