Feeder Colony Waste Disposal

[chandlermonster]

Well, I finally got my B. Dubia colony set up and it seems to be working beautifully. In another few months I should have a self-sustainable roach community on my hands! Now here's my question for all you other more experienced colony keepers: How often do you have to clean up their waste? I have noticed that in a few short days they have already left droppings all over the floor of the tub. This is a very small colony I am talking about (around fifty roaches). So how often would YOU clean their cage?

[rosenkrieger]

Do you use a substrate? Bed-A-Beast/EcoEarth are great for roaches because their waste falls into it and is broken down over time, thus greatly reducing cleanings. It's what I use for my Hisser colony and my B. Giganteus colony.

[cacoseraph]

clean... roach cages?


not very often. don't want to bother seperating out all the nymphs and "micromealworms" in there. if the babies are being made and the stink isn't then i see no reason to clean it

plus i have read, and it maeks sense to me, that the babies eat the poop of the adults to their benefit. i expect gut fauna can be easily transfered that way. and maybe they are kinda like cows or whatever, that don't fully digest all the nutrients and what not out on the first go

[Steven.WK]

I clean my colony about every 3 months. Dubia aren't really that difficult to clean if you have some egg crates in there. They do create a lot of waste but the pellets don't smell much. When I clean the cages theres an inch of the stuff at the bottom.

[chandlermonster]

rosenkrieger - actually I don't have a substrate in there right now. And instead of egg crates I cut up cardboard and made two three story "roach condos." I considered using the same synthetic coconut fiber my T's are on, but I had read that Dubia are burrowers and would most likely get underneath it and finding the might become tough. However, if it works for you I should go ahead and put some in. How deep is yours?

cacoseraph - ...that's disgusting. Here I was thinking that roaches were clean creatures when they are really just a bunch of poo-eaters.

Steven.W.K. - So they are walking around on an inch of fecies? I just can't help thinking there's got to be something unhealthy about that for our T's. Or maybe for US! My dietician cousin swears that roach fecies produce a greater likelyhood of asthma is children, who knows what that kind of accumulation could do to adults! Does that mean you don't use substrate either?

[Steven.WK]

I don't use any substrate since that would make cleaning more difficult and it could attract mites. I also use a lot of vertical egg crates so they are not living in the waste.

Not sure about the asthma issue but their waste are pellets and can't really get blown around.

[Cheshire]

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/show...a+roach+colony

Here's an article I wrote on roach colony cleaning awhile back.

Just remember to freeze the waste for about a week or so after you're done seperating the nymphs the best you can. Freezing the bag ensures there are no nymphs that escape.

To answer Eprogress's questions (a while late, I know...sorry).

1.) Substrate is only neccessary for Blaberus, Blaptica and other related species. I have not found Nauphoeta to need any substrate. They're about as hardy as you can get without being infestational.

2.)I do not include a constant source of water (I do strongly reccomend one, though) and instead give them an entire apple once a week.

[Talkenlate04]

I threw the waste in my grass, and good grief my grass got green. I am doing some tests with beans now to see how well they do with some roach poo added.

[Travis K]

I have a large colony in my gagrage, in a 50gal tub. I dont recommend using a substrate, and the "poo" is actually kinda sweet smelling to me. We just throw our table scraps in there every now and then and let them go to work.

Caution! B. Dubia dose not climb but if you wife throws in half a watermellon you get fruit flies. They do climb and then they poop, and vomit food on the tank walls, and then you dubias climb on up like cliff climbers do indoors, only their grips are fruit flie crap!

Any way feed them just what they will eat and you really dont have to worry about that. Also i have observed that the nymphs really like hanging out in the poop, i think they really like it or dare i say need it.

[chandlermonster]

Oh no, I think I've made a terrible mistake.

Talkenlate04 - I read what you posted on the other roach colony thread... You've seen B. Dubia go for short flights?! The reason I'm nervous about this is that for ventilation I cut a 4x6" square in the top of the roach tub, and if one of these guys can fly he could soar right through the top. This is especially bad because the tub is under my bed... Should I tape it up, you think?

[Kmatzy1228]

Alright, sooo this is my way of ding it for things like this. The only thing is you will have to built a new floor for your tank or w/e. I would get a very very find linings like a fense how it is intertwined and stuff and put it at the pottom with a pan to fit it UNDER the wire. The roaches will go to the bathroom and just full out the pan, throw it away and stick it back in and you are set for another few day. All of 30 seconds..

[vvx]

Oh no, I think I've made a terrible mistake.

Talkenlate04 - I read what you posted on the other roach colony thread... You've seen B. Dubia go for short flights?! The reason I'm nervous about this is that for ventilation I cut a 4x6" square in the top of the roach tub, and if one of these guys can fly he could soar right through the top. This is especially bad because the tub is under my bed... Should I tape it up, you think?

I doubt they would fly well enough to get out of an opening up top unless you had stuff stacked up right beneath it. If you're worried just use a glue gun and cover the hole with window screen stuff.

[Talkenlate04]

They dont fly well enough to get out of a hole in a tub lid. You should be ok. I meant when on the rim of something I have seen them try and use their wings to fly. Which ammounts to a short flight to the ground.