thinking of Banana roaches - DO IT - a quick vid

[little leaf]

just wanted to post a quick vid on my banana roaches, I was not even sure I could raise these, but they are so easy you guys , and the chams go crazy for them !!

try some , you will really like them I think

http://youtu.be/NDXyvGs3mJc


my camera speaker is really bad- lol so sorry about that

 

[werecat]

Thanks for the video! Looks great for starting with only 30. Are these the "regular" or the "giants"? I currently have about 25, but am not trying to breed them. Was just hoping to feed them off, but I've found it impossible to catch them as mine spend most of their time buried in the substrate. Is it just the sheer numbers that make it easier for you to find them on the surface?

 

[little leaf]

Thanks for the video! Looks great for starting with only 30. Are these the "regular" or the "giants"? I currently have about 25, but am not trying to breed them. Was just hoping to feed them off, but I've found it impossible to catch them as mine spend most of their time buried in the substrate. Is it just the sheer numbers that make it easier for you to find them on the surface?

I have no idea if they are the reg/ or the giant - I think the reg/ because the biggest are only about an inch - if you put something like that bark, they seem to like to sit on that - I catch mine off the bark when I flip it- but yes, they are fast diggers !

 

[petal522]

Wow. Great Vid! I see you're in Ohio. How did you mention that you keep them warm at 98 degrees again? I live in Santa Fe where it's crazy dry with such low humidity. And the house is always cold at 65 degrees even in winter! Are the banana roaches very stinky?

 

[nick barta]

Thanks for the video! Looks great for starting with only 30. Are these the "regular" or the "giants"? I currently have about 25, but am not trying to breed them. Was just hoping to feed them off, but I've found it impossible to catch them as mine spend most of their time buried in the substrate. Is it just the sheer numbers that make it easier for you to find them on the surface?

Lay bark on the surface, when you want feeders, smack the bark into a tall plastic container. I use plastic snap-top bins, but a tall garbage can will do.The nymphs can't climb, the green adults can climb and fly. If an adult climbs out or flys out, they tend to stay where they land or stop, very easy to catch.
If you don't catch them, they die quickly without heat.

If you want a care sheet email me at [email protected]

Nick

 

[nick barta]

Wow. Great Vid! I see you're in Ohio. How did you mention that you keep them warm at 98 degrees again? I live in Santa Fe where it's crazy dry with such low humidity. And the house is always cold at 65 degrees even in winter! Are the banana roaches very stinky?

For heat I use a heating pad (Human) and a heat cord, and my temperature on top of the soil is 78 degrees, and under the bark the top of the soil is 88 degrees. I add about 60 ounces of water on the weekend to keep the coco fiber moist, and keep 1 corner really wet.

They do not stink at all!!

Nick

 

[MelissaB]

Wow! How long have you had them? I have two colonies starting, one giant and one regular. I hope mine do as well as yours.

 

[little leaf]

Wow! How long have you had them? I have two colonies starting, one giant and one regular. I hope mine do as well as yours.

I think it was like mid/late summer- I really did not think I would do so well with them - once they got a foothold, they really took off- I did not feed from them for about 6 weeks when I got them, but now I can feed off as many as I want how do you tell the reg/ from the Giant - ? I stll do not know what ones I have? lol -

Nick- do you know what ones these are - that is pretty bad I have no clue what I have - LOL

you guys- Nick sells these in the food section if you want to try them- mine came for someone else on here- but I do here, he has great bugs-

you can tell this is a cham site for sure- anyone else would take being told you have "nice cockroaches " as an insult - but not on this site

** I meant I did not feed them OUT- lol - I did feed them :}

 

[MelissaB]

Nick is where I got my regular ones. They're doing great, I hope they catch up to yours. The giant ones are a bit bigger and beefier looking. Oscar likes them very much, but I don't want to slow the colony down, so I only feed him a male once in a while. Once they get a little more populated, he'll get them more often.

 

[Ninkylou]

What a great video, it allayed a lot of my fears about them. Do you have something on the sides of the bin to keep them from climbing up?

Nick do you still have any to sell? I have been thinking about it but was worried about the climbing and flying.... Seems like I really don't have to worry that much about it.

I am actually moving to Puyallup in a few weeks from Renton and I'd love to look at starting a colony once I get moved.

 

[little leaf]

What a great video, it allayed a lot of my fears about them. Do you have something on the sides of the bin to keep them from climbing up?

Nick do you still have any to sell? I have been thinking about it but was worried about the climbing and flying.... Seems like I really don't have to worry that much about it.

