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Box of 3 Cockroaches
Box of 3 Cockroaches
$13.00
| 1 - 4 | $13.00 |
| 5+ | $12.00 |
| Qty |
Product Details
Need an invertebrate for your neuroscience experiments? Cockroaches are great for seeing and listening to spikes on our SpikerBoxes. Though you can also use crickets, cockroaches have larger neural signals and are easier to take care of, even if they may be harder for you to shop for. We are here to help. We offer packs of 3 adult orange heads, dubias, discoids, or discoid/cranifer hybrids (whatever we have the most of).
For the necessary materials to care for your cockroaches, check out our Cockroach Care Kit.
Shipping Information
Cockroaches are the happiest when they aren't in a shipping box for a long period of time. Therefore, for their safety, we ship them using either 2-Day or Overnight shipping service, depending on the weather. If the temperatures are too high, we send roaches using overnight shipping only. This will be reflected in the price of shipping. Please email us with your order number and we will provide shipping rates and options for you. If you plan on ordering more than 3 cockroaches, please email us so we can provide you with an estimated shipping date and delivery.Cockroach Specs
- Each box ships with 3 cockroaches, packed with warmers in winter months
- Non-Pest Insects: these are exotic South American roaches that do not thrive without proper care--no worries about escapees taking over your home or school
- Length: 1-2"
- Average Lifespan: 2.5 years
- Monogamous: No
How to Care for Your Cockroaches
Many users have e-mailed us curious, bewildered, or frustrated by their lack of education in cockroach care. We know that, sadly, some skills are just not taught in today's educational system. Below is a crash course for how to take care of your humble cockroaches. With proper care, your cockroaches can live 2-3 years, and you can even make a self-sustaining colony. Hatchlings take ~6-8 months to reach sexual maturity.
Technique
- We prefer to buy small terrariums from local pet stores. You can see a variety of sizes in our living neuroscience library below. We have a few species that we keep isolated for some experiments. You can use any plastic container you have on hand as well, but make sure to add air holes! Discoid cockroaches cannot crawl on glass or plastic, so if your container is big enough, you may not even need a lid!
- Fill the bottom of the terrarium with soil. We use unfertilized potting soil that we buy from the local hardware store, but honestly, dirt from outside your house will also work. The cockroaches enjoy burrowing under the soil.
- Throw in some toilet paper rolls and wood scraps for them to play in.
- For food, we prefer to use lettuce or carrot slices, as they provide water and don't mold quickly. You can also add supplements of dry cat food, as it contains a lot of protein. This can cause the cockroaches to grow faster, particularly when they are small. Cockroaches also enjoy slices of banana, red apples, and oranges, but, like the cat food, you will have to watch out for mold growth.
- Add in your cockroaches. They prefer to be at 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. They can handle colder temperatures, but will not grow very fast. Replace the food every week, and spray the cage with water from a misting spray bottle. This will ensure healthy humidity and give them water to drink.
- Now enjoy your new easy-to-care-for friends! You can listen to their pitter-patter at nights when they are most active. Our favorite book on cockroach care is the excellent For the Love of Cockroaches by Orin McMonigle.
First, put them into a container that absorbs heat easily. Cardboard takes a while to warm up, but an animal terrarium with plastic or glass warms up quickly when placed on a hot surface. Next, you need something that gives off heat. Space heaters, radiators, or furnaces work well, as long as you can safely set the container directly next to or on the heat. You want the glass/plastic warm so the roaches warm up faster.
Place the container next to the heater, keeping the heat at a steady rate if possible. Keep a close eye on them, checking on them every five minutes for a minimum of three hours. If you see any roaches moving, put them in a secondary "recovery" container away from the heat. You do not want to risk overheating their systems. Movements may be subtle: anything as simple as a twitching antennae, throbbing abdomen, or slight leg movement could all be signs of them waking up. The roaches will want food, so put food in the "recovery" container, along with water gel.
If all goes well, you will have revived all of your patients, but be aware this is not a miracle cure. Too much cold can kill these roaches. There is a chance they could be fully dead on arrival, or will wake up but be too ill to fully recover and will not survive long. Best of luck on your revival attempts!
Important: If you live in a cold climate and have indoor heating, you have to be careful of the low humidity in your home. This will reduce the vitality of the cockroaches. For instance, if you notice your cockroaches dying while trying to molt, it's because of the low humidity. We often tape a piece of wet sponge to the side of our cockroach cages in the winter months.