Hey guys

I need to know where the best place to store roaches is.

Should it be mostly dark and dry, such as the bottom of the cupboard, or do they need light during the day?

Thanks in advance.

I store mine in a pitch black container. They thrive better in darkness. Just be careful that it doesn't get too cold at the bottom of the cupboard.

I have converted an old freezer I have into a roach keeper. I have run heat wire thru it and I use a thermostat to keep it at 30 degrees. My roaches breed like crazy. I think I have doubled my Turkestan colony this winter.

Another idea I am going to try is to get an old cooler box from a pawn shop or cash converters and run some heat wire with a thermostat inside it. That should keep them nice and dark as well as having the correct temp.

Neitzchie wrote: I have converted an old freezer I have into a roach keeper. I have run heat wire thru it and I use a thermostat to keep it at 30 degrees. My roaches breed like crazy. I think I have doubled my Turkestan colony this winter.

Another idea I am going to try is to get an old cooler box from a pawn shop or cash converters and run some heat wire with a thermostat inside it. That should keep them nice and dark as well as having the correct temp.

That sounds very interesting. :thumbsup: I'd really like to learn more about 'heat wire' and connecting a thermostat to it... Care to share your knowledge? :eyepoke:

Heat wire is the same thing used in the silver heating mats.
You get different kinds of heating wire though.

The only thing you need to watch out is the roaches eating the cable/heating wire, other wise the way you are doing it is perfect for breeding and heating.


Lumpzor.
My roaches are in the open, in the same containers, the 5 liter containers are under a table,the upright containers are out in the open, they get light until the sun goes down.
They will hide in the egg trays if they wont to get away from the light.

The only thing you need to watch about the cupboard, is that it does not get to cold but it becoming summer know so should be fine!

You can get the heat wire and controller from Reptile city:

reptilecity.co.za/catalog/product_info.p...7_53&products_id=129

reptilecity.co.za/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1288

I would use the lowest wattage cable I could find. Also remember dont cut it.

I dont think I would put the roaches directly into the coolerbox with the cable.
Ive been thinking more along the lines of putting another container inside the coolerbox or either trying to dismantle the coolerbox and get the inside sleeve out. Then I would run the heat wire on one side of the box on the surface of the insulation and put the sleeve back.