Ok, this is going to hurt for some of you...how do I Euthanize a Roach Colony?

[esotericman]

Are you sure they're fruit flies and not phorids?

Personally, I'd scoop, dump, whatever a few or all into a 55 gallon trashbag, remove the air, and place the bag in a freezer. This is how USDA requires people to dispose of possible insect issues.

Of you freeze them, you can toss without worry OR you might see if a local animals group/zoo might need some feeders. It's far less work than shipping them off, which sounds like something you don't want to waste your time on.

Soapy water is messy once all that frass gets wet, but is used for Apis mellifera scutella (Africanized killer bees). I'd hate to see that poop stew though.

 

[Cocoa-Jin]

Yeah, they are Phorids. Ive had small infestations in the past, usually due to having vegetabl ematter with too much moisture added to the enclosure. Imnot sure what the potential risk is of having them in the enclosure, but so many of them cant be a good sign of a healthy habitat for feed stock.

SInce Im not willing to feed them to my Ts, I cant imagine selling them to someone else.

My concern with Alcholo or Acetone is if they are a potential probelm for the sealent keeping the tank together. Im not sure if they'd break down or damage what I assume is silicone sealent in the tank.

 

[cacoseraph]

Are you sure they're fruit flies and not phorids?

Personally, I'd scoop, dump, whatever a few or all into a 55 gallon trashbag, remove the air, and place the bag in a freezer. This is how USDA requires people to dispose of possible insect issues.

keep them frozen for at least 2 days, too.


i would do that regardless of whatever other method you might employ to ensure you kill all the roaches and any possible pathogens they might have. don't just throw them away when you think they are dead

 

[esotericman]

Yes, 2 days would be better, USDA actually requires two weeks, I believe. And you can not kill phorids fast enough. They are the bane of my existence, popping up from time to time just to ruin my day. I've used the shop-vac into the great outdoors when it's -10F before. Makes me laugh when they freeze... I did mention I hate phorids right?

 

[Versi*JP*Color]

First make a campfire then.
Then get roach tank.
Dump roaches in fire.

Listen to 'em crisp.

 

[esotericman]

But the phorids would escape. And that's just not right! Of course the maggots would pop... hmm. No, I'd go with the freezer.

 

[more_rayne]

Really, how hard is it to just throw them in a box and send them to someone that wants them. You could even make some extra cash for minimal effort. Killing the roaches is such a waste.

 

[Moltar]

Well... I think that if you can find somebody local to pick them up it would be better to give them away than cull the whole colony. However, if that's not working for you then that's cool. I think you've had plenty of options presented for ways to put them down. The alcohol or acetone on a big (double) trash bag probably would be the easiest IMHO. If you can convince your wife to let you put the trash bag in the freezer afterwards that would be nice... just to be sure.

The other thing you'll absolutely need to deal with is the phorids. If you don't kill them they will get into your drains and toilet bowls and who knows where else. Your whole house could get overrun. I suggest you get several larger glue-board traps and bait each one with several dead roaches placed in the middle of the board. As soon as the roaches start to decay they will draw the phorids right to them. Since phorids do a lot of walking around they will get stuck in the glue before they can even get to the dead roaches.

Place these traps around your bug room close to where the roach colonies are. It is quite effective. It takes a couple of weeks to really work but it does work. I've completely eradicated a nasty infestation using just this method parallell to a detailed cleaning of the colony. If you kill all the adult females before they lay their eggs... well you know the rest.

 

[JC]

I would take some off your hands if you are willing to ship.

 

[cacoseraph]

y'all *do* see the roaches are infected with phorids, right?

those can be nightmarish to get rid of or even adequately control. i would not take roaches i knew where infected as a gift. actually, i take it back. i guess i would... i would freeze them and butcher them out to my bugs

 

[JC]

y'all *do* see the roaches are infected with phorids, right?

I take it back.

 

[Cocoa-Jin]

Soapy water worked well...very quick too.


Now, do Lobster Roaches live bear or do they lay eggs. I need to know how long to wait before any unborn are no longer viable. That way I know when to dump the remains. Freezing isnt an option.

 

[Travis K]

Soapy water worked well...very quick too.

Yeah it does work pretty well.