Hissing Cockroach Help!

[jtorralba]

We just got a colony of 8 MHC for class pets 2 weeks ago. I had them in a small enclosure for the first week until I could get the bigger tank. We put them in the bigger tank on Monday. This morning, Wednesday, we found two of them upside down. One wasn't moving at all and the other was twitching like it had a seizure. The branches in the new tank came from some pear trees in our yard we trimmed as well as live spider plant, hoya, trancendia, air plants, and pothos. They have hedgehog/chicken food as well as an occasional veggie to eat and i have a cup with cricket quencher for water. I mist the entire tank down daily and have a heat pad under the middle section of the tank. What is killing our new bugs???

 

[SpookySpooder]

I can think of a few possibilities.

First, any pesticides or fertilizers used on the plants?

Second, is there an insecticide in the animal feed? Many manufacturers add some form of pest control that is nontoxic to the target animal but can mess up insects such as roaches.

Third, maybe chlorine in the tap water? Not sure what kind of water you are using.

Also, heat mats should go on the side of tanks, not underneath.

 

[jtorralba]

Should be no pesticides on the plants that I know of. My husband does spread a fertilizer on the yard, but I don't know what specific one.

I use Dumor Layer feed https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-dumor-16-layer-pellet-50-lb-3006319-206 Just came in a smaller bag
ingredients: Wheat Middlings, Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Corn Distillers Dried Grains, Calcium Carbonate, Corn Gluten Feed, Animal Fat Preserved with Ethoxyquin, Salt, DL-Methionine, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Yeast Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Selenium Yeast, Thiamine Mononitrate, Zinc Proteinate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Zinc Oxide, Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Hydroxychloride, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Hydroxychloride, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Active Dry Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Basic Copper Chloride, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Silico Aluminate, L-Lysine, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Organic Soybean Oil, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite

I use store bought purified water for misting and adding to their gel. The school water has chlorine in it and that made me nervous.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Do you have something to regulate the temperature of the heat mat?

That ingredient list is mostly powdered vitamins. Don't see a listed pest control substance on it.

The only thing I would draw into suspicion is the calcium carbonate and where it's derived from. I have seen Diatomaceous Earth listed as an ingredient in some chicken feed.

 

[jtorralba]

I use store bought purified water already.
I don't have anything to regulate the heat mat. it is just plug in or not.

 

[jtorralba]

ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater (U.T.H.) | Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.

zoomed.com

I have the mini size of this heat pad.

 

[jtorralba]

https://zoomed.com/reptitherm-under-tank-heater-u-t-h/
This is the heat pad I have in size mini, so its only 4"x 6", 4W AND 60 Hz.

 

[SpookySpooder]

I use store bought purified water already.
I don't have anything to regulate the heat mat. it is just plug in or not.

Sorry I edited after I posted.

Just going down everything I can think of.

Assuming you got fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, did you happen to rinse them in case they were treated with preservatives and pesticides?

Even a small heat mat without some way of regulating the current will get to be 120°F at times. An unregulated heat mat underneath a tank is a very common recipe for cooking our pets.

Do you have some way of checking the temperature to ensure it stays in a safe range? Like with a thermometer or sensor?

If you don't, you can always move the heat mat to the side of the tank, it's a bit safer for them.

The proper use of heat mats

Mods could you please make this a sticky as there's so much misinformation about heat mats? So heat mats are perfectly safe to use IF they're used properly. They're like a mini space heater when used properly. 1) Heat mats MUST be plugged into a thermostat. That's a thermostat NOT a...

arachnoboards.com

 

[jbooth]

Could be on anything. I had an experience with air plants that was similar, I'd throw all the plants out first. 4W is of no concern, especially only under part of the tank. It might be enough, but no way it's too hot for them, esp with substrate. If you have a cricket or other feeder that isn't $2/ea. throw one in with one of those airplants and tell me what happens... just a hunch.

 

[RoachCoach]

Stop with the heat mat and keep them at room temp. No, chlorinated water spraydown won't hurt them. Don't use plants from outside, they can harbor parasites and pesticides/be toxic as some have said here. Discontinue feeding them tractor supply horse/chicken feed and give them fresh fruits and vegetables that have been washed. All that food in there might attract predatory mites. As long as they have fruits and vegetables available then you can get rid of the water dish. Only put enough food they can eat in 24 hours, you'll get used to how much they can eat quickly. Give them a hide or a substrate they can burrow into. If you have any more questions hit us up, we are always here to help.