SUPPLIES & RESOURCES
SUPPLIES
Oak Leaf Litter
In our opinion, oak leaves are a must for keeping many species of roaches. About 90% of our colonies have crushed oak mixed in with the substrate and/or with a layer of whole oak leaves on the surface. They provide natural cover for nymphs and shy species (especially Ectobiids) and they are also a food source for many others. In fact, a significant amount of a wild roaches' diet is decaying leaves. These are Gambel oak leaves collected from various montane regions of Arizona (they are free of pesticides). They have been hand filtered from pine needles and other debris and are ready for use, though we suggest boiling them to sterilize. These are the ideal food source for leaf loving species such as Arenivaga, Macropanesthia, Therea, Oxyhaloa, etc. They range from about 1"-4" in size. These are also great for the bioactive, naturalistic vivarium.
1 gallon bag...........$8.00
OUT OF STOCK
Small Oak Leaf Litter
These are a very attractive, smaller leaf that serve mostly decorative purposes. These are from southern live oaks and are very crisp and smooth. They last a very long time, and range from various shades of brown to yellow. They are about 1-2" in size, and like the other leaves we offer they are particularly mold resistant. These were collected while on vacation in northwestern Florida from a natural area. They have also been boiled to remove excess tannins as well as unwanted organisms that may be hanging out on them. Use for natural cover in roach bins or to mimic a forest floor in the natural vivarium. We do not expect to be able to collect these again anytime soon, so when we're out, we're out!
OUT OF STOCK
1 sandwich bag...........$5.00
Magnolia Leaves
Magnolia leaves make another great, natural addition to many invertebrate enclosures especially where something larger than oak leaves is desired. Magnolia last a long time and are very mold resistant. These Southern Magnolia leaves are huge compared to our oak leaves, ranging from about 5 to 10 inches. These tall, wide, and flat leaves are great for creating natural surface area for many climbing species to molt and mate on. These are also in the later stages of decay on average and are therefore nice and "crisp". Some roaches (such as O. deusta) will also eat these, though they tend to enjoy oak more. These were collected from a family member's backyard in Atlanta, Georgia and are free of pesticides. They have also been boiled to rid them of most undesired hitchhikers. Sold by the dozen.
1 dozen leaves...........$5.00
IN STOCK
Water Crystals
Water crystals are a secret ingredient of many roach keeper's husbandry tricks. They are essentially a water-storing crystal used in plant soils to help prevent plants from drying out when regular watering cannot be accomplished, such as when the person in charge of watering heads out on a trip. Conveniently for the blatticulturist, they serve this purpose for roach colonies as well and are harmless to the roaches. These can last well over a week or more depending on the surrounding conditions, and because of their gelatin-like consistency the roaches will not drown in them as they could in standing water. Additionally, these are great for certain species that are very sensitive to too much humidity yet obviously require water to survivie. These have been key for us in culturing many Ectobiids, especially C. lutea and L. trivittata. we'll be honest, you can purchase a bag of these at your local Home Depot for about $10 - and it's an amount that should last you a LONG time. However, we are happy to throw smaller amounts in your boxes of bugs so you don't have to get stuck with a big bag from the store. These are dry/not hydrated and simply need to be mixed with water.
Sample Bag............$1.00
IN STOCK
Snack Bag (~5 tblsp)...........$5.00
Egg Crate
Egg crate is more or less the standard for most roach colony tubs. They are inexpensive, biodegradable, and make excellent hides for roaches while offering lots of extra surface area for the roaches to move about and reproduce in. We purchase our egg crate in bulk and are happy to bring some to shows or slip a few in boxes. We do this for those that need a few but don't want to purchase bulk or pay excess shipping for just a few. We can also cut to size (and have to for smaller boxes) - so let us know if you need some smaller sizes too. I do this by hand using scissors, so don't expect them to arrive with nice clean edges! :)
***THIS IS AN ADD ON ITEM TO EXISTING ORDERS ONLY***
IN STOCK
x1 12"x12" Egg Crate...........$0.50ea
LIVE CLEAN UP CREWS
Tropical Springtails
Tropical springtails are an excellent clean up crew that reproduce quickly in any moist substrate while consuming significant amounts of unwanted molds and fungi. Because of this, they compete with mites and therefore help keep their numbers from exploding. This variety is also quite large for a springtail. Because of their large size and high activity, these do best with larger, more tolerant roach species such as Blaberus, Periplaneta, etc. This is because in high numbers they can occasionally overwhelm the smaller roach species which could slow or halt reproduction. These do well in warm, moist conditions and do not tolerate dry conditions.
1 "scoop" (~500 springtails).........$5.00
IN STOCK
Small Silver Springtails
Small Silver springtails are another fast breeding, great clean up crew species, though these do not reproduce as quickly as the tropical variety. For whatever reason, we haven't had good luck starting a "mother colony" of these and so we cannot offer them in large numbers. However, these have shown up in several of our colonies as volunteers and are thriving there. With the right food items in these containers, we can remove a significant amount that would easily seed a few roach bins. This type of springtail is much smaller than the tropical pinks and is used in most of our Ectobiid colonies. These also seem to be more tolerant of dry conditions but do always need at least some moisture.
1 starter (~100 springtails).........$4.00
OUT OF STOCK
Book Lice
Book lice are becoming more and more of a popular clean up crew for drier enclosures and are especially useful with Hissers. Unlike the springtails, these like things dry yet provide similar services of eating excess molds, fungi, and left over foods. In doing so, they also compete with mites which helps keep their numbers in check. These turned up completely on accident after using some native soil in our L. trivittata enclosure. Like the small silver springtails, we can't seem to isolate a "mother colony". However, they are always present in a few of our tubs and so we're happy to share a significant amount from those to help seed your own containers.
1 starter (~200 book lice)..........$4.00
OUT OF STOCK
BOOKS
There are some great books available on cockroach biology and husbandry. I do not sell these personally, but have provided links to purchase these on Amazon. Simply click the photos below to be directed toward purchasing that particular literature. We especially recommend Orin McMonigle's
For The Love of Cockroaches as it contains a wealth of information and photos geared specifically toward the blatticulturist.
HELPFUL LINKS
Did you know that there is a forum dedicated entirely to cockroach-keepers? Sign up and become a connected member of this growing hobby. The forum offers a wealth of information and is regularly visited by other hobbyists across the country (and world). Our username is CodeWilster - a nickname given to Cody by his highschool chemistry teacher that unfortunately cannot be changed on the forum. Click the photo below to check it out!
A link to Cody's FLICKR account can be found
HERE
Please enjoy the many roach photos, and be sure to "fave" a few of the ones you like!
Curious to know how we make our roach bins? We posted a step by step tutorial on roachforum
HERE
There's a Facebook group for everything these days. Turns out there are a few for roaches. A couple names of acive groups include "Cockroach Keepers USA" (USA only) and "Roach Paradise" (worldwide).
Want to see our REVIEWS? Click
HERE
to see them on roachforum.