I know this is a super old thread, but my nine year old wanted to start blatticomposting, so we got our first dubia roaches, settled them in on coconut coir with some egg boxes, added a few of her pet mealworms (yeah, she loves insects) and a bowl with water and beads so they can't drown themselves.
She's added a bit of melon rind which they're happily chowing down on and some orange peel, which a few of the babies seem to be making a home with.
The thing is, it does smell a little funky. My autistic 12 year old is very upset by it, although most people can't smell it unless they get really close. I was going to put an essential oil diffuser on the shelf near it which he could turn on if it was upsetting him, but every time and I try to search what oils are safe to have around roaches, I get a million articles telling me what they hate and how to use essential oils to repel them. Obviously I don't want to repel or stress them out.
Does anyone know if there are any essential oils that cockroaches actually like?
