Features breeding Turkmen cockroaches

Turkmen cockroach, it is Turkmen, Central Asian, and in Latin Shelfordella tartara is very popular among the owners of exotic wildlife. This type of insect is bred not as a decoration, but as a food object. Hedgehogs, opossums, spiders, mantises, chameleons, ants and other insectivorous representatives of the fauna are happy to swallow Turkmen cockroaches.They are distinguished by a weak defense ability, a gentle chitinous cover and the absence of an unpleasant odor, which makes them an attractive food base. Breeders also like the unpretentiousness of the cockroach-like, rapid reproduction and inability to move on vertical surfaces.

Biological features of Turkmen cockroaches

The Turkmen cockroach reaches a length of 2-3 cm. The color depends on the sex, which greatly simplifies the identification of individuals. In females, the bodies of brown, almost black in color, the sides are decorated with yellow spots. Wings of females reduced. Males have developed wings and brown-red color with a reddish tinge. The larvae have a peculiar coloring - the front part of the body is variegated copper-colored, the back is brown and does not depend on the floor.

Turkmen cockroaches

Interesting!

Males do not fully use their wings, but in a state of stress, frightened individuals begin to jump high and swing their wings, which creates the illusion that they fly.

Turkmen cockroaches do not belong to viviparous. After mating, the female for some time carries the edema with herself, and then buries it in the substrate.From one capsule after 30 days, 16-18 larvae appear, which, as they mature, undergo 3-4 molts. The complete cycle of transformation from an egg to the imago stage is 120–140 days. The adult insect lives about 4-5 months. The female lays wagons with an interval of 2 weeks.

Arrangement of terrarium

Breeding Turkmen cockroaches begins with the acquisition of a terrarium. At the initial stage, a plastic container or a glass container is sufficient. To provide insects with air, small holes are drilled in the top cover, or the insectary is covered with a fine metal mesh.

Important!

Cover the terrarium is necessary to avoid the escape of insects. Despite the inability to move vertically, cockroaches are bouncy. Runaway individuals, under appropriate conditions, take root well in the apartment.

The bottom layer of the terrarium is filled with a substrate of sawdust, shavings. To increase the usable area, egg trays, cardboard hollow cylinders, and branches are placed in a container. These devices will also be useful for young growth during molting. According to the observations of experienced breeders, Turkmen cockroaches fade in a vertical position, head down.Shedding on the ground increases the risk of injury, and a simple inventory will protect the process of dropping old chitinous cover.

Turkmen cockroaches

After the arrangement of the “sleeping and walking rooms” should be installed in the terrarium drinking bowls and feeders. So that the cockroaches are not choked, the substrate, foam rubber is placed on the bottom of the drinker. Often used tubes filled with water and cotton.

Turkmen cockroach does not tolerate high humidity, so it is not necessary to irrigate or spray the house of insects. The ideal temperature is 27 - 30 ° С. At lower temperatures, the development of offspring slows down.

Turkmen cockroaches feeding

Initially, the "Turkmen" were omnivorous insects. But given the fact that they are bred as food for different pets, a list of prohibited foods has appeared. It has been observed that hedgehogs reluctantly eat cockroaches that feed on pumpkin. The owners of other living creatures revealed that bananas, tomatoes, cabbage negatively affect the taste qualities of Turkmen cockroaches.

The list of products for insects includes:

• apple, pear, grapes, watermelon, melon;
• dry pet food;
• cucumber, carrot, beet;
• cereals, cereals, muesli;
• eggs, gammarus, poultry.

Food cockroaches

It is necessary to ensure that there is protein in the cockroach menu. The lack of macronutrient leads to a decrease in the fecundity of the female, causing cannibalism. The reason for eating each other can be a banal lack of food. The bitten wings testify to the prosperity of cannibalism in the colony.

Features of insect breeding in insects

In the few colonies of the womb, the females are incubated from the parental terrarium. The bottom of the container for posterity is covered with moss. Of great importance temperature condition and ventilation. In a cold container, the maturation period of the outlet is extended. In the early days, the youngsters do not eat anything, passing through the stage of adaptation. Then it can be transplanted to adults, with which it will eat.

When the breeding process is adjusted, adult insects and nymphs are used to feed their pets. They are caught from the insectarium with a special net. Before the “serving on the table”, experienced ones recommend freezing cockroaches for 40-50 minutes so that the “dish” does not scatter.