Advice On Setting Up Roach Colony

[jajeanpierre]

I'm going to start setting up a roach colony.

It seems that they need something like egg cartons, which are not inexpensive when they are replaced repeatedly over the years.

Is it possible to use the plastic egg flats, maybe lightly sanded? They could be washed and reused. Has anyone used something like this?

Something like this:
http://www.eggcartonstore.com/30-Egg-Plastic-Tray-p/tecs-ff-1.htm

 

[ChamDE86]

Honestly, I just use the cheap egg holders. I've had my colony for a couple of months now and the egg holders aren't even close to needing to be replaced. If you set them upright, most of the roach feces fall to the bottom of the tote for easy cleaning. If you want to sand down the plastic egg carton, I'm sure that will work as well.

 

[MelissaB]

You can also use paper towel and toilet paper tubes.

 

[fluxlizard]

Those would work if they are sanded.

I have many (18 and still expanding) 45 and 50 gallon roach tubs going and have not bought egg flats once- I use not only the cardboard egg containers but also the cardboard tubes from toilet papers an paper towels. My friends and relatives save them for me.

 

[distortionz]

My only advice is if you have to use a heat emitter on top don't use hot glue to hold your screen on haha..

I started my colony about 3 weeks ago..

Woke up yesterday with the heat emitter laying down in the bin with my egg flats. It is also by a heat vent in my basement.. And it got very cold right now so the furnace had been running way more than normal.. needless to say it melted the hot glue enough that the weight of the emitter let it fall through the screen..

Henceforth, I spent yesterday morning before working chasing roaches around my basement floor.. what my girlfriend doesn't know didn't hurt her.. the screen is now held on with epoxy

 

[mvad]

Buy the egg flats online. They are not expensive. Reptile expos are also a great place to get some. I payed 4 for a buck. They last longer than you think especially if glue gunned together and stacked vertically.