wcbpolish
Seventh Instar
So, I've been lurking on this site for a couple of months now- I was given a small colony of Hissers from the wife of one of my wife's coworkers... yeah... maybe I should have said "a family acquaintance" Anyway, I'm a high school biology teacher, and am generally interested in living things.
1. Do you currently raise any roaches?
I have a small starter colony of Hissers. G. portentosa, I believe. I was told that they originated from a colony kept at Michigan State University - anyone else know anything about this colony, such as whether it is hybrid or pure G. portentosa
I found a guy on Craig's List near me who just started a colony of B. dubia... I'm trying to see about getting a starter colony of them from him once he gets established.
2. If so, how many?
4 adult male and 4 adult female, plus some nymphs. I'm not having very good luck with getting nymphs. I need to increase the temperature. I also had some nymphs die unexpectedly the other day. I think that the fumes from our fetal pig dissection may have impacted them. (Dissection of the fetal pigs is my least favorite part of the Bio curriculum)
3. Do you culture roaches as pets or feeder?
Both. I want them as pets- I love to handle them and see some of the students squirm. I also feed them to our classroom leopard frog (Mr. Bean). The students would feed every nymph to that frog if I didn't hide the nymphs away in pickle jars and keep a close eye on the roach tank!
I also want to see if I can get our gar to take them at some point in the future.
4. If feeders, what kinds?
See above. I'd like to get some B. dubias in the future.
5. Are there any specific roach questions that you would like to ask the community?
Does anyone else have roaches from the Michigan State University colony? I'm just curious for more background on my strain. Also, anyone from near Rochester, MN (where I live right now) or Grand Rapids, MI (where I am from and intend to return to in a couple of years)
6. How did you find our community?
Google is a beautiful tool.
Anyway... I have emailed Kyle at Roach Crossing (I think he goes by Zephyr on here?) and he was a big help, even though I have never purchased anything from him. If he's any representative of the type of PR the roach hobby has, you seem like a great group.
1. Do you currently raise any roaches?
I have a small starter colony of Hissers. G. portentosa, I believe. I was told that they originated from a colony kept at Michigan State University - anyone else know anything about this colony, such as whether it is hybrid or pure G. portentosa
I found a guy on Craig's List near me who just started a colony of B. dubia... I'm trying to see about getting a starter colony of them from him once he gets established.
2. If so, how many?
4 adult male and 4 adult female, plus some nymphs. I'm not having very good luck with getting nymphs. I need to increase the temperature. I also had some nymphs die unexpectedly the other day. I think that the fumes from our fetal pig dissection may have impacted them. (Dissection of the fetal pigs is my least favorite part of the Bio curriculum)
3. Do you culture roaches as pets or feeder?
Both. I want them as pets- I love to handle them and see some of the students squirm. I also feed them to our classroom leopard frog (Mr. Bean). The students would feed every nymph to that frog if I didn't hide the nymphs away in pickle jars and keep a close eye on the roach tank!
I also want to see if I can get our gar to take them at some point in the future.
4. If feeders, what kinds?
See above. I'd like to get some B. dubias in the future.
5. Are there any specific roach questions that you would like to ask the community?
Does anyone else have roaches from the Michigan State University colony? I'm just curious for more background on my strain. Also, anyone from near Rochester, MN (where I live right now) or Grand Rapids, MI (where I am from and intend to return to in a couple of years)
6. How did you find our community?
Google is a beautiful tool.
Anyway... I have emailed Kyle at Roach Crossing (I think he goes by Zephyr on here?) and he was a big help, even though I have never purchased anything from him. If he's any representative of the type of PR the roach hobby has, you seem like a great group.
Sorry, I can't answer any of your other questions. 
