Care Sheet

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

These fascinating insects make wonderful, interesting pets that are clean and extremely easy to look after. Requiring little space and food, they don't bit or scratch and can be easily looked after by children. They grow to approx 7cm long and can live for about 2-3 years. They are wingless but excellent climbers; both sexes will hiss by expelling air from their bodies when they feel threatened, the males will also hiss when courting or defending territory.

How should I house them? - A medium size fish tank or plastic storage tub in fine. Make sure the lid is secure as they can climb glass. For extra security apply a thick coating of Vaseline to the first few centimeters of their tank as they cannot climb over it. Aspen wood shavings or coconut fiber is a suitable floor covering (not cedar or pine). They must have places to hide as they do not like the light - cardboard rolls, egg boxes, cork bark, driftwood and cardboard boxes are all fine. They must be kept warm, between approx 25 to 32 °C so an electric heat mat will usually be needed.

What do they eat? - They should be fed a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, including oranges (including peel), apples, bananas (including the inside skin), tomatoes, celery, potatoes, carrots, cucumber, kale, cabbage and other greens (except iceberg lettuce). They should also have specialist insect pellets or powdered food (sometimes called 'Chow') that's high in protein and contains Calcium (needed for a healthy exo-skeleton). Uneaten food should be removed to avoid spoilage, they will not eat rotting food and mould can be harmful. They like flaked cold-water fish food and will also enjoy dried dog food. Water should be provided in a shallow dish with cotton wool or some other absorbent material in it to prevent your cockroaches from drowning.

How to sex them? - the males have horns on the top of the head, have fine hairs on the antennae and 2 extra segments on the underside (tail end). Only the males hiss.

Can I breed them? - If you buy a pair they will readily breed if diet and temperature are right. The temperature needs to be over approx 26 °C and they will usually not breed under it. A female will give birth up to 3 times a year, with each time having around 20-40 babies. She will incubate the eggs inside her body until they hatch and are born live about 60 days after they mate.

Skin Shedding

As they mature they will shed their skin 7 times. They break out of their old skin and appear White for a couple of hours until their new skin drys and forms a hard exo-skeleton. Try not to disturb the during shedding as they feel will vulnerable.

madagascar hissing cockroach skin shedding

We will try to send 'almost' fully mature adults to ensure your insect is in the best health, will live long and (if female) shouldn't be pregnant. It may mean your cockroach will shed it's skin and continue growing for a few days. If you have bought babies these will be approx. 1-3 weeks old and a mixture of sexes.

FAQ's

Do you ship overseas?

No, we only send within the UK only.

Do you send during cold weather?

If very cold temperatures are forecast we may ask your permission to delay dispatch.

Are they sent discretely?

Yes, nothing on the box will mention what is inside.

What do I do when they arrive?

Open the box inside another container; if it's cold they may be a bit sluggish, warm them up slowly and provide somewhere to hide with some food and water. Place them somewhere quite to recover from the journey.

Are they guaranteed to arrive alive?

Yes, providing you do not ask us to ship during cold weather against our advise. We will guarantee they survive for 7 days and after that it is your responsibility to care for them.

Do they bite or scratch?

No, not at all, they are safe for children to handle.

Should they be kept in pairs?

It's hard to say with insects if they need company, although we think it's probably nicer for them to live in a group. Same sex groups are fine, mixed groups will result in a colony forming!

What do they eat?

They should be fed a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, including oranges (including peel), apples, bananas (including the inside skin), tomatoes, celery, potatoes, carrots, cucumber, kale, cabbage and other greens (except iceberg lettuce). They should also have specialist insect pellets or powdered food (sometimes called 'Chow') that's high in protein and contains Calcium (needed for a healthy exo-skeleton). Uneaten food should be removed to avoid spoilage, they will not eat rotting food and mould can be harmful. They like flaked cold-water fish food and will also enjoy dried dog food. Water should be provided in a shallow dish with cotton wool or some other absorbent material in it to prevent your cockroaches from drowning.