# Ok, this is going to hurt for some of you...how do I Euthanize a Roach Colony?



## Cocoa-Jin (Aug 24, 2010)

My current Lobster Roach Colony is now out of hand.  The enclosure is too small for th enumbers, the Sumer Conditions have spawned a fruit fly infestation that is actually ggting worse this time around...generally they bloom for a few weeks and then die off when I keep the moisture down.

This year, they wont leave, the frass seems to be holding moisture this year and I dont have the means or need to expand into a larger set-up.

I need to collect a few specimens from the colony and start over, utilizing the same enlosure.  My wife wont let me put the enclosure in the freezer, I cant use pesticides since I want to re-use the tank.

I was thinking of buying a block of dry ice and placing it on a platform inside the tank, then closing it off insdie another sealed container.  I assume the cold and CO2 would do it quickly and "humanely".  My biggest concern is the possibility of the glass breaking due to the cold.  I could get another tank, but I dont want to run the risk of any survivors getting out and infesting the house or the ard...Im in Southern California, I cant let them get out, especially this time of year....they'd explode before I have any chance of the winter possibly knocking them out.

Anyway, I was looking for some advice.  The conditions re just too far gone to salvage and their use as feeder stock becoming comprimised in my opnion.


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## elportoed (Aug 24, 2010)

You could replace the air inside the tank with CO2 (I guess similar to dryice).  I think there's a write up somewhere to use yeast and sugar water to create CO2.  You can put the bowl of solution in the tank and wait until CO2 replaces the air inside the tank.

You could also drown them with ice cold water, not too humane, but safer than using dry ice.

Another board member burns his excess feeders.


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## Falk (Aug 24, 2010)

Sell them for a nice price instead.


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## Midknight xrs (Aug 24, 2010)

I agree with falk.  Sell them by the 100's or 50's, with a generous overcount.  It won't waste the food and you could make a few bucks in the process.  The 99cent store has some containers that are tall and about 16 ounces that you can fit a good amount in.  and most shipping by priority is around 5-10 bucks.  

Someone will want them.  Outside of that, another co2 way is to buy those cans of computer air dusters.  they're pretty potent.


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## Travis K (Aug 24, 2010)

Flood the tank with water, sounds like you don't want to be hassled with selling them off do to the flies and humidity.

You could just keep some and then package the rest up and sell the whole thing including the frass and such too.


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## RichRollin (Aug 24, 2010)

Regardless of what you do, I wouldnt be to concerned with how humanely it is.  These are freaking roaches, after all!

Lighter and a can of hairspray?


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## Crysta (Aug 24, 2010)

um...they can hold their breath for about 2hrs.. 
edit; i should say lobster roaches can do that... as i've tested it.. take them out, and the next day or like a few hours they are alive again.. lol

totally friable though...


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## ZephAmp (Aug 24, 2010)

Well, first I'd recommend selling them. 
Otherwise, you can put the lid on the container and dump a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol in. CO2 can be iffy but rubbing alcohol has a 100% kill rate after 1 hour.


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## Ste Hughes (Aug 24, 2010)

i think its fairly obvious you need more T's to keep up with colony growth













or just stick them in a bag and bury them...


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## gothra (Aug 24, 2010)

How about just scoop them out and throw in a "pre-sprayed" garbage bag and then quickly spray with insecticide again? I used this method to cut down my dubia colony before.


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## Obelisk (Aug 24, 2010)

Leave them in someone's mailbox.


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## codykrr (Aug 25, 2010)

ZephAmp said:


> Well, first I'd recommend selling them.
> Otherwise, you can put the lid on the container and dump a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol in. CO2 can be iffy but rubbing alcohol has a 100% kill rate after 1 hour.


Yup rubbing alcohol.  take out what you want and just dump the whole bottle(maybe two) inside. cover with plastic wrap and seal it up.


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## aluras (Aug 25, 2010)

you really should just sell them, Or Give them to someone and have them pay for shipping. That way you are rid of them and you wont have to worry about killing them.


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## TalonAWD (Aug 25, 2010)

I took a little acetone and put them all in a bottle. Then sealed it. Next day all dead.


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## loxoscelesfear (Aug 25, 2010)

toss them in the freezer.  done.


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## barabootom (Aug 25, 2010)

You can easily drown them with soapy water.  They will drown very quickly.  Non-soapy water doesn't work well.


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## Travis K (Aug 25, 2010)

barabootom said:


> You can easily drown them with soapy water.  They will drown very quickly.  Non-soapy water doesn't work well.


Bubble Bath


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## BCscorp (Aug 25, 2010)

Eat them on a reality tv show.


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## EightLeggedFrea (Aug 25, 2010)

Don't kill 'em, just sell some if you really have too many.


