Blaberus discoidales help

I am starting a colony of these for feeders. Any advice on what to feed and how to get them up and breeding? And how many you can a female bare? Thanks

Hi,
Feed them with vegetables (cucumber!, potatoe,...) and dry cat food, but you can try others (bred,...). They will grow and breed if you have both sexes. I don't keep this species but based on my experiences on other species I think that a female bears about 20-30 youngs at a time.

Feri

Dry chick starter mash from the feed store has always worked really well for me. Be sure to asked for the unmedicated variety.

Wade

My first colony of Discoids started out with about 50 roaches. After six months of keeping them with no success at breeding, I heard that a basking light may increase the odds. When I added the basking light they took off like mad! If you're starting with a small colony and seem to be having troubles getting them to breed, try the basking light with a hot spot around 90 - 95 degrees F. My colonies seem to have no problem at successful breeding now, even without a basking lamp. They must have just needed something to kick them into gear until their numbers increased.

Dave

cool, and how long does it take before the new generation is born? I would love to keep some as food, but I'll have to be able to breed them very quick!