# Is there away to absorb roach colony smell?



## Cocoa-Jin (Aug 26, 2008)

My little roach colony has a odor that generally requires you be right over it to smell(or catch the rare breeze of roach funk from across the room), but Ive moved partment and have into a smaller apartment and have no place to oput them out of the way, so now Im always around them.  If I can smell them, my wife will...and thats not going to work.

Is there some kind of material that I can place in the tank or on the screen to absorb the smell?

Also, I just moved to Burbank/Los Angeles...is there any threat down here of a parasite or other pest infesting the tank and/or roaches if I keep the tank outside on my balcony instead?  Im on the 2nd floor and the biggest thing to worry about is a possible bird trying to break through the screening.


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## mitchnast (Aug 26, 2008)

I don't think theres a way that wont turn roach culture into a far more intensive endeavor.

The only simple answer i can think of is to explore some different substrates.

If you could get acacia roots to extend into you're substrate, that would foster a strong presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.  But I cant imagine how you could set up such a thing without having escapees a plenty.
Beans, peas, locust (tree) mimosas, etc would all work as well.

try a vivarium with sensitive plants (mimosa pudica) and some bromeliads.

It will look awesome and the mimosas react to being touched

then again the roaches might defoliate the plants


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## Cocoa-Jin (Aug 26, 2008)

hmmm, plants and plantable substrate might make getting to these feeders harder than its worth.


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## Moltar (Aug 26, 2008)

I had a nasty smell problem with my B lateralis enclosure. The answer was to dramatcally increase the ventilation. Now it's a pretty mild stink but... well you get the idea.

Maybe a tall glass jar placed in the enclosure with an open top that has baking soda in it? Tall and glass would be so they can't climb in of course. On second thought, a mason jar with a screen lid would work pretty well too.


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## Galapoheros (Aug 27, 2008)

I have Hissers and B. dubias.  I keep it dry which I think puts the brakes on bacteria creating the bad smells.  They get water from veggies and fruits.


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## radicaldementia (Aug 28, 2008)

I also have hissers and dubia, and the key is definitely keeping the enlosure as dry as possible, while still keeping your roaches hydrated.  I regularly feed carrots, apple, and other "watery" foods to give them water, and I completely stopped using water crystals.  Doing this along with increasing the ventilation has dramatically reduced any odor.


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## dtknow (Aug 28, 2008)

And despite what people say, B. lateralis will hatch in quite dry enclosures.


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## Meer (Aug 29, 2008)

I think I might have heard somewhere of activated charcoal absorbing smells? Not sure.  Or you could just do what I do and burn incense to cover up odors.   

I just recently got some roaches.  One of the reasons I got them is because of all the rave reviews about them not smelling as bad as crickets.  Well my roaches never read that and didn't know they weren't supposed to stink.  They reek worse than the crickets!


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## Senses-Tingling (Aug 29, 2008)

Meer said:


> They reek worse than the crickets!


If they reek worse than crickets, you're doing something wrong. 
I would recommend using a moist substrate. The roach species that I keep with a decent substrate, 2-4" of moist peatmoss, have a much more pleasing earthy aroma. A deep moist substrate means that foods won't last as long in it though - they mold quicker. So it means feeding your roaches smaller amounts of food, more often.


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## blazetown (Sep 1, 2008)

I forget his username but the guy who ate the scorps and roaches said that they basically smell like whatever they ate rotting (moldy cornflakes lol?) so maybe a more fruit based diet. Although I could see just the fact that they need protein being something that might be smelly regardless.


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## Meer (Sep 2, 2008)

But I've read so much about people keeping them dry with no substrate, and having no smell problem.


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## AbraxasComplex (Sep 2, 2008)

I stopped giving mine cat food for protein and used fish food instead. The odor has decreased dramatically.


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## blazetown (Sep 3, 2008)

Oh yeah it slipped my mind before but has anyone heard of zeolite before?

Its a volcanic rock if I remember correctly and it comes in many forms but you can get it in packs that are supposed to remove smell. Kinda like charcoal but the beauty is it's inert and because of its molecular structure it will release the chemicals if you put it out in the sun for awhile. Pretty badass substance actually....you can use it in hydroponic systems in a different form actually and its structure holds in fertilizer for the plant to use when needed 

Oh yeah and im not a zeolite salesman


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## Arachnobored (Sep 3, 2008)

My _B. lateralis_ are kept sans substrate, and much as I'd like to say differently, they do have an odour. Slight, but there all the same. However, I have a dedicated room for all of my colonies, and smell is not a problem, provided it's not acute.

I keep mine well hydrated - never damp - and remove the dead as soon as I see it. All foods are fresh and removed long before mould occurs, and this limits the smell to a perfectly acceptable level.

If you can move them to the balcony, it should sort out the problem, but bear in mind you'll slow the breeding right down, depending on temps...


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## Cocoa-Jin (Apr 19, 2009)

Kitty litter filters...especially with granuales of zeolite(I think it is), absorbs the smell extremely well I have found.


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## codykrr (Apr 19, 2009)

heres what i do for my mice.....i took a pillow case(smallest you can find) and filled it with 2 boxes of arm and hammer baking soda i then place that on top of the tank and change out he baking soda once i start smelling them again. it works great!


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## gvfarns (Apr 19, 2009)

I keep mine on deep potting soil substrate (moist) with red wrigglers in it. It's not a perfect solution, but it's pretty good.  The worms eat some of the frass, I believe, and the potting soil definitely absorbs smell.  Only had it for a few months, though (maybe a thousand or two lateralis).

I never had any luck at all getting lateralis to hatch when I didn't keep it moist, rather frustratingly.  I know other people have, but they must be magic or something.  Once I went to substrate and moisture, they reproduced uncomfortably fast.


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## BCscorp (Apr 25, 2009)

http://www.onaonline.com/prod-ona.html

possibilities here?


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## biomarine2000 (Apr 25, 2009)

My stunk really bad when I was feeding them cat food.  I have switched to James's roach buffett.  They seem to like it.  Of course I'm also feeding fresh fruits as well.  I have a colony of dubia and lats that are breeding very well.  I used to walk into the room and almost gag.  Now I cant even tell they are there.  Here is the link:

http://www.blaberus.com/FORMgallery5.htm


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