LPS crickets= highway robbery!! Roaches anyone?

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

After going to my LPS and buying crickets, I feel like I got robbed!
They charge 14 cents for large and 13 for a small. And these are tiny!!

SO after being a bit ticked, I have decided on breeding my own roaches.
They will pay for themselves in no time, especially if my T collection expands.

I have a few questions though.

I am looking at breeding: b lateralis, or b dubia

Any suggestions on which one for a first time roach breeder?
Also I have a collection of 12 slings (under 1.5") a 2" juvie, and a 3.5" juvie/subadult. So 14 total. Could double in size in the next year or so. Lol (you all know what I am talking about)
How many would you suggest to start with for a collection this size? 50? 100? 200? That being mixed nymphs.
5 Male/Female? 10 M/F? 30 M/F?

I have done some preliminary research, but after this post I am back to searching.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

NewAgePrimal · Oct 11, 2014

Sorry to burst your bubble, but even having a roach colony you will still end up buying crickets. I got a dubia colony started back in June and I thought I would never have to buy overpriced crickets ever again. But it turned out some of my Ts wanted nothing to do with roaches, alive or dead/wounded. A colony does help alot, especially when you have 30+ hungry spiders. You might try having a roach and cricket colony. Then you would be set. I would raise my own crickets, but I ran out of space.

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

NewAgePrimal said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but even having a roach colony you will still end up buying crickets. I got a dubia colony started back in June and I thought I would never have to buy overpriced crickets ever again. But it turned out some of my Ts wanted nothing to do with roaches, alive or dead/wounded. A colony does help alot, especially when you have 30+ hungry spiders. You might try having a roach and cricket colony. Then you would be set. I would raise my own crickets, but I ran out of space.

Right. I have read that some T's just won't take roaches at all.
I am hoping that maybe the B. lats will be similar enough to crickets to "fool" them. Lol

And I wouldn't mind going to the pet store to get some crickets, but not be 100% dependent on them.

And for your colony, how many did you start with? Was it enough? How many Ts were you feeding?

Spepper · Oct 11, 2014

I can get 16 crickets of any size at my LPS for $1.00. And I usually get a significant overcount. I guess I have it good.:

:

Ultum4Spiderz · Oct 11, 2014

CBickert said:
After going to my LPS and buying crickets, I feel like I got robbed!
They charge 14 cents for large and 13 for a small. And these are tiny!!

SO after being a bit ticked, I have decided on breeding my own roaches.
They will pay for themselves in no time, especially if my T collection expands.

I have a few questions though.

I am looking at breeding: b lateralis, or b dubia

Any suggestions on which one for a first time roach breeder?
Also I have a collection of 12 slings (under 1.5") a 2" juvie, and a 3.5" juvie/subadult. So 14 total. Could double in size in the next year or so. Lol (you all know what I am talking about)
How many would you suggest to start with for a collection this size? 50? 100? 200? That being mixed nymphs.
5 Male/Female? 10 M/F? 30 M/F?

I have done some preliminary research, but after this post I am back to searching.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yeah I stick to my roach colony, I used to get a dozen Adult crickets for 80cents- $1.00 those days are over with now it cost $2.50 or more for 12 medium or baby crickets. If I bought only crickets id pay $19-30 for crickets at LPS, or $20 if buying Superworms/ crix. Bigger Ts eat a ton.

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

Spepper said:
I can get 16 crickets of any size at my LPS for $1.00. And I usually get a significant overcount. I guess I have it good.::

You have it very very good!!
One time I got a dozen large, the girl gave me exactly 12 and 2 were dead! WTH!!

NewAgePrimal · Oct 11, 2014

CBickert said:
Right. I have read that some T's just won't take roaches at all.
I am hoping that maybe the B. lats will be similar enough to crickets to "fool" them. Lol

And I wouldn't mind going to the pet store to get some crickets, but not be 100% dependent on them.

And for your colony, how many did you start with? Was it enough? How many Ts were you feeding?

I started off with 100 dubia. I had 16 Ts back in June. That number has since doubled :/

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

NewAgePrimal said:
I started off with 100 dubia. I had 16 Ts back in June. That number has since doubled :/

So was that 25 male/ 75 female? Do you feel like that size was/is able to sustain your current collection of Ts?

And you know exactly what I meant when I said I currently have 14 but it could double in the next year lol

Ultum4Spiderz · Oct 11, 2014

NewAgePrimal said:
I started off with 100 dubia. I had 16 Ts back in June. That number has since doubled :/

Yeah Roach colonys can grow way too fast!!

telepatella · Oct 11, 2014

What about wax worms, king worms or meal worms as a variations as well..? They are nutritious. And, like Mick Jagger says, don't forget the maggots :drool:

ratluvr76 · Oct 11, 2014

I'm thinking about purchasing some hornworms... you can get 25 hornworm eggs complete with the container and the food for them for about 10-12 dollars shipped. I've heard they make really good sling food and if you let them grow more they're suitable for your bigger t's too as treats. Have you thought about that?

