B. lateralis - how to catch?

dfudd

Arachnopeon
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May 30, 2005
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Help, please. After several months of waiting, my B. lateralis colony has grown sufficiently, to where I am ready to use as the primary food source for my t’s. What is the best way to capture them for transfer to the t enclosures. I would only want to catch a few at a time (of a specific number and size to feed each individual spider). These rascals, B. lateralis, are really fast. A pooter works ok on a limited basis, but only is good for catching smaller nymphs. Trying to corner and catch in a vial is very difficult due to their speed. Thankfully, the t’s don’t seem to have much of a problem in catching them.
As a side note: this species really does multiply as rapidly as reported. Once an mature egg-laying population of around 50 or so is in place, the colony will increase around 15-40 per day, and if all those and each subsequent batch were allowed to mature could just about take over the earth in a short time.
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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I just reach in and grab and then transfer them to a deli cup and then into the T's bellys.
 

dfudd

Arachnopeon
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I don't think you do that with B. lateralis - unless

your hands are faster than the fastest p. regalis.
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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oops, sorry. for some odd reason i thought it said B. dubia. I was just writing someone about them so i guess I saw what i was just typing about. My bad :wall:
 

Dom

Arachnolord
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I have many small egg crate pieces in with my lateralis. When I pick up a piece it will often have from one to several hiding on the underside. Sometimes there are no large ones on the egg crate pieces but a large number of small nymphs. When I pick up the egg crate pieces they are very reluctant to jump off and are easily transferred.
I have a group of 50+ and am finding egg cases nearly every day and hatchlings also.
As an aside: I have the heat on now and was having a hard time keeping the eggs humid enough and they weren't hatching for me. I didn't want to have moist substrate and potential problems with my dry food. My solution was to fill a deli container with wet coco fibre and hot glued some fiberglass window screen just above it. Make sure you use hot glue around the entire perimeter so nymphs can't climb into the container. Next time I'll put a bent straw on top of the coco to make sure it doesn't make contact with the screen. I check their container 1-2 times a week and put any egg cases I find on the screen. I have a piece of egg crate positioned so that when the babies hatch they can climb onto it and join the rest of the colony. When the coco starts to get dry it is easily wetted by pouring water through the screen.
 

Beth-Tex

Arachnoknight
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I have 2 lateralis containers........one that is the breeder container & one that is the feeder container......

What I do is grab a piece of egg carton & transfer any lateralis on it to the feeder container & shake them off & then I herd the roach of choice into a vial & then feed the T.

Since I have enough lateralis, I even let the adults & whatever size is clinging to the egg carton piece, stay on & transfer it. Then whenever I need a roach, I simply dig into the feeder container & don't disturb the breeder container all the time. This works great for me as I have Ts of various sizes.

Beth
 

Scolopendra55

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Are they literally that fast and hard to catch? I was contemplating starting a colony but now I'm starting to wonder. If one or two were to get loose in my house could it potentially start a pets problem :?
 

Dom

Arachnolord
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I don't know if they are that fast but they are quick. At room temp they slow down a bit. They like to cling to whatever surface they are on so they are much easier to work with than crickets, and easier to catch too. In the short time I've had mine none have escaped and from what I've read they don't seem to be a problem.
 
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james

Arachnobaron
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Oct 20, 2003
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lateralis

I keep some paper towel rolls in my bins and dump them into a deli cup. I either grab them from there with my fingers or use tweezers or even a spoon sometimes. Another guy I sold them too developed a sorter for them that you can buy on allpet.
James
www.blaberus.com
 

dfudd

Arachnopeon
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May 30, 2005
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Thank to all for your replies:

I will try the suggestions to transfer to secondary container or vial & transfer from there to t's habitat. I am almost totally unable to catch with forceps or with hands while they are in their primary container (I have no problems in catching crickets in such a way). Hope I will have better luck in a smaller secondary container.

Dom: I will try your suggestion about providing moisture for the egg pods. Sounds like a good idea - I think most of my lateralis eggs do hatch, but some seem to just dry up.

Scolopendra 55: I would not be too concerned about escapes. They are non-climbers and not likely to escape if properly housed. If you should have some escapes, is is my understanding that at normal room temperature - say 74 or less degrees, they do not reproduce.
 

Digby Rigby

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jojobear

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I use a small vial, I first pick up the eggcrate, then spot potentiel meal under egg crate (in dimple), then put a small vial up to it and either wait for dinner to crawl into vial (adults) or tap eggcrate lightly causing dinner to fall into vial (small nymphs).

Dom said:
As an aside: I have the heat on now and was having a hard time keeping the eggs humid enough and they weren't hatching for me.
I had the same thing happen. I just took a plastic container (cottage cheese) poked a couple of holes in the sides about 1/2" up.and an 1/8" or so in diameter. Put in moist bed-o-beast up to the level of the holes, then put egg cases inside. Stuck it back in with the rest of the colony and Wa La an incubator and with the holes the nymphs can crawl out when they hatch. I have actually found an adult female inside laying an egg case.


Scolopendra55 said:
Are they literally that fast and hard to catch? I was contemplating starting a colony but now I'm starting to wonder.

I definately wouldn't let there speed be a deterent for getting these guys. That has been the only downside I have found in my short time dealing with this species. I have 8 other types of roaches and as soon as these guys get going my lobster colony is history.
 

Dom

Arachnolord
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jojobear said:
I had the same thing happen. I just took a plastic container (cottage cheese) poked a couple of holes in the sides about 1/2" up.and an 1/8" or so in diameter. Put in moist bed-o-beast up to the level of the holes, then put egg cases inside. Stuck it back in with the rest of the colony and Wa La an incubator and with the holes the nymphs can crawl out when they hatch. I have actually found an adult female inside laying an egg case.
I tried that but found that the coco would dry out pretty fast and if I added too much moisture it would often get thoroughly soaked. I didn't like the idea of the egg cases sitting on soaking wet substrate. Also it isn't as easy to remove the egg cases if you need to. The way I do it I can really soak the substrate and not worry about itdrying out for a fairly long period of time. I'm actually going to change to peat moss because I'm getting a bit of mold/fungus on it and I don't think that would happen with peat. Also with the method I use I would feel comfortable adding hydrogen peroxide to the substrate to combat contaminants whereas I wouldn't if the egg cases were in contact with it.

As you say I wouldn't let the lateralis speed deter anyone from keeping them, they're a great species to work with.
 

roach dude

Arachnobaron
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i keep death heads(blabers gigantius)(i think) there not that fast just push down on there back and scoop you hand underneath them!!:eek:
 
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