What do you use to heat your roach enclosures, and at what temps?

[Huntsman]

I have been using heating pads under one side of my enclosures, but now I am wondering if that's the most efficient way to heat them up for breeding. For one thing, I doubt the pads can reach the temps required for optimum breeding. <_<

What method do you recommend?

 

[Allpet Roaches]

I've seen bug rearing facilities at a few universities and the ones I've seen heat a small room (big closet) to around 85F and keep the temperature there. I don't use heaters and keep species closer to 72F.

 

[BugmanPrice]

In one of my tanks I have a reptile heat rock in one corner of the enclosure which works pretty well. On my other couple of tanks I have a shared human heat pad between them, I like them because they seem to be able to reach higher temps than herp heaters and I can lower the temp by the switch. It works well for me. It's almost impossible to find human heater pads that don't have the three hour auto shut off anymore though. Just my two cents.

I have been using heating pads under one side of my enclosures, but now I am wondering if that's the most efficient way to heat them up for breeding. For one thing, I doubt the pads can reach the temps required for optimum breeding. <_< What method do you recommend?

 

[Keith]

I keep mine in my room, the warmest room in the house. Gets about 55 F in Winter (the lowest), and about 80-85 F in Summer, but I have an air conditioner on for the summer, offcourse it's not on the coolest temperature so it doesnt kill the roaches, the lowest is 65 F.

 

[BugmanPrice]

I kind of used to use a miniaturized version. Back a while ago I used to raise T's and scorps I found an old wood cabinet at a thrift store. I insulated the inside of it and used some strip heaters in the back of it (with the same heat pad I use now) so I could just stack my specimens in there (most were in Tupperware type boxes) and close the doors to keep them warm (about 90F). Unless you could find a large closet and do the same it may not work for roaches since you typically have much larger enclosures for them.

quote name='Orin McMonigle' date='Feb 14 2008, 12:14 PM' post='5010']

I've seen bug rearing facilities at a few universities and the ones I've seen heat a small room (big closet) to around 85F and keep the temperature there. I don't use heaters and keep species closer to 72F.

 

[BugmanPrice]

Do you have too add any extra heat to certain species or will they all breed well at that temp? Just wondering.

I've seen bug rearing facilities at a few universities and the ones I've seen heat a small room (big closet) to around 85F and keep the temperature there. I don't use heaters and keep species closer to 72F.

 

[Huntsman]

Thanks for the replies ~

That closet idea is great, but as you noted, the sheer size of the roach enclosures make that choice difficult.

Keep 'em coming...!

 

[Matt K]

All my roaches are in one room, and I keep the room 73-81 'F by use of a small space heater on a timer that turns it on for a couple hours 3 times a day. My house temp stays around 68-71'F year round. Everything breeds pretty quickly as long as they get fed...

 

[Huntsman]

All my roaches are in one room, and I keep the room 73-81 'F by use of a small space heater on a timer that turns it on for a couple hours 3 times a day. My house temp stays around 68-71'F year round. Everything breeds pretty quickly as long as they get fed...

Yep, dedicated room or closet is definitely the best option. Thanks Matt ~