# Really simple, and easy way to clean your roach Bins.



## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

Ok so i have been asked how i clean my roach bins with a vacuum cleaner several times.

This method works very well for me. But you will need a dedicated vacuum cleaner(i prefer bag less, as sometimes the moisture from water or whatever can ruin a bagged vacuum)


ok step one get you roach bin and access the filth.
here is mine(i keep all my egg crates and card board in the center for ease of cleaning and feeding)

mine isnt that dirty but to show you all i will proceed.







ok now what i do is i take the bin and tilt it to one side.







ok so now what i do, is shake it up and down making sure all the frass and dead roaches/molts falls to the bottom.   then i lift the egg crates and cardboard in one motion and push to the other side to reveal all the frass and what not(note- you will have roaches mixed in with the frass, let it sit at this point for 10 min or so untill most have returned to the safety of the egg crates)

this is what it will look like after shaking, and the egg crates are pushed to the other side.







After most of the roaches return to the egg crates, simply vacuum the mess up.(note- you will loose a few nymphs every now and again, but with a healthy colony it shouldnt matter much)

just vacuum







after you vacuum all the mess up, shake it some more to get any left over frass and stuff. After you do that it should look like this.







Once that is done i like to water and feed.  I put the crates in the middle and place food directly on the bottom of one side, and water crystal directly on the bottom of the other side. This helps prevent mold, and mites.  I also only feed what they will eat and drink in a day or 2 day period.
(Note- i add food coloring to my water crystals because they seem to eat them better with it added.  THIS IS NOT NECESSARY, JUST SOMETHING I DO)

when all done and complete, you will have something like this








This method of care has provided me with countless roaches, never had a mite problem, nor mold problem.  

I know not every one will agree with the way i keep them, but it works. and i use the same method for my lateralis too, i just clean them less often because of egg cases on the floor of the bin.

enjoy!

Reactions: Like 1


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

Also I put this here since most Tarantula keepers use B. dubia to feed.

i know it should go into the "insect" section, but i felt it would get more traffic here and help alot of people who normally dont check the "insect section"

sorry if that was a problem.

Also feel free to sticky this, as this question has been asked numerous times.


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## Tapahtyn (Jun 14, 2010)

this is nice to see, since I'll be recieving my first colony in a couple of days.  Thanks and I'll see you this weekend!


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## Kathy (Jun 14, 2010)

Hey that was good, Cody.  I'm such a visual learner, that explains a lot.  What is the food on the left?  And you say you replace the water crystals daily?  Or did I read that wrong?  How often should water crystals be replaced? I like the idea of the card board in between the egg crates too.


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

i feed only "old roy dog food"  i grind it up with a dedicated blender untill its a fine powder.

it varies on watering. i try my best only to give them just enough so it doesnt last more than 2 days.  after they consume all the water i usually wait a day or two before watering again.  same with food.


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## Endagr8 (Jun 14, 2010)

No offense, Cody, but I think that's a tad superfluous, from the use of a vacuum to clean something that produces only a couple cubic feet of waste per year to your excessive cleaning frequency.


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

Think what you will, but like i said, this yeilds RESULTS for me.  Also no one i have ever shipped roaches to have been disapointed.  I have been told many times by several people i have given, sold and traded roaches too mine were some of the healthiest they had ever seen.

I also never said you HAVE to do it this way either.  I have been asked TONS of times how i keep my bins so clean and my roaches so healthy.

So i posted this. Like it or hate it, thats on YOU

But i really dont see whats so "superfluous"  of it?  nothing wrong with over the top care in my opinion. Besides, it takes less than 5 minutes...not that extravagant really.


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## xhexdx (Jun 14, 2010)

Did I miss where Cody said how often he cleans his roach bins?


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

No you did not Joe.  I did not state that at all.  

But i will.  For my B. lateralis, since they lay egg cases that need around 2 to 3 weeks to hatch...i clean them maybe once every 2 months.  Or when it gets a little to much odor for me to handle(there will always be an odor with them, just not a very pungent one) 

For the B. dubia, i clean them probably twice a month.  since i place water crystals directly on the floor of the bin i find it needed so there is less chance of mites and mold from water and frass.  

I will admit, i do clean them A LOT more than most, but i dont want them stinking. nor do i want my feeders to have mites. besides i usually sell off roaches periodically just to thin my colony down. i mean i just got rid of 100 adult females..because i had to many...then another 100 of sub adult roaches.  i dont want people unsatisfied with what i send them.


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## mhill (Jun 14, 2010)

Ok, I was under the impression that SOME frass needs to be left in the bin for the nymphs to feed on. Is this correct or did I get some crappy (couldnt resist)  info?


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

nymphs will eat the dog food. i have seen them. besides.  My bin is not spotless ALL THE TIME!  sheesh.  this is just showing how to clean a dirty bin.

My bin wasnt all that dirty, but for the purpose of showing HOW TO CLEAN YOUR ROACH BIN WITH A VACUUM. i proceeded in cleaning what crap was there.  i stated this before the very first picture.  normally, by 2 weeks, i have about an inch of frass on the bottom no joke.    i just cleaned this bin 3 days ago.  but wanted to show you all.


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## MichiganReptiles (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks for posting this, Cody! I love it.


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

Well thanks for liking it.


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## xhexdx (Jun 14, 2010)

mhill said:


> Ok, I was under the impression that SOME frass needs to be left in the bin for the nymphs to feed on. Is this correct or did I get some crappy (couldnt resist)  info?


Nymphs will feed on whatever the adults eat.  I'm sure they'll eat frass too, but why let them eat it when you could be feeding them actual food? 

Cody, I thought you did a good job with the tutorial.


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## shanebp (Jun 14, 2010)

I agree with Joe, I thought this tutorial was awesome, and I think your roach bin looks really nice and organized cody (i'm an organizational freak  ).


