Breeding roaches/crix/locusts?

[jack_rep]

Im just wondering if it would be worth doing, considering i have a small collection. I have 4 leos and a beardy on the way. What sort of colony size are you going to need to show any worth while return?

Also, if a cricket escaped it wudnt be a big deal. but if you lost a cockroach wouldnt your risk infesting ur home? Dont think my housemates would be too chuffed if that happened lol

Cheers

[johne.ev]

For the size collection you have it's not worth your while breeding crickets or locusts. But it is so easy to breed roaches & beardys like a nice fat roach.
If you breed Dubia roaches & use a deep enough smooth sided plastic tub they will not escape.

[jack_rep]

See i already keep my crix in a deep plastic tub, but there is always one that inevitably escapes. Either you drop it by accident or it gets out some other way u dont even realise.

Would they infest your house if they got out. Crix will eventually die off, but roaches have a bit of a reputation for being survivors.

[LoveForLizards]

Unlesss you have a very warm and relatively humid house then no they wont survive long BUT they are much nicer to have crawling around then crickets. Crickets stink, jump, bite and are ugly. Roaches are odourless, can only crawl, dont bite and are pretty damn cool and handleable.
Take a look at the sticky in this forum, that should answer some of your questions.

[Sollytear]

Most roaches can not reproduce at room temp. About 25C or so. So unless a preggy female gets somewhere worm its not a problem.
I HATE crickets, had a few escape and they are living *under* my floorboards in a rented house in a terrace. This is bad. They were all mediums/small when escaped but have been maturing into adults for a while and causes so much noise. I have many RAID cricket killing things and believe me they are good, but I cannot get the ones right in the center of the room. Shame. Hope they dont reproduce.

anyway.
Roaches are far better. Just are more *icky* like, according to the girl flatmate... crickets were bareable until they escaped, roaches are a no no. But i have some in the airing cupboard anyway :p

[jack_rep]

Originally Posted by Sollytear

Roaches are far better. Just are more *icky* like, according to the girl flatmate... crickets were bareable until they escaped, roaches are a no no. But i have some in the airing cupboard anyway :p

ha ha yeah i dont think id be sharing the fact i have them with my housemates.

Looking into getting a colony now. Emailed some breeders. How many would i need to give a decent output?

[loogielv]

depending on when you want to start feeding from the colony i'd say 150 adults (100 females, 50 males) and another 100 juveniles would get you going. you could start feeding slowly right away and then the adults would start having babies pretty quick.