Oops-buried roach!

[Lumina]

I was re-arranging and adding substrate to my Aphonopelma seemani's enclosure yesterday, and I accidentally buried a roach in the substrate. Now I can't find it >_<

... Should I empty out the substrate and replace it? I don't want to get mites in there..

 

[Dovey]

Was this a living roach or a dead Roach? And was it a wee little nymph or an adult, and what species?

 

[Lumina]

Was this a living roach or a dead Roach? And was it a wee little nymph or an adult, and what species?

It was alive. A medium sized B lateralis.

 

[Greasylake]

What T are you putting in there? That roach might just end up as a snack.

 

[Lumina]

What T are you putting in there? That roach might just end up as a snack.

It's in my Aphonopelma seemani's enclosure

I don't know if roaches are able to dig themselves out of substrate. The enclosure has about 4" of substrate in it and I don't know how far down the roach is. Lol

 

[Teal]

Yes, the roach will dig itself out.

Mites are not a problem and would consume the roach if it died, which is beneficial to helping keep the enclosure free of dead/decaying matter.

The T may very well just eat the roach when it emerges.

Or, check on the enclosure tonight and capture the (inevitably) emerged roach.

 

[Lumina]

Yes, the roach will dig itself out.

Mites are not a problem and would consume the roach if it died, which is beneficial to helping keep the enclosure free of dead/decaying matter.

The T may very well just eat the roach when it emerges.

Or, check on the enclosure tonight and capture the (inevitably) emerged roach.

Okay, well that's good news!

 

[FrDoc]

I have had occasion to check on my T’s and find one munching on a feeder I didn’t even know was there. Not a best case scenario, but nothing over which to lose sleep. UNLESS, your T is in heavy pre-molt.

 

[Lumina]

I have had occasion to check on my T’s and find one munching on a feeder I didn’t even know was there. Not a best case scenario, but nothing over which to lose sleep. UNLESS, your T is in heavy pre-molt.

Yea, that's why I don't like to leave live feeders in the enclosures. Especially crickets.

 

[Teal]

Yea, that's why I don't like to leave live feeders in the enclosures. Especially crickets.

It definitely isn't recommended to leave feeders in, but it happens and it is rare that something goes wrong. I tend to crush the heads on feeders for the majority of my Ts to avoid risks and because several of the roach species I feed will immediately burrow.

 

[Lumina]

It definitely isn't recommended to leave feeders in, but it happens and it is rare that something goes wrong. I tend to crush the heads on feeders for the majority of my Ts to avoid risks and because several of the roach species I feed will immediately burrow.

Which roach species do you use as feeders?

 

[Teal]

Which roach species do you use as feeders?

B. dubia (burrowers), P. surinamensis/P. sp Thailand (burrowers), S. lateralis, and sometimes I also have one or both of the americanas (Parcoblatta or Periplaneta).