The Perfect Roach—Blatta lateralis
Page 2 of 2 | by Michael Jacobi
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Care and Breeding
Blatta lateralis is a prolific breeder, possibly even more so than the rapidly reproducing Nauphoeta cinerea. Nymphs reach adulthood in 3-4 months and then live another 6-12 months. As long as a number of adults of both sexes are in your colony and the temperature is kept above 78°F [25°C], within a month or two of establishing a colony, nymphs should become abundant. An even higher breeding rate may be obtained from temperatures in the 85-95°F [29-35°C] range, but many keepers are successful without these elevated temperatures.
Opinions differ on how to best house this species and care for the egg cases dropped by the females. The ability to successfully bred under diverse conditions demonstrates how hardy it is and why it may be the perfect roach. Although many care sheets found on the Internet suggest that the species prefers high humidity and temperatures, many keepers report great success keeping their roaches dry and at more moderate temperature. Based on its natural range and the climate of the US states where it has become established, there is evidence that high humidity may not be important at all.
Because Blatta lateralis is a non-burrowing species, substrate may be unnecessary and only serve to make enclosure cleaning more difficult. Many keepers house these roaches in large tubs with vertically stacked egg carton trays in a manner common for the husbandry of large Blaberidae roaches. This allows waste [frass] and debris to fall to the bottom. Some egg cases will fall, but most will collect in the indentations in the egg carton. Some keepers remove egg cases and incubate them in a separate container containing slightly moist peat moss, vermiculite, or other substrate. The removal of egg cases is, in my opinion, an unnecessary time-consuming task. Because egg cases caught in the cartons or left on a bare cage floor may dessicate, I provide several inches of slightly damp coconut coir mixed with sand as a substrate. A flat piece of hardwood is placed on top of the substrate and covered with leaf litter such as oak leaves and moss. All of the egg cases stay on top of or within the substrate and do not dry out. During daily cage maintenance I gently cover any exposed egg cases with a bit of substrate. Egg cases hatch in 25-35 days. Colonies are housed in standard 10 gal aquaria covered by screen lids. Heat is provided by a standard reptile heat mat (e.g., Exo-Terra® Heat Wave™) mounted with duct tape on the back side of the tank.
Feeding and Watering
Like other roaches, Blatta lateralis will eat a wide variety of foods. There are a number of cricket and roach dealers who sell their own mixtures of dry food that work well. I make my own mix of ground dehydrated vegetables, nuts, fish meal, honey toasted oats cereal or graham crackers, and mixed baby cereal. I keep plenty of dry food in the cage at all times. High-quality, natural dry cat and dog food can also be offered for extra protein. It is important to ensure that the dry food does not become moist and begin to mold so it is best to leave a dry end of the cage to place the food. Any dish should be sunk level with the top of the substrate to ensure that even the tiniest nymphs have access. Fresh, thoroughly washed produce is also offered at least every other day and is removed promptly the following morning before it spoils. Zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, carrot, apple, banana, orange, and greens are all good choices. If produce is offered regularly no other moisture source is needed. If you must be away for an extended period of time, I recommend leaving plenty of dry food and a very shallow dish with water gel sold for hydrating crickets. Some keepers prefer to offer cricket gel at all times to raise humidity and offer a constant source of moisture.
Conclusion
Having a rapidly reproducing roach with nymphs small enough for most spiderlings is a breakthrough for the hobby, and eliminates the need to use any crickets. A good colony of Blatta lateralis and another of a larger species like Blaberus discoidalis or Blaptica dubia will provide a large collection of arachnids with all the prey required.
For more information: Download Care Sheet from Blaberus.com [PDF]