# Alternative to Vasoline



## SkyeSpider (Oct 7, 2007)

I did a search and turned up some information, but nothing really useful.

I've got three roach colonies right now: hissers, lobsters, and dwarf hissers. I've been using vasoline for years with great success.

When we moved from Florida to Oklahoma, I left behind our roach enclosures, packed them into small containers for the trip, then bought new ones once we got out here. Problem is, it seems all the plastic bins are extremely smooth on the inside anymore. I can't keep the vasoline in place anymore and it's really starting to frustrate me.

I've heard of using industrial grade lubricants, teflon spray, and other things, but only in passing conversation. Does anyone have any detailed information on using these items and specifics on brand and product?

Also, just to point out, I'm autistic and will still be in the dark without detailed instructions on how to use it.

Thanks in advance


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## Ted (Oct 7, 2007)

i heard there was a kind of tape that is slick.
sorry thats all i know.
but its a start!


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## ZooRex (Oct 7, 2007)

Ever hear of Bugstop? You can get it here: www.proexotics.com ~ Rex


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 7, 2007)

KingRex said:


> Ever hear of Bugstop? You can get it here: www.proexotics.com ~ Rex


Will that stuff work on the silicone seals of an aquarium? I'd like to switch my roaches over so I can heat them.


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## cacoseraph (Oct 8, 2007)

i use extra virgin olive oil

i hate petroleum jelly. it has a somewhat small range of temp/RH in which it works well.  even then, small light bodied roaches don't even slow down for it


with the EVO you have to replenish your barriers more often than with vaseline... especially in the summer... but it doesn't make a big mucky mess and blocks more roaches so i consider much superior. you can get a lifetime supply at a 99c store, which is also points in its favor =P


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## Rochelle (Oct 8, 2007)

Liquid "teflon"...sold to us as "bug barrier"....works like magic, but can't remember where we ordered it. Tried ordering from DoubleD's - paid $14 w/shipping - got sent VASELINE!!!!  Make sure you ask about specifics when ordering..... 
The "liquid teflon" works great on the aquarium glue and lasts forever....let me know if you happen to find a site for it. It's very thin and watery...dries on semi-transparent. The smoothest application you can manage works best. We use a foam paintbrush.
p.s. your hisser babies are on the way!


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## Rochelle (Oct 9, 2007)

Originally Posted by KingRex  View Post
Ever hear of Bugstop? You can get it here: www.proexotics.com ~ Rex


SWEET!!!   TYTYTY:clap:


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## ahas (Oct 9, 2007)

I use olive oil.


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## jbrd (Oct 10, 2007)

ahas said:


> I use olive oil.


I have heard of people using olive oil but never on how well it works.
How do you use it? Does it really work and if so how often do you have to reapply it?


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## cacoseraph (Oct 10, 2007)

jbrd said:


> I have heard of people using olive oil but never on how well it works.
> How do you use it? Does it really work and if so how often do you have to reapply it?


i use EVO. worked better than vegetable oil (which worked better than vase for me)

i reapply every ~3-4 weeks in the summer and every 6-8 weeks in the winter. reapplication consists of my dipping my finger in a little 2oz container of EVO i keep on my racks and running it along the inside rim of whatever roach container i am proofing.  i do a 3+" barrier to block the stupid hissers.  i'd say it's just about a finger dip per linear foot of 3" barrier.  takes me maybe 3-4 minutes to do a container.

and clean up is lightyears easier than stupid vaseline.  gods i hate that stuff.  there is probably still dabs around my old apartment from one accident in particular... unknowingly dipped my damn elbow in the barrier and then got it ALL OVER my room. sheesh it sucked.


and another HUGE advantage for me is that EVO works at 50*F.  vaseline is pretty well solidified and doesn't stop very much at all at 50*F. and vase runs like a mofo at 100*F.  and that is my yearly working range for temps in my bug/bedroom.... 50*F-100*F (actually i htink it was 49*F to 101*F, heh)


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## arachnocat (Oct 10, 2007)

Olive oil works great but can be a bit runny. You just have to be careful not to add too much and you don't really need a lot anyway. I've been using for my hissers for about 4 months and haven't had to re-apply yet. I do want to try that bug stop stuff though.


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## arachnocat (Oct 10, 2007)

From the pro-exotics website:

"Don't be a dork - DO NOT EAT THE BUG STOP. DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYES. DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS FROST CUPCAKES WITH IT. DO NOT DRIP IT BETWEEN YOUR BUTT CHEEKS, IT DOES NOT STOP CHAFING. These are all inappropriate uses for the Bug Stop, please do not become "that guy" that makes the front page of the Darwin Awards. Thanks."

ROFL


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## jbrd (Oct 10, 2007)

*Bugbarrier*

    @ arachnocat
The bug barrier is Teflon and smells horrid when wet but no smell after it dries. I have only had to apply it about every 12 months plus. As long as you apply it smoothly even hisser babies can not get past it.
Better than vaseline. IMO


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## ZooRex (Oct 10, 2007)

> From the pro-exotics website:
> 
> "Don't be a dork - DO NOT EAT THE BUG STOP. DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYES. DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS FROST CUPCAKES WITH IT. DO NOT DRIP IT BETWEEN YOUR BUTT CHEEKS, IT DOES NOT STOP CHAFING. These are all inappropriate uses for the Bug Stop, please do not become "that guy" that makes the front page of the Darwin Awards. Thanks."


Yeah, thats Robyn for you, quite the joker. Just one reason why I love PE, they're also extreamly knowledgeable aswell . I'm surprised that so few know about them here. ~ Rex


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## ahas (Oct 11, 2007)

jbrd said:


> I have heard of people using olive oil but never on how well it works.
> How do you use it? Does it really work and if so how often do you have to reapply it?



