the RIGHT way to feed roaches

[Rain_Frog]

This method while a bit more tedious. will prevent you from dealing with roaches growing up in the tanks.

I once read that "roaches can survive two weeks without their heads."

I have been feeding roaches out more lately to my bombina, and did not want to deal with escapees. So, I beheaded them either with my thumbnail or a pair of toenail clippers.

They thrash WILDLY. The male lateralis were even trying to fly without their heads.

Hmm, I thought. This morning, I raided my colony to feed to my firebellied toads, but noticed that many I caught were small enough to make tricolor and mantella food.

My bombina weren't overally hungry, so I tried something new. Roaches will idiotically try and race to the top of my cup, so I pinned them with my finger and decapitated them. It is easy. They will continue to thrash wildly. I threw some in for my mantellas and tricolors, to their delight. :wink:

This method is only practical for frogs that will take larger prey. It is too easy to kill newly hatched nymphs. It only works once they develop the red/orange coloration, probably becuase it's easier to just nip their heads off without crushing the rest of their bodies.

What's nice is that it provides a convienant way to feed roaches without worrying about escapees.

[Dancing frogs]

Yeah, that would definatly work...

What about cutting them a little lower, so that the side with the head would have a leg or two to wiggle, thereby eliminating wasting the head?

Then again, maybee there would be risk of the head with a couple legs surviving, or the possiblilty the head wouldn't offer much nutrition...

[Rain_Frog]

Forgot, putting them in the fridge will slow them down enough to "prepare them for the table."

I have "delegged" roaches too with just one or two legs. Keep in mind we're working with small nymphs, not adults. So, it's more tedious.

"Delegging" though would keep them moving around/ alive for longer. You would also not need to make quite as a precise "cut." That is why beheading roaches doesn't work with newly hatched nymphs as it's too easy to kill them completely in the process. However, I have beheaded incorrectly on some roaches today, and they didn't move enough to rouse my tricolor into attack mode.

I would still bowl feed if you plan on snipping only legs off. Roaches are tough insects, and will survive as long as they get enough food. Some adult roaches have lived in my colony hobbling around on only a few legs, since food and water is close by. But in a setting with hungry frogs, lots of moisture, etc., I'm sure they would starve to death quickly.

However, this would solve the problem with them escaping from the bowl.

Perhaps cut legs off all on one side of the body?

[KeroKero]

So you get dizzy roaches? Or would we have to play the song "Walk Around in Circles" during feeding time?

[Rain_Frog]

depends what you want and have time for. Delegged roaches would ensure that they would still be alive (if you behead incorrectly), however, removing legs may take more time than beheading.

[Bear Foot Inc]

New here, and new to frogs (hope to get one quite soon) but i have been keeping other herps and inverts for a long time now, and that is how i feed most of animals that have fancy cages, just crush, or cut off the heads. Works very well. I use lobsters a lot and they climb, hence they can get out of most cages and into your house, so it works great to crush there heads!

~Samuel