How can I keep roaches cold for the winter?

[jreidsma]

Hi everyone

I have some wood roaches and just found out that they need to stay cold throughout the winter for a dormancy/resting period. But I live in a mobile home in Michigan so I am rather limited on what I can do.

I don't have a cold room to put them in. And on my porch they would be exposed to the harsh Michigan winters, where it can get to 10 degrees F on uncommon occasions.

I was thinking of maybe putting them in a small cooler (a few air holes drilled in the lid) and have ice packs in the bottom. I would have extras in the freezer so every day I could change them and make sure they stay cold. Would that work?

 

[Kazaam]

The basement might work...

 

[Akai]

The basement might work...

He lives in a mobile home so a basement is not in the realm of possibility. But I am curious to this as well. I'd say keep them in your bin near a window since you live in Michigan and it gets hella cold there in the winter. I imagine you have single pane windows? Are these wood roaches native to Michigan?

 

[jreidsma]

We have triple pane windows, so it wouldn't get very cold by them. We upgraded

No basement.....

Yes these roaches are native to michigan, I caught them at my aunts woods/house last weekend in some rotting birch tree logs.

 

[Akai]

I actually know nothing of wood roaches and their husbandry but they are ghastly things and I have dubia colonies so I am not particularly squeamish. So if they are native to Michigan they survive over the harsh winter snow? That's interesting. We have really big wood roaches here in Texas and they are freaky looking and fast as hell and always find away to come inside but they die within a day. I don't know why really but they don't last indoors here. Do your wood roaches secrete a defensive odor when they are disturbed?

 

[jreidsma]

I haven't noticed any kind of defense from these ones.

If you catch anymore you should try keeping them, try giving them some wood if you can along with some dry foods (dog and cat food and the like) and a piece of apple. It would be pretty cool if you could keep them alive I am sure some of us would be interested in them also

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

Hibernating animals need to be kept cold...and QUIET.
They should NOT be disturbed-least of all EVERY DAY.

A "cooler" that can only be kept cool by daily disturbance is not an ideal hibernaculum.

And most windows are worse.

Do you have a refrigerator?
Does it have a compartment that can be kept free of disturbance?

If the cooler is all you have in your mobile home...
you might consider looking for an area naturalist who might know how to find or make a hibernaculum that is safe for your animals...

And that will not get YOU in trouble with people who think that wood ROACHES are "ghastly things."

He will know better than that.

 

[jreidsma]

I was informed by Orin on Allpet roaches forums that Parcoblatta do not need a cold period, so they are in my room with the rest of my animals and are doing fine.

I have a 2.5 gallon glass tank and lid being held for me at a local pet store, most stores want about $20 for a 2.5 gallon but I found some for $12 and the lid is $5-$6.

I am hoping to catch some more from my aunts house, and maybe my friends house as he told me there is a lot of rotting logs at his house and thought that he saw some of the roaches.