I am actually moving to Puyallup in a few weeks from Renton and I'd love to look at starting a colony once I get moved.

when I first got them, it was recommended to put a line of petroleum jelly,, but all that really did was get my arm messy - lol I find they do not like to get in the open - they would rather dig under the dirt - and even when they "fly" - its like that one, just a flutter at best, I have NEVER had one fly out, and the ones who did get out in the cages, get picked off in seconds - they pause alot when in the open - if you put a small line of olive oil about an inch or so down,about an inch wide, they can not climb out of a feed cup, and its to short for take off - I think you will REALLY like them - I must have the reg/ size - but that fine too - I have a lot of smaller chams, and the big ones will eat them - maybe some day I will try the bigger ones - lol I say GET SOME

 

[FSchams]

I wish we had those is South Africa

 

[nick barta]

I think it was like mid/late summer- I really did not think I would do so well with them - once they got a foothold, they really took off- I did not feed from them for about 6 weeks when I got them, but now I can feed off as many as I want how do you tell the reg/ from the Giant - ? I stll do not know what ones I have? lol -

Nick- do you know what ones these are - that is pretty bad I have no clue what I have - LOL

you guys- Nick sells these in the food section if you want to try them- mine came for someone else on here- but I do here, he has great bugs-

you can tell this is a cham site for sure- anyone else would take being told you have "nice cockroaches " as an insult - but not on this site

** I meant I did not feed them OUT- lol - I did feed them :}

The Giants are a paler green, and about 1/2-3/4 inch larger as adults. Your hoard is the regular Cuban Banana Roach. These are SOOO much better than Dubia for care, color, and quick movement. Dubia get bigger, but with the numbers the GBR's produce, my Dubia colony was sold…

Nick

 

[nick barta]

when I first got them, it was recommended to put a line of petroleum jelly,, but all that really did was get my arm messy - lol I find they do not like to get in the open - they would rather dig under the dirt - and even when they "fly" - its like that one, just a flutter at best, I have NEVER had one fly out, and the ones who did get out in the cages, get picked off in seconds - they pause alot when in the open - if you put a small line of olive oil about an inch or so down,about an inch wide, they can not climb out of a feed cup, and its to short for take off - I think you will REALLY like them - I must have the reg/ size - but that fine too - I have a lot of smaller chams, and the big ones will eat them - maybe some day I will try the bigger ones - lol I say GET SOME

I use a 11 gallon plastic snap top lid container, and found out petroleum jelly or olive oil was not foolproof. The adults can squeeze through my snap top lid, so I built a lid that was larger than the top out of 1 by 2's. I then sandwiched aluminum screen with 1 by 2's to the 1 by 2 lid, so the screen rests on the top lip of the container. The weight of the 1 by 2's pulls down on the screen and gives me an escape-proof top.

Nick

 

[Ninkylou]

Nick can you take a pic of your lid and post it. I am very visual.

 

[little leaf]

yes, please post your lid

 

[fluxlizard]

Hey for containers just a quick heads up. Some locations of Walmart are trial selling a new snap top storage container by rubbermaid. There is a seal around the inside of the lid and 4 or 6 snaps around the lid depending on the container size. Roaches cannot get through these lids. The seal is waterproof. I've purchased all I could find in my area (which wasn't a lot - less than 20 and they aren't at all the local walmarts) and cut the center of the lids out and hot-glue gunned screen over the hole. The lids can then then be snapped on and the container used for roaches, baby lizards (my use) etc.

EDIT_ sorry it's called a ziploc weathertight box with weathertight seal and durable latches. Not rubbermaid. It's clear and comes in 2 sizes and looks almost like any other storage box with latches- there are just more latches and there is a blue seal around the lid. I can't find it on their website either, so check your local walmart- for these roaches would be ideal.

 

[MelissaB]

Awesome! I'm going to go look for these, they sound perfect! Thank you, Flux.

 

[petal522]

I'm gonna look for these containers as well. Would love to see your lid as well Nick, sounds good. And not stinky? Count me in? Nick - are the reg size ones small enough for a baby veil (3 months) or should I wait a while for him to get a little bigger?

 

[happiness]

Great video. Such a drastic amount since you starting from 30!!
I'm hoping to see that with my dubia roaches...

Are they hard to take care of?

Where did you buy the warming tape from? I currently use a heating pad and its barely warm to the touch.. I'm doubting its even enough for my roaches.

Also, where did you buy your isopods? I grabbed about 8 from outside of my house and I'm considering just buying them online so I don't have to worry about parasites.

.. I think my boyfriend would kill me if I brought any more bugs into the house, I don't have enough though... haha. I need to catch up to you Melissa.