how to price ootheca

lovebugfarm

lovebugfarm

Eleventh Instar
So I collected alot of pale boarder field roaches this year and not sure I want to have a big colony of them since im more interested in feeders and exotic roaches. So I am wanting to trade oothecas but not sure the value. If buying nymphs in bulk they go for $3.30 a piece. Each ootheca can produce 24 babys. Im thinking $25 per ootheca which would be $1.05 per future nymph if all the babys hatch. I think that sounds good but what do you guys think? Is that to lofty a price for something that will take so long to hatch?

 
$25 per ooth seems pretty steep... That's considering ALL the nymphs hatch, and you get a full 24 from said ooth. Ive never shipped ooth, so I don't know how well they'd fair in shipping?

I guess it also depends on how many Ooths they're laying. If they're laying tons of them and you really don't want a huge colony, maybe ask $5-$10 each? Better than simply freezing them, or tossing them out.

 
I've heard ootheca don't do well in shipping, and with this species in particular, you're gonna want more than one ootheca to hatch. Plus, the size of an ootheca and how many eggs are in it can vary from female to female, how much food they got, etc, so it could end up having less than 24 fertile eggs in it. Additionally, there could be a chance that the ootheca you send could be a dud.

Honestly, all things considered, I'd only ever pay up to $6 dollars for any ootheca, considering the fact that many things could go wrong. Honestly, I wouldn't even buy ootheca, with nymphs you are guaranteed to get some alive, but with ootheca, not so much.

 
I figured it was wishfull thinking. These arnt mantis ootheca or anything to fancy after all. I will prolly vial pack them in soil for shipping. I have 13 ootheca so far but that could be 300 babys.

 
I think the egg sacs are good to share . ootheca by ootheca . especially if you propose to send a mixture of oviparous species

I think the egg sacs are good to share . ootheca by ootheca . especially if you propose to send a mixture of road oviparous species

 
lovebugfarm said:
Maybe I will try ovogram who knows
Click to expand...
lovebugfarm said:
Maybe I will try ovogram who knows
Click to expand...
:-)

If you ovogram them, you can mail them in two bottle caps pressed together to make a little capsule. Find two caps that fit well together. You may want to trim them down a bit. You should be able to get them to about 1/4 inch. A little bit of cotton ball and your ooths inside. Cut a hole in a piece of thick corrugated cardboard, tap your twincap container in the hole, pop it in an envelope, and you should be able to mail it for 2 first class stamps. I've done this with H. cecropia moth ova.

 
Thanks thats really creative. I have alot of small vials from various tarantulas I have bought that I dont have much use for so I will prolly just use them. I have been thinking of trying to do an over seas trade cause they might be more intetested in them abroad and maybe I can get something in trade thats not common here. I think its mostly wishful thinking and im not in any rush. Im having to rethink the direction of my collection cause I have a kid on the way and not sure how much time I can devote to my inverts in the future. Should I focus on large feeders colonys or small pet colonys? Common things that sell well or rare things that are worth more? Should I go back to herps that take up less time and I dont have to count out hundreds at a time? Im all over the place right now. I have to move in september, get married in november, and babys due in december...this isnt really the place to vent stress but I am very concerned about how I can manage my colonys and my pet inverts threw these big changes. Not to mention careing for all my fiances pets that she cant handle right now. Thats why im so concerned with these ootheca they have become the symbol of my anxiety towards the over whelming future responsibilitys. Well that was a crazy semi roach related rant hope everyone can forgive my slight break down. Lol

 
get rid of pets must be a sad thing, but keep care to a baby is wonderfull, so, once you settle in with your new baby time you can see that maybe have time for a few pets and you can restart with some of these ;)

so can you give us a list of your pets for choose?? :)

 
Ovogram them! I'll apply right now! I'd only pay about $5 per oothecae for this species if you were to sell them.

But really... put them on ovogram right now!

 
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