Many people are scared to death of cockroaches. They have a reputation for being pests that can survive nuclear fallout. But these stereotypes couldn’t be further from the truth!
Cockroaches can actually make awesome, unique pets that are relatively low maintenance and fun to keep.
Some of the most beautiful and unique cockroach species on earth are often overlooked because they don’t come in a cute little plastic pet store box with an adorable logo printed on it.
In this guide, we cover 9 of the best cockroach species to keep as pets along with their care needs and what you should expect when bringing one home.
Best Cockroach Species to Keep as Pets
Here are the 9 species that we’ll cover in the guide. Be sure to scroll down further for pictures and more detail on each species!
- Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
- Dubia Cockroaches (Blaptica dubia)
- Death’s Head Cockroach (Blaberus craniifer)
- Green Banana Cockroach (Panchlora sp.)
- Cave Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus)
- Orange-Headed Cockroach (Eublaberus posticus)
- Lobster Roach (Nauphoeta cinerea)
- Giant Burrowing Cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
- American Cockroach (Periplaneta Americana)
For each species, we also cover the follow sub-topics:
- Enclosure
- Feeding
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Breeding
- Ease of Care
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a large and charismatic species that is one of the most popular captive cockroaches kept as a pet. It is known for producing a loud hiss when startled but is overall a very docile species that takes well to regular handling. It is easy to care for and quite hardy, making it an ideal species for a beginner.
Enclosure
A single Madagascar hissing cockroach can be kept in a shoebox or jar of at least a gallon. Colonies can be kept in aquariums, plastic tubs, and trash cans that have been converted into terrariums.
Feeding
Madagascar hissing cockroaches are detritivores with a penchant for fruit. They will eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables, oak leaves, potatoes, and grains. It is best to supplement with small amounts of high-protein foods like dog food to encourage breeding.
Humidity
This species is not terribly picky about humidity. To prevent molting issues keep the humidity around 50% or higher, but higher humidity can lead to mold issues to be sure to provide adequate ventilation.
Temperature
This species is native to tropical Madagascar and as such prefers warm temperatures. Keep the enclosure above 70 degrees at all times, preferably around 80 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage breeding.
Breeding
This species needs to be kept warm before it will breed, but once this condition is met they will breed freely. The female gives birth to live young, as this species is ovoviviparous and the eggs hatch within the body of the female.
Ease of Care:
This species is large and hardy. It is very easy to care for provided enough heat and food is provided.
Dubia Cockroaches (Blaptica dubia)
Dubia cockroaches are perhaps one of the most popular in the hobby, primarily as a feeder. The Dubia cockroach is nutritious and extremely easy to rear. It also does poorly in the home environment, unless in tropical places, and as such will generally not escape and become a pest.
Enclosure
Dubia roaches are not picky about their enclosure and can handle a significant amount of crowding, generally preferring crowded conditions to wide open spaces. You can keep a decent sized dubia colony in a 20 gallon plastic tub or glass terrarium, all the way up to a very large colony in a converted plastic trash can. Dubia roaches also cannot climb well, and as such they do not escape easily. Make sure you keep some kind of shelter in the enclosure, like stacked egg cartons, cardboard, or more permanent spaces like flowerpots, wood, and stone caves.
Feeding
This species can eat a huge variety of foods, even being capable of surviving on substances like paper or cloth. It is best to feed dubia roaches fruits and vegetables supplemented with poultry mash, grains, or dog food.
Humidity
Dubia roaches do not have strong humidity preferences. If your humidity dips below 40%, however, mist the enclosure to keep humidity up.
Temperature
Dubia roaches are tropical insects and need to be kept warm. A temperature of 72-90 degrees Fahrenheit is best to keep dubia roaches breeding and growing at a reasonable pace. You can keep the temperature at the proper level with heat pads, emitters, or lamps.
Breeding
As long as dubia roaches are kept at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit they will breed. The warmer the enclosure, the faster they will breed and develop.
Ease of Care
The dubia cockroach is one of the easiest to care for in the hobby. Provided they are provided with a warm place and plenty of water and food they will thrive.
Death’s Head Cockroach (Blaberus craniifer)
The death’s head cockroach is an excellent beginner species for those with a fascination for the macabre. It is well-known for having a pattern on its pronotum that looks kind of like a skull as well as having an overall dark coloration. It is a large species, reaching more than 2 inches long, and a great species for handling.
Enclosure
The death’s head cockroach can be kept in any kind of dark enclosure. One cockroach needs at least a gallon. This species does well in a communal setting and many individuals can be kept in a small space. Provide hiding places like egg cartons or flowerpots.
Feeding
This species will eat a standard cockroach diet of fruits, vegetables, potato, grains, and dog food.
Humidity
This species is not picky about humidity. Keep the humidity at least 40% to prevent molting issues, however.
