Woodie Cockroach Nutritional Value?

[Seva]

Hello!

So I just started feeding my baby bts live insects, and she's loving it so far. I just bought her some woodie cockroaches (since we don't commonly have dubias in australia). I was wondering if they're a great feeder like dubias? I'd like to find a staple live food for her. I've tried crickets but i know they have poor nutritional value, so i won't be feeding them very often. Silkworms are great feeders apparently, but I can only find canned ones here and Chai turns her nose up at those. She absolutely LOVES the woodie roaches, so I'm hoping I can feed her them frequently.

[splashy07]

I am not familiar with that type of roach, but I'm thinking a roach is a roach and they will eat anything...I feed my dubias bearded dragon pellets, greens, and leftover skink food so I'm thinking if your roaches are fed a good diet they'll be fine for your lizard.

[Manny]

I think what makes dubia's so attractive as feeders beside being a good source of nutrition for reptiles. Is that they don't fly. I did try and look up (woodie cockroach australia ). To see what type you were talking about. Turns out you have 11 species of wood cockroach's down there. I think the best thing to do would be to try and identify the type you are using as a feeder and see if they fly. As you don't want them to become a pest in your home. One type we have up here in Canada is the Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach and those suckers fly.

[Seva]

Thank you for your replies! The type of cockroach i’m feeding her is the speckled cockroach (aka woodies), hope that helps! they can’t fly thankfully, and are unlikely to establish a colony in your home if they escape.

[Manny]

Those are sometimes called lobster roaches up this way. It can be a bit confusing as there is another species with the same common name. What makes roaches nutritionally better feeders than crickets is their longer intestinal tracts. Meaning what they eat stays in their system longer and it also reduces the ratio of chitin to the good parts. It does sound like they are a common feeder insect in your part of the world.

[muddthedragon]

I am not familiar with that type of roach, but I'm thinking a roach is a roach and they will eat anything...I feed my dubias bearded dragon pellets, greens, and leftover skink food so I'm thinking if your roaches are fed a good diet they'll be fine for your lizard.

Hey splashy! I have a lizard i australia, but no idea how to get my hands on dubias, can u help me out?

[splashy07]

I have no idea how you can get them over there, they definitely cannot be shipped from here! Good luck, possibly you can source a different type roach that can be propagated in your country?