Starting with Blatticompostng

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GardenDrag0n

First Instar
So I'd like to set up a roach bin for blatticompostng. I culture some earthworm species but they don't consume very much and I've heard roaches can be pretty quick and handle larger volumes of food.

 Who has experience with this? Any tips or tricks?

If so, what species have you used and how do you keep them?  

Thanks!

 
I've used Eublaberus sp. "Ivory" and E. serranus. All you really need is a healthy starting number, an appropriate sized enclosure, and warmth. Once the colony gets big enough food disappears really quickly.

I will say though I've had a lot of problems with too much moisture getting trapped in the enclosure because of all the water in fruits and veggies, so I would recommend good ventilation to prevent you ending up with a swamp in a bin.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 
Also check out Pycnoscelus surinamensis, they have rapidly consumed anything I've thrown into their bin. Tolerant of bone dry to quite literally soaking wet substrate. extremely good at aerating the soil, have yet to do further testing but so far I've found they can dig to at least 8" of substate. 

 
GardenDrag0n said:
So I'd like to set up a roach bin for blatticompostng. I culture some earthworm species but they don't consume very much and I've heard roaches can be pretty quick and handle larger volumes of food.

 Who has experience with this? Any tips or tricks?

If so, what species have you used and how do you keep them?  

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I have used Blaptica, Eublaberus, Aeluropoda, etc... Composting rates are similar almost for me... I am using now Hemiblabera and Pycnoscelus. I can't draw any conclusions yet, but the Hemiblabera are surprising me. They eat more than I thought they would

 
That is surprising considering when I had H. tenebricosa they ate very little, seemingly regardless of temperature.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 
I have my ivories in a 4'x2'x10" tank with screen lids and a heat panel set to 80. There's also springtails and isopods in there, but they are recent and haven't really started breeding.

I give em a good mist on half the enclosure every couple days. It's only a small/medium colony so far, but they gobble up the handful or so of kitchen scraps I give them almost every day 🤷 I feel confident by this time next year they'll be able to handle all my family's leftovers and scraps 😛

 
Recently I received common and Halloween hissers.  Years ago I kept worms.  Composting is on my to-do list eventually.

 
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