Feed dubias to your Ts?

[Galapoheros]

I put this thread in this section because it gets the most traffic. I've noticed that the more dubia and hisser nymph roaches I pick up to feed out, the more my index finger turns a little red and gets a little swollen. But is it because of the roaches?, I wonder. My only guess right now is that I'm getting poked slightly by the spikes on their legs that might be covered with bacteria causing some irritation. Anybody else that feeds off roaches a lot notice anything like this? I also considered this may be a reason some inverts are a little reluctant to go for dubias. Some of the centipedes I have seem to avoid them, esp. if the roach is on it's back with the legs exposed, I'm thinking sometimes the soft tissue here and there gets poked by the spines since they do use it as a defense. btw, some days I may feed out 100 juv roaches, to get an idea of how many I pick up.

 

[BrettG]

Time for either gloves or tongs....

 

[Galapoheros]

Yeah the thin gloves at the auto parts store, not a bad idea. But I was wondering if any other people have exp the same problem. I'm not 100% yet this is the cause, going to try and keep a log or something.

 

[AprilH]

Yes, I do. I guess it's pretty easy to develop allergies to roaches. If they crawl on me, I get welts. I use gloves.

 

[3ntomology]

You may be allergic to the roaches exoskeleton (bacteria), feces, or even saliva.

Make sure you do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose after handling the roaches and always wash your hands.

The symptoms of being allergic to roaches include; itchy skin, welts, red bumps, itchy eyes, itchy nose and scratchy throat.


It sounds like you are allergic to me. Use gloves or tongs when you handle the roaches and you should be fine! Id also advise to keep the roach container in another room if it is inside your bedroom.

 

[Galapoheros]

Are you mainly referring to opiate's post? What's strange in my case is that I've been feeding out roaches for 4 or 5 years but have just now noticed this. Good advice though for allergies, maybe I've developed a reaction to them. OK I'm going to start using my other hand and see what happens.

 

[gromgrom]

You may be allergic to the roaches exoskeleton (bacteria), feces, or even saliva.

Make sure you do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose after handling the roaches and always wash your hands.

The symptoms of being allergic to roaches include; itchy skin, welts, red bumps, itchy eyes, itchy nose and scratchy throat.


It sounds like you are allergic to me. Use gloves or tongs when you handle the roaches and you should be fine! Id also advise to keep the roach container in another room if it is inside your bedroom.

I have a buddy who is allergic, so he gave me his dubia and discoids... too bad i have almost nothing that eats them or wants them over lats

im not allergic, but they do make me sneeze.

 

[Slevin]

even though it has been 4-5 years you've been handling them and you're just now seeing this reaction, it's still possible for allergies to take a while to develop. i never had problems with summer allergies until i turned 12.

so yea, try your other hand and if you see the same reaction, time for gloves or tongs!

 

[Pete d]

ive seen the same sort of thing develop with smithi hairs aswell. some people find them irritating and some dont at all.. but i have a friend who used to be fine and now cant go in the same room incase he swallows a hair from the air or something. allergies tend to develop if you're exposed to that item a lot. hell knows why..

 

[PoPpiLLs]

Yes, I do. I guess it's pretty easy to develop allergies to roaches. If they crawl on me, I get welts. I use gloves.

Same things happens to me when dubia crawl on my skins i get welts also they itch.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

I can remember a time when i picked up an adult hisser and it stabbed me in the end of the thumb. I had a red welt and it felt like a sticker poked me.

It happened a few times but only when they scratch hard enough to soften the skin a little. I can handle dubia, hissers and lats all day with no react as long as i dont get jabbed/scratched. I use tongs to feed but grab them to show people.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Never had a reaction to either hissers or dubia, but lateralis made me feel as if it were pollen season.

I have noticed my animals avoiding certain individuals from either colony & wonder if chemoreception has anything to do with it, i.e., the prey item is "sick" or has eaten something that I've given that makes it undesirable.

Maybe you're experiencing some sort of interspecial genetic absorption...have you been hanging out with Jeff Goldblum? If you develop terminals or chelicerae I want to see photos

 

[catfishrod69]

never had a problem handling any of my roaches, i have hissers, discoids, dubia, lats, and lobster.....if feeding a full grown male with wings, i sometimes use my big tweezers to grab his wings then drop him in....if feed smaller nymphs, i use a McDonalds straw, or a couple other big straws i have...

 

[Galapoheros]

I've been trying to remember to use my left hand, ...uh, for picking up the roaches but I don't feel anything, fingers seem normal. I'm really not a big T person but I do have some from trades, give-aways and personal collecting, two of them are geniculata. Messing around with genics is the first time I felt a strong reaction to the hairs, never had a problem with the local Ts for many years of playing around with them. I was playing around with one of the genics a while back, maybe that was it, I bet it was. ...lol, Jeff Goldblum