I just got madagasacr hissing cockroaches a week ago. they dont eat much and are not active what should i do?

Question

should i mist the cage?

Answer 1

These insects are not very active, probably due to their enormous size. They are mostly active at night and are omnivores. They will feed on a number of ordinary food items like bread, fruit and even hamburger ocassionally. These insects are also adapted to arid conditions and don't necessarily need standing water to drink. They can survive on very little food and get all their moisture requirements from what they eat if it is just a bit moist.Males are distinguished by a stubby pair of horn shaped cones on their back. Males will fight other males, but the most serious damage is usually the loss of the end of their antenna or missing toe claws. These insects are seasonal breeders, unlike most other cockroaches. They tend to breed in the spring, mid April to early May. They give birth to a dozen or more live young about 1/4 of an inch. The babies are dark in color and have bright white tips on their antenna. Babies can live with the adults, but its probably better to gather them after a week and place them in a separate container. It  is beneficial to the babies if they are allowed to stay about a week with the adults. This allows them to eat the adult's droppings and this impregnates the baby roaches with the micro organism they will need as adults to efficiently digest food. These insects are roaches which can climb smooth surfaces, so keep their container covered.  Both adults and young appreciate places to hide. Old paper towl rolls make good hiding tubes. Unlike giant cave roaches, madagascar roaches can be handled safely, despite a bit of hissing at first. Cave roaches are voratious carnivors and will attempt to chew on fingers if hungry. Hissing roaches breed very slowly and can't survive in the wild anywhere but Madagascar (and perhaps southern California), so are roaches which are perfectly safe to keep.