I just put olive oil on a paper towel and run it around the top of the roaches' enclosure.  Also I haven' t reapplied olive oil for 3 months now.  It really works great for me.   

Fred


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## cacoseraph (Oct 11, 2007)

i actually splurged and went ahead and got a EVO/soybean oil hybrid. it seems like it might actually work better than EVO by itself. the hybrid seems a little thinner... which should help container the smallest nymphs from my lobsters and even theoretically work against super light body roaches like Panchlora nivea


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## Kharnifex (Oct 14, 2007)

have you tried paint on fluon? I use it alot, but I bought it from an australian website

paints on and dries, and lasts along time, i use this on all my rubbermaid setups for roach breeding.

http://herpshop.com.au/


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 14, 2007)

KingRex said:


> Ever hear of Bugstop? You can get it here: www.proexotics.com ~ Rex


It comes in 2 oz and 4oz. How much do I need to line a 10 gallon and 20 gallon (long) aquarium? I'm going to give it a shot.


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## Jmugleston (Oct 15, 2007)

*Synonyms.*

Fluon-AD or whatever and Bugstop and bug barrier may all be the same teflon based paint. I use it on my large garbage bins that house my crickets and multiple roach colonies. You can buy it from many sources but if I remember correctly I bought mine from Pro Exotics since it was cheaper. The same paint is used in out biology labs to keep the ants in their container. So works for all sizes of insects up to my largest hissers. Plus not the mess associated with vasoline.
Joey


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## cacoseraph (Oct 17, 2007)

<EDIT>





how easy is that teflon paint to remove afterwords?  i still have tanks that are essentially useless to me cuz i haven't gotten *ALL* the blankety blank vas off.  and i have done a LOT of work on some of them.... but a film remains. out out damned vas!


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 17, 2007)

I just got some of the teflon paint. It seems REALLY thin. Do I need to do multiple coats or is a single thin coat enough?


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## Choobaine (Oct 18, 2007)

<EDIT>

I tried vasoline once and I did it very wrong indeed. I ended up with a room full of roaches...


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 18, 2007)

Choobaine said:


> I tried vasoline once and I did it very wrong indeed. I ended up with a room full of roaches...


I had harlequin roaches for a while... Until they proved they can climb vasoline. All but four (of 40) escaped. That sucked! I haven't kept that species since.


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## Choobaine (Oct 18, 2007)

One of my locusts escaped this morning, I have no idea how. I didn't have time to go looking for him but I'm sure I'll catch him tonight if my dragon hasn't managed to track him first. One of my roaches is still missing, I hear her at night every now and again. I'll get any breed of roach I can, I love those things so very much!


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 20, 2007)

So I ordered some bug stop. I've been working to line an aquarium and I'm having trouble. I can't get the bug stop to stay on the corners at all! I've tried two coats, and it still won't stick. Any advice?


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## ZooRex (Oct 20, 2007)

> So I ordered some bug stop. I've been working to line an aquarium and I'm having trouble. I can't get the bug stop to stay on the corners at all!


Jez, I'm sorry to hear that. Personally I've never used bugstop, I just new it was around and figured it would help you out. Did you contact ProExotics? Maybe theyd have some advice. ~Rex


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## Jmugleston (Oct 20, 2007)

*Haven't seen that before.*

I use the bugstop on large plastic bins for my bugs so I don't know why it is sticking to some areas of the glass and not others. Sorry, I'm no help.


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 20, 2007)

I bought some regular bins (not something I wanted to do) and I still can't get this stuff to apply evenly. It's pooling up in some spots and coming off in others. I'm really disappointed after spending so much money on this crap... 

I tried to call the company I bought it from and only got an answering machine. Guess I'll have to call them from work if I want to talk to anyone.


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## SkyeSpider (Oct 20, 2007)

Nevermind. I FINALLY got it working. I had to use horizontal strokes instead of vertical. I still can't get it to work on the silicone of the fish tank. That confounds me.


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## ZooRex (Oct 21, 2007)

> Nevermind. I FINALLY got it working. I had to use horizontal strokes instead of vertical. I still can't get it to work on the silicone of the fish tank. That confounds me.


Good, I'm glad to see it wasn't a total loss. I'm also surprised on how badly it worked, it seamed like a respected product. ~ Rex


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## Vfox (Oct 21, 2007)

Vaseline worked for me when I transfered around 1,000 lobster roaches last week. The nymphs got stuck and died and the adults could only get through about 1 of the 3 inches before they got stuck or dropped. I'm going to be raising a colony of giant hissers soon, and I'm curious how well it will work against their nymphs, hopefully well enough. 

Has anyone ever tried double sided tape, or crisco? 

I'm curious about this, especially since I've never raised a colony of roaches before....and my mother in law would kill me if she found a roach ANYWHERE in the house....she used to live in NYC and is terrified of them, lol.


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## AaronP (Oct 21, 2007)

*Super Slick Roach Barrier*

I use Super Slick Roach Barrier. It is not   vasaline but an industrial food grade grease that has a melt point of like 400 degrees. I have had some bins that have had it on for 4 months and counting. I do have some availble just check out my site.

Aaron Pauling
http://www.aaronpauling.com


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## Vfox (Oct 21, 2007)

AaronP said:


> http://www.aaronpauling.com


Your site is down Aaron, not sure what the error is though, something to do with your index page not being set right or something I think. Btw, if you didn't get my message I sent to your site last night about the Dubia roaches please PM me.


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## Helio (Oct 21, 2007)

may cooking oil work to prevent escapes?


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