E. distante has molting problem

[KyuZo]

Hi,
i seriously need some advice. I had some E. distante in the past and they all died because they had molting.
I just bought 100 and the first one to molt got stuck in it skin.
I am thinking that maybe i am keeping it too humid? I had assassin that i kept too humid and they had problem molting, so i am thinking that it maybe the same thing.
how do you keep your E. distante? what am i doing wrong?
I have mine in a 14"x8"x14" plastic shoe box with 2" of coco fiber semimoist. I have a heat mat under heat that keep the temperature at 75 F and the lid has a screen (60% is screen).
or maybe too crowded?
thanks,
jason

 

[Kimo]

I have them and they molt just fine, but I keep mine 10-15cm coco always wet whole...and heat cable under. eating like crazy and saw some tiny babies 2 days ago...they need very deep substrate, very moist, always humid and hot...

 

[KyuZo]

thanks, i'll try to increase the substrate lvl and see wussup

 

[dthbhk]

What is a E. distante?

 

[KyuZo]

six spotted roach. it is similar to the orange head cockroach, same genus

What is a E. distante?

 

[Kimo]

It is Eublaberus distanti, not ...e

 

[KyuZo]

It is Eublaberus distanti, not ...e

o, so i missed an i, thanks for the correction. so after you put that i in distanti, i'm sure dthbhk knows what we are talking about now :?
or NOT! ;P

 

[Matt K]

E distanti....
;P

I keep mine in plastic tubs that measure 16"x22"x14"deep. There are two 2" holes cut in either end with screen glued over them. Also have 4 of the same holes cut in the lid. The substrate is cypress mulch a little less than 2 inches deep to which I added a few handfuls of oak leaves and a couple handfuls of coco fiber/earth product. Then I have a few pieces of egg carton standing on end leaning on the side of the tub on that. It stays relatively dry, but I do water one end of the tub so 1/3 of it stays moist but not wet. Room temp varies from 70 to 80 degrees. I mist them down every week or so and feed twice a week. I keep both Eublaberus distanti and Eublaberus posticus this way and they reproduce like wildfire. Great food for T's and box tortoises.

 

[Kimo]

I think they need it more humid, but as you see in Matt K setup, nothing is wrong if they produce like crazy...do you know how many they give birth to? I saw only once female with ootheca and saw some small nymphs, they are tiny in comparisson to their adult size and nymphs are very fat and protein full Like 7 gr at the most...

 

[KyuZo]

just wanted to give you guys an update. the problem was there weren't that many climbing spaces for them to climb on. i noticed that the ones that had a bad molt was in the soil while it was molting, and the ones that molted successfully was on a bark.
just for future references