How to Breed Wood Roaches

Wood roaches are ideal food for all kinds of reptiles. Because wood roaches have a reputation for quick breeding and are easy to take care of (requiring no special feed) many reptile owners prefer to breed their own wood roaches as reptile feed. You only need a few wood roaches (which you can purchase in bulk) to start breeding them. To prevent wood roaches escaping and turning your kitchen into a breeding ground you must set up your roach habitat correctly and monitor it daily.

Things You'll Need

  • Large plastic tub
  • Heating pad
  • Vaseline
  • Egg cartons
  • Dog food or scraps
  • Wood roaches
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up your large plastic container. Ideally this should be a 60-liter container. Place the container where you can use a heating pad.

    • 2

      Place your heating pad at the bottom of the container to keep a constant 30 degrees in the habitat.

    • 3

      Rub the top of your tub with a 5-inch ring of Vaseline around the inside to prevent the wood roaches from climbing out. Do not place anything over the top of the tub, as this will cause humidity in the habitat.

    • 4

      Stack empty egg cartons on one side of the habitat. Stack the cartons on top of each other but keep them well below the Vaseline line.

    • 5

      Throw a few scraps into the habitat. Do not give the wood roaches water to drink, as this will cause humidity and the wood roaches may drown in it. Instead, use mandarins or oranges. You can use dry dog food and any kitchen scraps to feed the wood roaches.

    • 6

      Place the wood roaches into the tub. After around three months the wood roaches should start breeding.