Temperature
This species can handle a wide range of temperatures, but in order to keep the species active and breeding you should keep the temperature at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Breeding
This species hatches the eggs within the body of the female and as such appears to give birth to live young. It breeds readily, though not as quickly as some of the other species, going from mating to hatching in around two months.
Ease of Care
This species is quite easy to care for. It is not picky when it comes to diet and moisture and breeds quite easily. It is also very docile and takes well to handling, making this a great beginner species. It can fly, however, so it is important to cover the enclosure.
Green Banana Cockroach (Panchlora sp.)
The green banana roach is the smallest on this list but more than makes up for it with a bright green color and high activity level. It is an adaptable species that can be kept in a wide range of conditions and makes a good species for a beginner who is looking for something unusual.
Enclosure
This species prefers some light and can be kept in a plastic or glass terrarium. Because this species is so small and does well communally, hundreds can be kept in a ten gallon container.
Feeding
Green banana cockroaches like a diet heavier in starches and sugars. They do indeed like bananas, as their name might suggest, and will happily eat most other fruits and vegetables supplemented with grains or potatoes.
Humidity
The green banana cockroach prefers a moist environment. Mist the enclosure to keep the humidity about 60%.
Temperature
This species prefers a warm environment of at least 70 degrees.
Breeding
This species breeds extremely quickly so it is important to have another insectivorous creature that will consume excess individuals.
Ease of Care
This species is easy to care for and breeds very quickly, making it a great feeder species. It’s bright coloration can catch the attention of even the most picky eaters. It can climb, however, and is an excellent flyer and as such can be a difficult species to contain. Keep this species in a secure container with fine mesh over the holes to prevent runaways.
Cave Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus)
The cave cockroach is a true giant, growing up to 3.3 inches long. This species is an excellent display insect due to its sheer size and interesting appearance. It is not the easiest cockroach to care for, however, and needs special care to ensure that it thrives.
Enclosure
Keep this species in a large enclosure with lots of hiding places to prevent crowding stress. The substrate should be deep and covered with hardwood leaves. Rotting wood should be placed on and in the substrate and vertical logs, preferably with bark still on, should be added to allow adults to climb and hide in a vertical position. Keep the enclosure out of bright light, which can stress this species.
Feeding
This species does well on a diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, potato, and a bit of dog food. It does best when provided with dead leaves and rotting wood, which it will consume.
Humidity
Keep the substrate moist and maintain high humidity with good ventilation (at least 60%) to prevent molting issues. You can mist the enclosure regularly to maintain humidity and should measure humidity with a hygrometer.
Temperature
Keep this species at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a heat mat, heat tape, or a heat emitter. Heat lamps should not be used, however, as this species does not appreciate strong light.
Breeding
If not overcrowded this species will breed freely. Nymphs will harass adults and chew on their wings, which is why it is important to provide many hiding places.
Ease of Care
This species is not as simple to care for as many of the species on this list. They do not handle overcrowding well and are easily stressed Adults will often die right after their final molt due to stress, though the adult lifespan is around 2 years. Keep this species in a spacious terrarium with lots of hiding places and a deep substrate, preferably of leaves, allowing the roaches to hide, and keep the enclosure humid. Though it is large, it is not well-suited for handling due to its nervous nature.
Orange-Headed Cockroach (Eublaberus posticus)
The orange-headed cockroach is an excellent beginner species. It comes from South America and has a very distinctive orange-colored head. It can grow to lengths of around 2 inches, making it a fairly large species, and has an astounding reproductive rate that actually makes this species an excellent feeder as well as a good pet.
Enclosure
This species cannot fly or climb, making it fairly simple to contain. It can be kept in very similar conditions to dubia roaches in almost any kind of container.
Feeding
This species is prone to cannibalism and as such does best with a high-protein diet. You can feed a standard diet of grains, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit but be sure to supplement with high-quality proteins like dog food.
Humidity
This species prefers relatively high moisture and as such should be kept in a high-humidity environment. Dry environments encourage cannibalism in this species. You can increase the humidity of the enclosure through regular misting and by maintaining a deep, moist substrate.
Temperature
Keep the orange headed cockroach at high temperatures, from 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat can be supplied with a heat mat or emitter.
Breeding
This species breeds very well provided it is kept at a high enough temperature. Cannibalism is common, so provide plenty of places for nymphs to hide.
Ease of Care
This cockroach species is not difficult to care for. The primary difficulty when keeping this species is avoiding cannibalism, which can be mitigated with extra hiding spaces, sufficient moisture, and a proper diet.
Lobster Roach (Nauphoeta cinerea)
The lobster roach hails from Egypt and has rapidly become an extremely popular species in the hobby. It is hardy and breeds extremely rapidly, making it an excellent feeder species. The lobster roach is a mottled grey color when an adult and a dark brown color as a nymph. This species tops out at around 1.2 inches and, though winged, does not fly.
Enclosure
The lobster roach can be kept in nearly any container, from a single roach in a jar to a colony of thousands kept in a trash bin. This species is a very poor climber, so a smooth enough surface should stop them from climbing to where they are not wanted. This species does not need any light, as it is nocturnal, and will feel most at ease in a dark environment.
