temp for keeping roaches

[villanueva11]

I have kept my roaches about 85°F and they have done rather well so now I have lots of them. I'm thinking that I'd like to slow them down a bit, just for a while so planning on taking the heat light away & cooling them down to 72° or so. Is it safe to go any lower? Maybe 60-65°? Will the babies growth rate slow down so they will stay small enough for him to eat? Or will this just possibly kill them all?

 

[SaintJimmy]

Sixty is a bit low. I wouldn't go any lower than 65, 70 is pretty good if you don't want them to breed. If you want babies, around 85.

 

[grccola]

I have mine in my garage where it gets in the low 60s but I have them in a tote with a under the tank heat pad and they do well

 

[fluxlizard]

For many years I didn't use heat for my roaches. They survive fine down to at least 50. But temps only dropped overnight for that low. Day temps only climbed to the mid-upper 60s sometimes for up to several weeks depending on the winter. I did not have big losses, but did not have much reproduction with dubia and hissers. Lobsters seemed to just keep producing from the mid-upper 60s on up, though it probably slowed. Actually come to think of it- I see stragglers in the outdoor cages in the fall down near frost. So the thing about them not taking the cool is a myth. But if you are just trying to slow things down I think you are going to be fine at those temps.

 

[dlegare]

I have kept my roaches about 85°F and they have done rather well so now I have lots of them. I'm thinking that I'd like to slow them down a bit, just for a while so planning on taking the heat light away & cooling them down to 72° or so. Is it safe to go any lower? Maybe 60-65°? Will the babies growth rate slow down so they will stay small enough for him to eat? Or will this just possibly kill them all?

I have a roach colony that I keep in my car port. They are doing great and breed like crazy during the summer. In winter they don't breed and the growth rate slows way down.

I live in central FL so it really doesn't get super cold. They tolerate drops in the 50s with no problems. If it is expected to get colder I put them in an unheated laundry room that protects them from temps in the 30s and 40s.

You shouldn't have too much problem keeping them in the 60s

As a side note it usually warms up to high 60s to low 70s even on cold days.