When starting a colony of Blatta lateralis, there are many important things to know, especially if you have never started a colony before. These roaches are actually taking the feeder market by storm because of the ease of caring for them. First of all, let’s talk about what Blatta lateralis looks like. Blatta lateralis is also known as rusty reds or Turkestan cockroach. These roaches are small like crickets, but they don’t require the perfect temperature or humidity like crickets. They also don’t smell or die quickly the way crickets tend to. Male laterals are light colored with wings and females are dark wingless. The Lateralis move fast, so be prepared to chase them if they escape. The advantage of being so fast is that they are fast breeders, because they lay eggs rather than live hatchlings, allowing your colony to grow at a rapid rate.
Hosting your Blatta lateralis is very easy. Any container, such as a glass tank or a plastic container, works well with lateralis, as they are not climbers. Make sure you have enough egg cartons in your container for roaches to breed. You should also keep the humidity above 40%. You can increase the humidity by occasionally spraying your container with water. A heating mat can be placed in the bottom of your container or you can place a heat lamp on top of the container to maintain a high temperature. The temperature of the container should be between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use a preheated reptile room, a night light bulb with a reflector, heating tape, human heating pad, or a heating wire to keep your container at the proper temperature. Make sure to always keep mold out of your colony container. Mold can destroy your entire colony.
Feeding your Blatta lateralis is also very easy. Lateralis will eat pretty much anything, but you have to keep in mind that whatever you feed your roaches, you will also feed your pet. Providing your roaches with a high protein diet will allow them to better feed your pets later on. Dry cat food, whole grains, baby cereals, fish flakes or cockroach diet. You can use dry dog food, but it doesn’t have as much protein as dry cat food. You can put your food on a small plate or in the corners of your tank. Interestingly, lateralis often take their food off the plate and move it to their hiding places to eat. Water is also very important to the health of your roaches. Water crystals are wonderful to use because they don’t mess like liquid water.
Blatta lateralis are wonderful feeder roaches, especially for smaller pets like baby tarantulas, geckos, and bearded dragons. Any pet that you would normally feed with a cricket can feed lateralis. Lateralis also have soft shells, making it easier for your pet to digest and allow them to have a higher meat-to-shell ratio. It is best to allow your colony to fully grow before starting to feed only on it. Your colony should have at least 1 male for every 3 females, which will allow you to feed your pets the additional male roaches. By following these tips and growing a healthy colony of Blatta lateralis you will ensure that you can keep your pet healthy without spending a lot of money.