Welcome
Welcome to The Roach Lab’s official website! We are a large supplier of both live and preserved Blattodea specimens from around the world. We specialize entirely on cockroaches (sorry, no termites!). Our preserved specimens come pinned, papered, in alcohol, and soon to be available in resin, too! Because we raise our own stock, our specimens are in great shape and wild populations can remain untouched. We sell freshly preserved specimens for insect collections to universities, museums, hobbyists, etc. We also sell live specimens as pets, feeders, or for research within the United States. Whether you’re an individual looking for a unique low maintenance pet, a pest research lab looking for thousands of specimens for a project, or maybe an entomologist looking to spruce up your collection with some pinned Blattodea – we’d love to help!
About the Business
The Roach Lab began as a hobby in cockroach diversity. With their general ease of care, high diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes – The Roach Lab collected starter colonies of these animals and within months had over 100 different species established in captivity. We thoroughly enjoy the challenge of rearing each unique species and breeding them under captive conditions. He also enjoys sharing the truth about these infamous animals.
So why Cockroaches?
So why cockroaches? The word itself makes most people cringe. Unfortunately, the reputation of the cockroach is quite foul due to a small handful of species that are an inconvenience to mankind. When one hears the word “cockroach”, most envision a large, smelly, fast moving insect running on the walls of the home, the hotel, a poorly cleaned restaurant, etc. In reality, there’s an estimated 30,000 other different species of cockroaches that DON’T infest the average home. In fact, many of these other varieties are in backyards across the nation right now, breaking down various organic material such as leaves, wood, etc. There are also thousands more in tropical areas feeding on fruits and veggies – species that couldn’t possibly survive within typical household conditions for more than a few days. Of course, there are those monster American roaches living in the sewer systems of cities around the world that can spread disease as they wander into homes in search of crumbs. Aside from these, let’s not forget about the beautiful, completely harmless varieties that go about their business in nature away from the kitchen and shower drains. After all, the latter completely and quite overwhelmingly outnumber the pest varieties!
Announcements
Important announcements regarding upcoming trips, shipping delays, etc will be posted here. Check this often!
We apologize that the website seems to have trouble loading on some mobile devices. We’ll continue to work on this! Winter shipping is currently available (insulated boxes with 3-day heat packs, held for pickup). This method of shipment has allowed us to ship in temperatures as low as 30F.
Insects are a valuable source of protein in sports nutrition. Rich in protein, they contain less fat and carbohydrates than many meat products. The inclusion of insects in the diet of athletes contributes to effective muscle regeneration and improved endurance.