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

xhexdx said:


> Nymphs will feed on whatever the adults eat.  I'm sure they'll eat frass too, but why let them eat it when you could be feeding them actual food?
> 
> Cody, I thought you did a good job with the tutorial.





shanebp said:


> I agree with Joe, I thought this tutorial was awesome, and I think your roach bin looks really nice and organized cody (i'm an organizational freak  ).


Well thank you.


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## Kathy (Jun 14, 2010)

I don't care how often he does or does not clean them.  I thought this was really interesting and informative!  Gave a newbie like me some good ideas on how to keep the roach bin cleaner.  I, for one, appreciate it!


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## Endagr8 (Jun 14, 2010)

Kathy said:


> I don't care how often he does or does not clean them.  I thought this was really interesting and informative!  Gave a newbie like me some good ideas on how to keep the roach bin cleaner.  I, for one, appreciate it!


Appreciate it as you will, but be informed that _B. lateralis_ oothecae can take much longer than the two to three weeks to hatch that Cody suggested, so clean accordingly. An absence of babies isn't good if you're planning for a sustainable feeder colony. Also, frequent disturbances are rumored to lower proliferation in cockroaches.

Hopefully codykrr disposes of the vacuum's contents properly; I wouldn't want to see any stray _B. dubia_/_B. lateralis_ that made it into Cody's vacuum scuttling around a Missouri landfill this summer.


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## xhexdx (Jun 14, 2010)

Endagr8 said:


> Appreciate it as you will, but be informed that _B. lateralis_ oothecae can take much longer than the two to three weeks to hatch that Cody suggested, so clean accordingly. An absence of babies isn't good if you're planning for a sustainable feeder colony. Also, frequent disturbances are rumored to lower proliferation in cockroaches.
> 
> Hopefully codykrr disposes of the vacuum's contents properly; I wouldn't want to see any stray _B. dubia_/_B. lateralis_ that made it into Cody's vacuum scuttling around a Missouri landfill this summer.


Interesting points.  I'm sure a few hours in the freezer before disposal would do the trick.


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## MichiganReptiles (Jun 14, 2010)

xhexdx said:


> Interesting points.  I'm sure a few hours in the freezer before disposal would do the trick.


I was actually wondering about how to properly dispose of them because I am totally freaked out at the thought of roaches being anywhere except for in their enclosure or being eaten by one of my reptiles or Ts.


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## codykrr (Jun 14, 2010)

i burn them....simple as that.

just throw them in the fire pit.

and also, not sure what temps you keep your lats EN, but mine hatch every 2 to 3 weeks. i have a very well established colony.  

i keep mine at around 90 degrees.


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## brothaT (Jun 14, 2010)

I keep mine in an incubator so I've experimented a bit with temps.  At 80 it's between 5 and 6 weeks, 85 around 4 weeks, and 90 at around 3 weeks.  That was all in a hovobator though so I'm not sure how that translates into bottom of the roach bin times but it should be pretty close.



codykrr said:


> i burn them....simple as that.
> 
> just throw them in the fire pit.
> 
> ...


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## codykrr (Jun 15, 2010)

i just find it sad...i try and show an easy way to clean a roach bin, that doesnt require much time, effort and you dont even have to take the roaches out.  Yet people still ridicule you....

look i said in my first post. not everyone will agree. doesnt mean you need to litter my thread up with you peadly nonsense.  

this is how to clean a roach bin...not raise them..not breed them...but CLEAN the bin. yes mine wasnt that dirty. i told you all that. yes i like clean roach bins.  yes i clean clean more that i NEED too. 

but this is how I do it.  just throwing an idea out there. dang!

EN, you seem sure of yourself, please go make your own thread and show them your bins.

Reactions: Like 1


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## H. laoticus (Jun 15, 2010)

nice tutorial, cody
didn't think about vacuuming before, so this was interesting to read.


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## recluse (Jun 15, 2010)

I used to do this with my wet/dry shop vac and it began to stink really bad. Just remember if  you do this clean the vaccuum receptacle right away.


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## codykrr (Jun 15, 2010)

yeah, thats why i like bagless too, its easy to clean and the hose comes right off.


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## eelnoob (Jun 16, 2010)

Thanks for thread


Don't think I'll be keeping roaches again anytime soon but just want to say I love the cardboard between eggcrates idea as well.


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## koolkid98 (Jun 16, 2010)

He he nice tutorial Love your bin


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## ornamentalist (Jan 12, 2011)

great way of keeping them and thanks for the reply on my thread!  they are in an identical setup to yours but i just feed plenty of fleshy fruits daily and mist daily, i can never find water crystals cheap, they always go for at least 6 pound for a tiny jar of ready made. I know that garden centers sell it cheaper but the nearest one to us is quite a trek, they do fine without anyway. Im sure putting feeders like roaches, crix or mealies in any section wont raise any eyebrows, but when the millipedes and pacman frogs enter the wrong section, heads roll


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## dtknow (Jan 12, 2011)

Couldn't you simply throw all the eggcrates in another container and pour off the frass? Thats what I usually do...but I also go through and pick all the nymphs out since I keep my colony on the small side and high recruitment is necessary.


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## Bigboy (Jan 25, 2011)

What sort of filter bag do you have?  I have terrible roach allergies and I'd just be really worried about getting micro-fine particles into the air that way.


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## codykrr (Jan 25, 2011)

its just a cheap micro fiber filter for my bagless vacuum.


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## MOBugGuy (Jan 25, 2011)

I put the bottum garbage stuff in a small KK an just shake it into a bucket all the poop an stuff falls through an even the smallest dubia roaches stay in the kk while the stuff falls through took me 3 min to clean my 10gal cage.


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