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## pouchedrat (Aug 25, 2010)

You can leave them in MY mailbox, I'd be happy!  Honestly, my roach colony cannot keep production up with just ONE juvenile bearded dragon!!!!


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## esotericman (Aug 25, 2010)

Are you sure they're fruit flies and not phorids?

Personally, I'd scoop, dump, whatever a few or all into a 55 gallon trashbag, remove the air, and place the bag in a freezer.  This is how USDA requires people to dispose of possible insect issues.

Of you freeze them, you can toss without worry OR you might see if a local animals group/zoo might need some feeders.  It's far less work than shipping them off, which sounds like something you don't want to waste your time on.

Soapy water is messy once all that frass gets wet, but is used for _Apis mellifera scutella _(Africanized killer bees).  I'd hate to see that poop stew though.


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## Cocoa-Jin (Aug 25, 2010)

Yeah, they are Phorids.  Ive had small infestations in the past, usually due to having vegetabl ematter with too much moisture added to the enclosure.  Imnot sure what the potential risk is of having them in the enclosure, but so many of them cant be a good sign of a healthy habitat for feed stock.

SInce Im not willing to feed them to my Ts, I cant imagine selling them to someone else.

My concern with Alcholo or Acetone is if they are a potential probelm for the sealent keeping the tank together.  Im not sure if they'd break down or damage what I assume is silicone sealent in the tank.


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## cacoseraph (Aug 25, 2010)

esotericman said:


> Are you sure they're fruit flies and not phorids?
> 
> Personally, I'd scoop, dump, whatever a few or all into a 55 gallon trashbag, remove the air, and place the bag in a freezer.  This is how USDA requires people to dispose of possible insect issues.


keep them frozen for at least 2 days, too.


i would do that regardless of whatever other method you might employ to ensure you kill all the roaches and any possible pathogens they might have.  don't just throw them away when you think they are dead


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## esotericman (Aug 26, 2010)

Yes, 2 days would be better, USDA actually requires two weeks, I believe.  And you can not kill phorids fast enough.  They are the bane of my existence, popping up from time to time just to ruin my day.  I've used the shop-vac into the great outdoors when it's -10F before.  Makes me laugh when they freeze... I did mention I hate phorids right?


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## Versi*JP*Color (Aug 26, 2010)

First make a campfire then.
Then get roach tank.
Dump roaches in fire.

Listen to 'em crisp.


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## esotericman (Aug 26, 2010)

But the phorids would escape.  And that's just not right!  Of course the maggots would pop...  hmm.  No, I'd go with the freezer.


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## more_rayne (Aug 26, 2010)

Really, how hard is it to just throw them in a box and send them to someone that wants them.  You could even make some extra cash for minimal effort.  Killing the roaches is such a waste.


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## Moltar (Aug 26, 2010)

Well... I think that if you can find somebody local to pick them up it would be better to give them away than cull the whole colony. However, if that's not working for you then that's cool. I think you've had plenty of options presented for ways to put them down. The alcohol or acetone on a big (double) trash bag probably would be the easiest IMHO. If you can convince your wife to let you put the trash bag in the freezer afterwards that would be nice... just to be sure.

The other thing you'll absolutely _need_ to deal with is the phorids. If you don't kill them they will get into your drains and toilet bowls and who knows where else. Your whole house could get overrun. I suggest you get several larger glue-board traps and bait each one with several dead roaches placed _in the middle_ of the board. As soon as the roaches start to decay they will draw the phorids right to them. Since phorids do a lot of walking around they will get stuck in the glue before they can even get to the dead roaches.

Place these traps around your bug room close to where the roach colonies are. It is quite effective. It takes a couple of weeks to really work but it does work. I've completely eradicated a nasty infestation using just this method parallell to a detailed cleaning of the colony. If you kill all the adult females before they lay their eggs... well you know the rest.


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## JC (Aug 26, 2010)

I would take some off your hands if you are willing to ship.


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## cacoseraph (Aug 27, 2010)

y'all *do* see the roaches are infected with phorids, right?

those can be nightmarish to get rid of or even adequately control.  i would not take roaches i knew where infected as a gift.  actually, i take it back. i guess i would... i would freeze them and butcher them out to my bugs


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## JC (Aug 27, 2010)

cacoseraph said:


> y'all *do* see the roaches are infected with phorids, right?


I take it back.


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## Cocoa-Jin (Sep 1, 2010)

Soapy water worked well...very quick too.


Now, do Lobster Roaches live bear or do they lay eggs.  I need to know how long to wait before any unborn are no longer viable.  That way I know when to dump the remains.  Freezing isnt an option.


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## Travis K (Sep 2, 2010)

Cocoa-Jin said:


> Soapy water worked well...very quick too.


Yeah it does work pretty well.


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