What size discoid roaches should a beginner buy?

Match prey to your animal. Small nymphs (1/4 to 1/2 inch) suit juvenile geckos and small reptiles; medium roaches (1/2 to 1 inch) suit most adult lizards; adults (1.5 to 2 inches) suit larger monitors and breeding. A good rule is prey no longer than the space between your animal's eyes.

Can discoid roaches climb out of a smooth bin?

No. Discoid roaches cannot climb smooth vertical surfaces and cannot fly, which is exactly why they're a beginner-safe feeder. A smooth-walled plastic bin with normal ventilation holds them with no escape risk and no Vaseline barrier needed.

Are discoid roaches legal to own?

In most U.S. states, yes. Blaberus discoidalis is non-invasive and is even sold under permit in Florida where many feeder roaches are banned. Always confirm your own state's rules with your state Department of Agriculture before ordering.

How do I avoid getting mites or sick roaches?

Buy from a breeder who'll describe their substrate, cleaning schedule, and diet, and who guarantees live arrival. Quarantine new stock in a separate bin for a week or two and watch for mites or die-off before merging colonies.

What's a fair price, and what's a red flag?

Prices that are far below market usually mean weak, mixed, or unhealthy stock. The other red flags are vague sizing, no live-arrival guarantee, no heat/cold pack option, and slow or evasive answers to care questions.

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Feeder Insects

How to Buy Discoid Roaches Safely: A Beginner's Guide

By Matt Goren · Updated June 26, 2026

Care at a glance

Role: Staple feeder
Protein: ~20%
Fat: ~6.5%
Moisture: ~60%
Chitin: low
Ca:P: 1:3
Calcium-rich: No (dust it)
Best for: Most insectivores — beardies, geckos, frogs, monitors

I've bought a lot of feeder insects over the years, and discoid roaches are the ones I steer beginners toward. They're quiet, odorless, hardy, and they don't climb glass or fly, so a first colony is genuinely hard to mess up. The trick is buying smart the first time. Here's exactly what I check before I place an order.

What you're actually buying

Discoid roaches are Blaberus discoidalis, a non-climbing, non-flying tropical roach native to Central and South America. (You'll sometimes see them confused with Blaptica dubia, the dubia roach, they're a different species.) Adults run about 1.5 to 2 inches, flattened oval bodies, tan-to-brown, slow-moving and docile. They give live birth (ovoviviparous) and breed steadily in warm, humid conditions, which is why one starter order can become a self-sustaining feeder supply.

The two traits that make them beginner-proof: they can't scale smooth walls, and they can't fly. A plain tote with vent holes contains them. No mesh-towers, no greasy barrier rings.

Pick the right size first

Buy to your animal, not to a vague "medium" label:

Size	Length	Best for
Small nymph	1/4 to 1/2 inch	Juvenile geckos, small frogs, hatchlings
Medium	1/2 to 1 inch	Most adult bearded dragons, adult geckos
Adult	1.5 to 2 inches	Monitors, large lizards, breeding colony

A reliable feeding rule: prey shouldn't be longer than the gap between your animal's eyes. Oversized roaches are the most common cause of choking and impaction, so don't over-buy on size.

Vetting the supplier

This is where beginners get burned. Before I buy from anyone, I want clear answers to:

What substrate do you use, and how often is waste cleaned? Vague answers mean a dirty colony, which means mites.
What do you feed them? A breeder gut-loading on fresh produce and grain chow is selling you a better feeder.
Do you guarantee live arrival? Non-negotiable for live insects.
How do you ship in extreme weather? They should offer heat packs in winter, cold/gel packs in summer.

Then read reviews for patterns, not one-off complaints. Repeated mentions of dead-on-arrival shipments, mites, or mixed/wrong sizes are a hard pass.

Red flags

Suspiciously low prices (healthy roaches cost money to raise properly).
Listings with no size, condition, or care detail.
No live-arrival guarantee and no weather-pack option.
Slow, evasive, or no-knowledge answers to your care questions.

Shipping and the moment they arrive

Discoids ship best in ventilated containers with insulation. They're tropical, so the enemies in transit are freezing and overheating, aim for them to live in the 70 to 80°F range, and don't leave the box sitting on a hot porch or in a cold mailbox.

When the package lands, open it promptly, check for lethargy or off smells, and move them straight into their bin. A little stillness after a cold trip is normal; mass die-off or a sour smell is a claim.

The setup they actually need

You can have this ready before the box arrives:

Enclosure: a smooth-walled plastic tote with a secure lid and small mesh-covered vent holes. Because they can't climb, the smooth walls are your escape-proofing.
Hides: stacked cardboard egg flats set vertically, maximum surface area, easy harvesting.
Substrate: optional. I run mine bare-bottom for hygiene; a thin layer of coconut fiber or paper helps with odor if you prefer.
Temperature: 85 to 95°F for active breeding, cooler is fine for simple holding. A heat pad on one side works.
Humidity: roughly 40 to 60%. Enough to prevent dehydration, not so much you grow mold.
Food: fresh veg (carrot, sweet potato, leafy greens), limited fruit, and a high-protein dry chow or plain oats. Replace produce every couple of days.
Water: water gel or a sponge in a shallow dish, never an open dish that drowns nymphs.

Keep it clean, pull old food and waste regularly, and a discoid colony will outlast and outproduce just about any other feeder you keep.

Where to buy and learn more

For healthy, guaranteed-live-arrival stock, AAC's discoid roach collection is where I send people starting out. If you want to confirm legality before ordering, the USDA APHIS guidance on regulated organisms and permits explains why non-invasive species like discoids ship freely where many roaches can't.

Ready to keep your colony thriving? See my full discoid roach care and breeding guide and browse the exotic animals hub for more feeder care.

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