woodie colony's advice please!
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PhilK
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Mine are out on the verandah and in an exceptionally well ventilated tub (the lid i pretty much all flyscreen wire mesh).
They are kept with lots of egg cartons and an inch of sand on the bottom. Flun painted around the top stops them from escaping when I open the lid.
I don't bother seperating babies - they aren't like crickets and the babies live just fine with the adults. My older colony is carpeted with old dead adults and skins but I don't bother cleaning them out (it would be 100% impossible) and they thrive anyway.
I feed them on rat pellets and carrots.
I don't heat them at the moment but might buy a heat pad to put under the tubs in winter.
They are kept with lots of egg cartons and an inch of sand on the bottom. Flun painted around the top stops them from escaping when I open the lid.
I don't bother seperating babies - they aren't like crickets and the babies live just fine with the adults. My older colony is carpeted with old dead adults and skins but I don't bother cleaning them out (it would be 100% impossible) and they thrive anyway.
I feed them on rat pellets and carrots.
I don't heat them at the moment but might buy a heat pad to put under the tubs in winter.
Here is a good caresheet http://www.herpshop.com.au/CareSheets/FeaderRoach.html
I keep mine in plastic tubs with fluon painted around the top, a few bits of cardboard and stuff for them to hide in(egg cartons etc are good), i have recently been using a rodent water bottle to provide moisture but you can just give them some carrot and that will be enough moisture for them. I feed them on dog food and virtually any other scraps, including various dead animals and vege scraps. Their population will be limited by the amount of space they have and the amount of food they get. If its cold its a good idea to put a heat cord under the tub to help them keep warm.
To sort them you can use containers with suitable sized holes to only allow the desired size through or just shake a bit of the cradboard and most of the larger ones tend to fall off leaving the little ones behind.
I keep mine in plastic tubs with fluon painted around the top, a few bits of cardboard and stuff for them to hide in(egg cartons etc are good), i have recently been using a rodent water bottle to provide moisture but you can just give them some carrot and that will be enough moisture for them. I feed them on dog food and virtually any other scraps, including various dead animals and vege scraps. Their population will be limited by the amount of space they have and the amount of food they get. If its cold its a good idea to put a heat cord under the tub to help them keep warm.
To sort them you can use containers with suitable sized holes to only allow the desired size through or just shake a bit of the cradboard and most of the larger ones tend to fall off leaving the little ones behind.
Mr.James
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So its ok if they eat the dead ones (each other?) doesnt effect them or cause problems (diseases?) to the reptiles?
What about the cleaning?
I've got one small colony in a bucket with mesh lid. & the other small colony in a large click clack container with mesh (flyscreen). Is it better to have 2 smaller or 1 large colony?
Sorry for all the questions but its very important considering they are food for my pets!
Thanks Chris I've read the herp shop caresheet. Just wanna know how others handle there colonys and other people ideas.
Cheers.
What about the cleaning?
I've got one small colony in a bucket with mesh lid. & the other small colony in a large click clack container with mesh (flyscreen). Is it better to have 2 smaller or 1 large colony?
Sorry for all the questions but its very important considering they are food for my pets!
Thanks Chris I've read the herp shop caresheet. Just wanna know how others handle there colonys and other people ideas.
Cheers.
PhilK
Very Well-Known Member
Go get a 60L tub from Bunnings or something - one of the big storage tubs, and use that for yur colony. They will have a lot more space and will multiply more. I don't ever clean mine out.
They dont eat there own like crickets, and if you have too many just hold back on the food-the colony will just sit.
I run 2 x 120litre tubs which at max capacity hold something in the region of 5kgs in each. I make sure I hold back from this as on a hot day one can experince a die of and several kgs of woodies aint fun. They seem to prefer being crowded/packed in. I'm of the opinion that being packed in gives them the ability of containing their own heat of activity for the good of the colony. A decent layer of crap acts as a healthy compost heat generator. They eat anything, but seem to prefer human food ie kitchen scraps
I run 2 x 120litre tubs which at max capacity hold something in the region of 5kgs in each. I make sure I hold back from this as on a hot day one can experince a die of and several kgs of woodies aint fun. They seem to prefer being crowded/packed in. I'm of the opinion that being packed in gives them the ability of containing their own heat of activity for the good of the colony. A decent layer of crap acts as a healthy compost heat generator. They eat anything, but seem to prefer human food ie kitchen scraps
I run two 55 litre tubs in the garage and only keep a take away container inside of small ones for feeding out of each day to baby skinks.
On really hot days I have had some large death rates but they build up again fast. No way am I bringing the full colonies inside as they do stink.
I feed them dry dog food, carrot or pumpkin and any other scrap veggies.
You don't need to separate the young but if you need small ones to use for food, this is what I do.
Get a take away container, paint Fluon or Vaseline around the top, place the container in your colony tub and cover with a piece of small gauge wire mesh. Shake an egg box of roaches over it and only the small ones fall through the wire.
Then if you want to clean out some off the garbage in your take away tub without loosing the little roaches make a lid with fly screen, turn the container upside down over a bin and shake.
On really hot days I have had some large death rates but they build up again fast. No way am I bringing the full colonies inside as they do stink.
I feed them dry dog food, carrot or pumpkin and any other scrap veggies.
You don't need to separate the young but if you need small ones to use for food, this is what I do.
Get a take away container, paint Fluon or Vaseline around the top, place the container in your colony tub and cover with a piece of small gauge wire mesh. Shake an egg box of roaches over it and only the small ones fall through the wire.
Then if you want to clean out some off the garbage in your take away tub without loosing the little roaches make a lid with fly screen, turn the container upside down over a bin and shake.
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