NewAgePrimal · Oct 11, 2014

I got a mix of several adult dubia, not sure of the exact ratio, and the rest were small to mid sized. The dubia colony has grown, but it's not overwhelming. It was my tarantula collection that doubled on me. And even with twice the Ts the dubia colony still has plenty to spare. I have a female A. hentzi which only eats crickets, and my small avic slings seem to prefer baby crickets as does my E. sp. red sling and my C. vittatus. I also have a meal worm colony going, but my leopard geckos get most of those, as well as a few dubia.

---------- Post added 10-11-2014 at 10:25 PM ----------

ratluvr76 said:
I'm thinking about purchasing some hornworms... you can get 25 hornworm eggs complete with the container and the food for them for about 10-12 dollars shipped. I've heard they make really good sling food and if you let them grow more they're suitable for your bigger t's too as treats. Have you thought about that?

Just keep them away from your tomato plants!:wink:

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

ratluvr76 said:
I'm thinking about purchasing some hornworms... you can get 25 hornworm eggs complete with the container and the food for them for about 10-12 dollars shipped. I've heard they make really good sling food and if you let them grow more they're suitable for your bigger t's too as treats. Have you thought about that?

Haven't thought about those, but did look at super worms. I will look into those though. Thanks

ratluvr76 · Oct 11, 2014

CBickert said:
Haven't thought about those, but did look at super worms. I will look into those though. Thanks

no problem.

Superworms are good too. the Hornworms are a soft bodied worm though, no chitin.

CBickert · Oct 11, 2014

ratluvr76 said:
no problem. Superworms are good too. the Hornworms are a soft bodied worm though, no chitin.

I think I have seen a feeding video where they fed their T a hornworm. Made a nice pop! when he crunched into it. Juices went everywhere lol

miserykills · Oct 12, 2014

I think unless you have a ton of tarantulas the roaches will breed much faster than you can feed them off. Maybe the worms would be better since i don't think they breed as fast.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ratluvr76 · Oct 12, 2014

miserykills said:
I think unless you have a ton of tarantulas the roaches will breed much faster than you can feed them off. Maybe the worms would be better since i don't think they breed as fast.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been kind of reading up on different feeders and the pros and cons of some of them. from what I've found so far, mealworms and superworms have alot of fat content in them and so tend to make your T's obese if you use them exclusively. food for thought....

freedumbdclxvi · Oct 12, 2014

Considering we have zero clue what sort of dietary needs tarantulas have, I don't think there is any proof to validate the idea that super worms make T's obese. Constant captive overfeeding makes them obese - not a specific prey item.

ratluvr76 · Oct 12, 2014

freedumbdclxvi said:
Considering we have zero clue what sort of dietary needs tarantulas have, I don't think there is any proof to validate the idea that super worms make T's obese. Constant captive overfeeding makes them obese - not a specific prey item.

this is true. I have read a lot of commentary, admittedly anecdotal, that tarantulas that are fed superworms tend to obesity. Of course, anecdotal "evidence" is inherently flawed.

pyro fiend · Oct 12, 2014

CBickert said:
After going to my LPS and buying crickets, I feel like I got robbed!
They charge 14 cents for large and 13 for a small. And these are tiny!!

SO after being a bit ticked, I have decided on breeding my own roaches.
They will pay for themselves in no time, especially if my T collection expands.

I have a few questions though.

I am looking at breeding: b lateralis, or b dubia

Any suggestions on which one for a first time roach breeder?
Also I have a collection of 12 slings (under 1.5") a 2" juvie, and a 3.5" juvie/subadult. So 14 total. Could double in size in the next year or so. Lol (you all know what I am talking about)
How many would you suggest to start with for a collection this size? 50? 100? 200? That being mixed nymphs.
5 Male/Female? 10 M/F? 30 M/F?

I have done some preliminary research, but after this post I am back to searching.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

hah you think those prices are bad? my big chain lps are notorious for giving you only dead crickets.. or less then you order.. but we have a lps who will give you an overcount BUT they are both small and skinny. but they are like 25cents for large 20cents for meds and 15 cents for small.. BUT pinheads.. its $5.50 cents a "bag" where they take a 4x1 egg crate slat and drop it and whatever is in them in a bag.. it could be 12 in the bag or 120 you have no choice they wont guarantee anything lmao and they wonder why ppl wont buy the pinheads XD

LPS crickets= highway robbery!! Roaches anyone?

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