Dubia Roach & Madagascar Hissing Roach Care Guide | Breeding, Feeding & Odor Control | ブリちょく
Exotic Invertebrates| ✍️ BreederDirect Editorial
Dubia Roach & Madagascar Hissing Roach Care Guide | Breeding, Feeding & Odor Control
Complete guide to breeding and caring for dubia roaches (Argentine wood roaches) and Madagascar hissing roaches. From building live feeder colonies for reptiles and tarantulas to managing individual pets, this guide covers everything including odor control and escape prevention.
Key Takeaways
Complete guide to breeding and caring for dubia roaches (Argentine wood roaches) and Madagascar hissing roaches. From building live feeder colonies for reptiles and tarantulas to managing individual pets, this guide covers everything including odor control and escape prevention.
Why Keep Roaches: The Appeal of Pet Insects
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The BreederDirect editorial team specializes in care information for animals, covering veterinary care and breeding to deliver beginner-friendly guides.
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While the idea of keeping roaches surprises the general public, dubia roaches (Argentine wood roaches) and Madagascar hissing roaches are popular among insect enthusiasts.
There are two main reasons.
1. High-nutrition live feeders for reptiles and tarantulas
Compared to crickets, dubia roaches are high in protein and low in fat, with excellent digestibility, minimal odor, and no biting or noise. Breeders worldwide use them as live feeder colonies for reptiles, large insects, and tarantulas.
2. The enjoyment of observing and displaying as pets
Madagascar hissing roaches are highly popular among insect enthusiasts as pets due to their distinctive "shushing" sound (hissing), substantial appearance, and personable nature—they can become hand-tame with familiarity.
This guide provides a systematic explanation of caring for both species.
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Comparing the Two Species
Feature
Dubia Roach
Madagascar Hissing Roach
Scientific name
Blaptica dubia
Gromphadorhina portentosa
Origin
Argentina / Central & South America
Madagascar
Adult size
3–4.5 cm
5–7.5 cm
Wings
Males have wings (flightless), females rudimentary
Both sexes wingless
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, females produce 20–40 nymphs/month
Ovoviviparous, ~60 days to hatch
Adult lifespan
1–2 years
2–5 years
Vocalizations
None
Hissing (especially males)
Hand-tameness
Moderate
High (when acclimated)
Primary use
Live feeder colonies, collecting
Pet, display, education
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Setting Up the Enclosure
Choosing an Enclosure
Dubia Roaches (Live Feeder Colony)
Smooth-walled plastic containers are ideal. Even on familiar climbing surfaces, roaches cannot scale smooth plastic, significantly reducing escape risk.
Colony size and container guidelines
50 or fewer: 20L storage box (drill ventilation holes in lid)
100–500: 60–120L storage box
Large colonies (500+): split across multiple boxes
Ventilation through the lid only (drill holes and cover with mesh) minimizes escape risk. Side ventilation is unnecessary—dubia roaches do not require high humidity, so prioritize temperature management over excessive airflow.
Madagascar Hissing Roaches (Pets)
Clear acrylic or glass reptile enclosures are ideal for observation.
Size: 40 cm (W) × 30 cm (D) × 30 cm (H) minimum for 5–10 adults
Décor: Provide multiple hiding spots (cork bark, driftwood, egg crates)
Lid: Must have a secure lock (Madagascar hissing roaches are adept at forcing lids open)
Temperature and Humidity
Species
Ideal range
Optimal breeding
Humidity
Dubia roach
24–32°C
28–32°C
40–60%
Madagascar hissing roach
24–30°C
26–28°C
50–70%
Lower temperatures drastically reduce breeding speed (especially in dubia roaches). Below 24°C, reproduction nearly stops, so winter heating is essential—apply heating pads to the enclosure sides.
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Feeding and Nutrition
Feeding Dubia Roaches
When used as live feeders, the nutrition fed to the colony is directly transferred to the reptiles through the roaches' digestive system (gut loading), so nutritious food is essential.
Weekly: Remove feces by gently shaking the enclosure bottom to separate waste from roaches
Monthly: Complete enclosure cleaning—remove and wipe all surfaces
Optimizing Hiding Spaces
Stacking egg cartons increases surface area, allowing the colony to pack healthily. Egg cartons can be sourced from hardware stores or egg farms.
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Breeding Management
Dubia Roach Breeding
A mature female produces 20–40 nymphs monthly (ovoviviparous—nymphs are born live, not from eggs).
Managing breeding colony sex ratio
Ideal sex ratio is 1 male : 5–10 females. Excess males increase aggression, odor, and stress on females. Remove surplus males to feeders or isolate them.
Growth rate at 28–30°C
Instar
Size
Weeks (approx)
L1 (newborn)
3–4 mm
0
L3
1–1.5 cm
3–4 weeks
L5–L6 (pre-adult)
2–3 cm
6–10 weeks
Adult
3–4.5 cm
10–14 weeks
Madagascar Hissing Roach Breeding
Approximately 60 days to hatch; nymphs are retained inside the female for weeks after birth (ovoviviparous). Nymphs undergo ~7 molts to reach adulthood (6–12 months).
Proper temperature (26–28°C) and abundant hiding spaces are crucial for breeding. High stress can cause mothers to cannibalize nymphs, so isolating females immediately after birth is effective.
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Escape Prevention
Roach escapes can become serious problems in home settings. Implement the following measures in combination:
Coat the upper 15–20 cm of enclosure walls with Vaseline (or PTFE spray): The most effective physical barrier preventing roaches from reaching the top edge
Secure the lid with a lock (especially for Madagascar hissing roaches)
Always work with the enclosure inside a sealed space
Use a "moat" structure: place the colony container on a larger tray with 1 cm of water
Dubia roaches are considered very low-risk for outdoor establishment in Japanese homes (they are cold-sensitive), but Madagascar hissing roaches require caution regarding indoor establishment of escaped individuals. Before keeping them, verify local regulations such as the Invasive Species Act.
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Points When Purchasing From Breeders
To establish a healthy colony, ideally purchase from a reputable breeder a colony with diverse ages and sizes mixed together.
Points to verify
- Shipping temperature management (heat packs in winter, cooling packs in summer)
- Shipped colony health and guarantee on deceased individuals
- Information on the breeder's rearing conditions (temperature, food types) to replicate
- Confirmation that the species is not subject to import restrictions or invasive species laws
When properly managed, roaches are clean and easy-to-handle pets. Shed your preconceptions and open a new door to insect keeping—enjoy their unique ecology and breeding potential.