Feeding
This species is not picky in regards to food. You can feed them pet food, poultry mash, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and more.
Humidity
This species can succeed in almost any humidity, but it prefers humidity of at least 40%. Humidity above 70% can foster mold growth, however, so it is important to maintain proper ventilation with small holes or a screen over the enclosure.
Temperature
Keep this species at 70 degrees Fahrenheit for best results, supplying heat with a mat or emitter. Avoid light-emitting heaters, like heat lamps, as they can cause stress.
Breeding
This species needs no special care in order to breed. The female will carry the ootheca inside their body until it is time for the eggs to hatch, around one month. The ootheca can contain more than 35 eggs. These young tend to stay close to their parents until they are larger. Temperatures lower than 70 degrees, however, will inhibit breeding.
Ease of Care
This species is one of the easiest roaches to care for. Given food, water, and enough heat it will multiply rapidly and as such makes a fantastic feeder.
Giant Burrowing Cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
The colossal roach is the most enormous species available in the hobby. It is the heaviest species of cockroach in the world, though not the longest, and also likely the most difficult to acquire for those not located in the native range of the species, Australia.
Enclosure
This species will appreciate a deep, loose substrate. Keep the substrate slightly moist, but not wet, and cover it with a layer of hardwood leaves, preferably oak. This species cannot climb nor can it fly, so escape is not likely.
Feeding
The giant burrowing cockroach will live happily on a diet of oak leaves supplemented with fruit and a bit of dog food. This species is a specialist feeder on the dried leaves of eucalyptus but will only feed on certain species of eucalyptus. Feeding the wrong type of eucalyptus leaf can prove fatal, and as such it is best to feed hardwood leaves.
Humidity
This species is not picky about humidity. All you need to do is mist the substrate in order to keep it lightly moist. It’s best to keep the enclosure very well ventilated to avoid molding and bacterial growth.
Temperature
This species is best kept at a moderate temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. You can provide supplemental heating with a heat mat or lamp, only covering one side of the enclosure in order to create a heat gradient.
Breeding
It takes around 4 years for the giant burrowing cockroach to reach sexual maturity and are best kept as a breeding pair. The female will give live birth to a single ‘litter’ of up to 20 nymphs, which both parents take care of for several months. The nymphs need no special care, as very small nymphs feed on the frass of the parents and the adults are excellent parents who will collect and tear apart food for their offspring as they become large enough to eat leaves. You can separate the nymphs from the parents at around 6 months of age, though in the wild the young will stay with the adults for a full year.
Ease of Care
This species needs to maintain a burrow, or at least feel like it is living in a burrow, before it can feel secure. Keeping this species on a shallow substrate with insufficient hiding places can cause stress, which in turn can cause disease, molting issues, and death. Once their care requirements are met, however, the giant burrowing cockroach can live up to ten years and requires very little maintenance.
American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
This widespread species holds a place on this list for making its home in places where it is not wanted, namely our homes. Despite the name it is a native of Africa and has spread throughout the world via human activity.
Enclosure
The American cockroach can be kept in almost any kind of enclosure, from a tupperware to a terrarium. It is extremely important, however, that you make sure the roaches cannot escape. They are excellent climbers and can fly, making them difficult to contain. Keep American roach colonies in tightly sealed containers and make sure all air holes are covered in mesh. You can add an extra layer of protection by smearing a layer of petroleum jelly around the inner lip of the container, which will deter any would-be escapees.
Feeding
The American Cockroach has a hard-earned reputation of eating almost anything. Everything from paper to fruit can sustain this insect. In captivity you can feed American cockroaches a basic diet of oats supplemented with fruit and vegetable scraps. They will also eat poultry mash, dog food, and fish food as well as potatoes and sweet potatoes. Remove moldy food to prevent bad odors and disease.
Humidity
The American cockroach is not picky about humidity, though they prefer higher humidity. To ensure smooth molting you should keep the humidity somewhere from 40-70%.
Temperature
The American cockroach does well at room temperature and prefers warmer environments. Do not let American cockroach colonies be exposed to temperatures lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, however, to prevent die-off. You can provide supplemental heat with a heat mat or lamp.
Breeding
The American cockroach needs no encouragement to breed and will mate freely. Like other cockroaches, the American cockroach will create an ootheca containing around 16 eggs. One female American cockroach can create up to 90 oothecae in her lifetime so make sure you have a plan to deal with unwanted offspring, like keeping a larger insectivorous creature to eat them.
Ease of Care
The American cockroach is, as cockroaches go, nearly invincible. It can happily survive on a shockingly wide variety of foods, go for a very long time without feeding, and is resistant to pesticides and disease. This is what has allowed it to colonize multiple continents and persist as a pest. Perhaps the greatest concern when rearing this species is to prevent it from escaping the enclosure, as escapees can often survive and even breed in and around the home.